YouTube Shorts are the short videos that play automatically when you open the Shorts tab or scroll past them in your feed
You cannot turn off Shorts entirely within YouTube itself — the feature is built into the platform and Google does not offer an official toggle to disable it. However, you can block Shorts from appearing in your feed, prevent them from playing in your browser, or use third-party tools to hide them. The method that works best depends on whether you want to stop seeing Shorts recommendations, prevent autoplay, or remove the Shorts tab from view altogether.
The steps below cover the most practical approaches: adjusting your YouTube settings, using browser extensions, and changing how you access YouTube. None of these methods require you to delete your account or stop using YouTube — they just change what you see when you visit the site.
Key Takeaways
- YouTube does not have an official "disable Shorts" setting, but you can hide the Shorts tab and remove Shorts from your home feed through your account settings.
- Browser extensions like Return YouTube Dislike or uBlock Origin can block Shorts from appearing, though they require installation and occasional updates.
- Turning off autoplay in your YouTube settings prevents Shorts from starting automatically, which reduces their visibility in your feed.
- Using YouTube on a desktop browser gives you more control over what appears than the mobile app does.
- If you share a device with others, you can create a separate YouTube account with Shorts blocked rather than changing settings for everyone.
Remove the Shorts tab from your YouTube sidebar
The Shorts tab appears in your left sidebar on desktop YouTube and at the bottom of the mobile app. Removing it from view is the simplest step and works on both platforms. On desktop, right-click the Shorts tab in your sidebar and select "Remove from sidebar." On mobile, press and hold the Shorts icon at the bottom, then tap "Remove."
This does not delete Shorts from YouTube — it only hides the dedicated tab. Shorts may still appear mixed into your home feed or recommendations, but you will not have a direct shortcut to watch them. If you change your mind later, you can add the tab back the same way.
Turn off autoplay to stop Shorts from starting automatically
Autoplay is the setting that makes videos start playing on their own as you scroll. Turning it off reduces how much Shorts content plays without your action. On desktop, click your profile picture in the top right corner, go to Settings, then select "Autoplay" from the left menu. Toggle off "Autoplay on Home" and "Autoplay on Browse."
On mobile, open the YouTube app, tap your profile picture, go to Settings, then Autoplay. Turn off both toggles. After you change this setting, videos and Shorts will pause when you scroll past them, and you will have to tap to play them. This slows down how fast Shorts appear in your feed because you control when each one starts.
Use a browser extension to hide Shorts
Browser extensions are small programs that change how websites look and work in your browser. Several extensions can hide Shorts from YouTube, though they only work on desktop and require you to install them first. The most common options are uBlock Origin (which blocks ads and can be configured to hide Shorts), Return YouTube Dislike (which restores the dislike button and can hide Shorts), and SponsorBlock (which skips sponsored segments and has a Shorts-hiding option).
To install an extension, open your browser's extension store (Chrome Web Store for Google Chrome, Add-ons for Firefox), search for the extension by name, and click "Add to [Browser]." After installation, the extension usually works right away. Some extensions have settings you can adjust — for example, uBlock Origin requires you to add a custom filter to hide Shorts, while Return YouTube Dislike has a built-in toggle. Check the extension's settings page to see what options are available.
The downside is that extensions need updates when YouTube changes its code, and not all extensions work on all browsers. If an extension stops working, check whether an update is available or try a different one.
Access YouTube through a desktop browser instead of the mobile app
The YouTube mobile app shows Shorts more prominently than the desktop website does. If you use YouTube mostly on your phone, opening it in your browser instead of the app gives you more control over what appears. Open your phone's web browser, go to youtube.com, and use YouTube there rather than opening the app.
The mobile browser version of YouTube is smaller and less polished than the app, but it respects your autoplay settings better and does not push Shorts as aggressively. You can also bookmark YouTube in your browser so you can reach it quickly without searching.
Create a separate YouTube account with Shorts disabled
If you share a device with family members or roommates who want to watch Shorts, you can create a second Google account just for yourself and block Shorts on that account while leaving the shared account unchanged. Go to myaccount.google.com, click "Create account," and follow the steps to set up a new account. Then sign into YouTube with that account and apply the settings above — remove the Shorts tab, turn off autoplay, and install extensions if you use a browser.
This approach takes a few extra minutes to set up but means you do not have to negotiate settings with other people who use the device. You can switch between accounts by clicking your profile picture and selecting the account you want to use.
What to do if Shorts still appear in your recommendations
Even after removing the Shorts tab and turning off autoplay, Shorts may still show up in your home feed or in the "recommended for you" section. This happens because YouTube treats Shorts as regular videos for recommendation purposes. To reduce how often they appear, you can tell YouTube you are not interested in them.
Hover over a Shorts video in your feed and click the three-dot menu that appears. Select "Don't recommend channel" or "Not interested." YouTube will show you fewer videos from that channel and fewer Shorts in general. Do this several times with different Shorts, and your feed will gradually shift toward other content. This method takes longer than the others but works without extensions or account changes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will blocking Shorts affect my subscriptions or watch history?
No. Blocking Shorts only changes what appears in your feed and recommendations. Your subscriptions, playlists, watch history, and all your saved content remain exactly the same. You can still watch videos from channels you subscribe to normally.
Can I block Shorts on the YouTube app but not on the website?
Yes. The app and the website are separate, so you can adjust settings differently on each one. For example, you could remove the Shorts tab from the app but leave it on the website, or use an extension on your browser while leaving the app unchanged. Just remember that changes you make in your YouTube account settings (like autoplay) affect both the app and the website.
Do I need to pay for a browser extension to hide Shorts?
No. All the extensions mentioned above — uBlock Origin, Return YouTube Dislike, and SponsorBlock — are free to install and use. Some extensions offer optional paid versions with extra features, but the free versions block Shorts without any cost.
What happens if YouTube updates and my extension stops working?
The extension developer usually releases an update within a few days to a few weeks. Check your browser's extension page to see if an update is available, or uninstall the extension and try a different one. If you prefer not to deal with updates, use the built-in YouTube settings (removing the tab and turning off autoplay) instead, since those do not break when YouTube changes.
Can I block Shorts for everyone on my household WiFi?
Not directly through YouTube. You would need to configure your WiFi router to block YouTube's Shorts servers, which is technical and may break other YouTube features. The simpler approach is to create separate YouTube accounts for each person in your household and adjust Shorts settings on each account individually.