How to Block YouTube Shorts on Desktop or Mobile - 6 Methods
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YouTube Shorts can be extremely addictive. Once you start scrolling, it will keep recommending content that you are interested in, making you spend too much time on it and not even be able to stop watching. Many users find that Shorts waste time. And even expose kids to inappropriate content.
In this article, we’ll show you 6 proven ways to block YouTube Shorts on desktop and phone, with its built-in features or third-party tools.
Cisdem AppCrypt
The Best YouTube Shorts Blocker
- Block websites/webpages on Chrome, Edge, Safari, and other browsers
- Let you block specific websites/webpages with password
- Let you block categories of sites, like video sites, social media, etc.
- Also let you block all URLs containing a certain word
- Lock apps with password
- Block websites and lock apps permanently or during certain times
- Easy to use and hard to bypass
- Help you block YouTube Shorts permanently or set time limits on it
- Help with productivity, parental controls, and privacy protection
- Compatible with Windows, Mac, Android, iPhone and iPad
How to block YouTube Shorts on desktop?
Currently, YouTube doesn’t provide a built-in option to permanently remove Shorts from youtube.com. It only allows you to hide Shorts from your feed for a certain period of time. To block YouTube Shorts on desktop, here are 3 effective ways you can try.
Method 1: Block YouTube Shorts on desktop with Cisdem AppCrypt
Best for: Users who want to permanently block YouTube Shorts or set time limits on it. It’s also ideal for parental controls.
Cisdem AppCrypt is a powerful website blocker and app locker that allows you to permanently block YouTube Shorts on your computer. It also helps prevent YouTube Shorts addiction by setting time limits. For example, you can block access to Shorts during work hours or bedtime. With built-in password protection, it’s also effective for parents to block YouTube Shorts on child’s computer.
(Cisdem AppCrypt is also available on Android and iOS, which can be used to block the YouTube app and the entire YouTube website.)
1. Download Cisdem AppCrypt on your computer.
Free Download Windows 10 or later 
Free Download macOS 10.12 or later
2. Launch it. Set a password.
3. Right-click the lock icon on Windows taskbar/Mac menu bar. Choose Open Main Window.
4. Enter the password to access this YouTube Shorts blocker.
5. Now you are in the main window. Go to the Web Block tab.
6. On Windows PC, a window will pop up asking you to install extensions for blocking websites on different browsers. Click Install next to the browser that you want to block YouTube Shorts on.
Mac users can skip this step. The blocking will automatically apply to all popular browsers including Chrome, Safari, Opera, etc.
7. Under the Web Block tab, enter youtube.com/shorts into the URL field. Click Add.
Mow YouTube Shorts is blocked on your computer permanently.
Tip: How to block access to YouTube Shorts at certain times?
With Cisdem ApCrypt, you can block access to YouTube Shorts during the time you set. TGo to the Web Block tab. Click the URL of YouTube Shorts from the block list. Click the clock icon that appears. Enable “Custom Schedule” on the bottom left corner. Click “Add Schedule”. Then you can set the time that you want to block Shorts on your computer.
Other useful features of Cisdem AppCrypt:
1. Block access to YouTube, TikTok, Facebook, and other distracting sites on desktop.
2. Block all popular social media sites, video sites, etc. on computer with 1-click.
3. Block all websites except a few on your computer.
Method 2: Block YouTube Shorts on desktop with extension
Best for: Users who are looking for a quick way to hide Shorts on a browser on computer.
Here’re several browser extensions specifically designed to block YouTube Shorts. The disadvantages are that extensions can always be easily removed. And it can be troublesome if you have multiple browsers on computer. If you don’t mind this, you can try the following extensions to block YouTube Shorts in different browsers on your computer.
Hide YouTube Shorts extension (for Chrome, Firefox)
Note: After my testing, I found that I could still access YouTube Shorts by typing in the URL of a specific Shorts video, with the extension has been installed on my browser and I’ve enabled all options.
1. Go to Chrome Web Store or Firefox Add-ons site.
2. Search for Hide YouTube Shorts. Select the one developed by Vulpelo.
3. Click Add to Chrome or Add to Firefox to install this extension on your browser.
4. Click the Extensions icon on the upper right corner of the window. Select the extension you just installed.
5. Enable the Hide Shorts videos and Hide Shorts tab options.
Now YouTube Shorts will no longer appear.
This tool also offers other useful features like Hide Live videos on the home page, Hide Shorts videos on the subscriptions page, and more.
Eat the Shorts (for Safari)
Mac users can use this extension to remove YouTube Shorts from home page, subscriptions page, channels, and search results on Safari.
1. Open Safari on your Mac. Click Safari > Safari Extensions.
2. Search for Eat the Shorts for Safari from the pop-up Safari Extensions page.
3. Click the price under the extension. Buy and download it.
4. Launch it from Launchpad. Click Allow Eat the Shorts. Then you’ll be redirected to Safari.
5. Go to Safari > Preferences > Extensions.
6. Tick the box next to Eat for Shorts.
7. Now visit youtube.com on Safari.
8. Click the extension’s icon on the top of the window. Tap Always Allow on This Website.
Refresh the page, you’ll find that YouTube Shorts is blocked.
Method 3: Hide YouTube Shorts from your feed for 30 days
Best for: Computer users who want a built-in solution to temporarily hide Shorts in the feed.
YouTube lets you hide Shorts from your feed for the next 30 days. After following the steps below, YouTube Shorts will be hidden, but it will come back after 30 days.
1. Open your browser. Go to youtube.com.
2. Sign in with your account.
3. Scroll down the window. Find the Shorts section.
4. Click “✕” in the upper right corner.
YouTube Shorts are now hidden. After 30 days, you can repeat these steps to hide it again.
How to block YouTube Shorts on a phone?
Some users access YouTube Shorts through the mobile app or the mobile site version. Here’re 3 different ways to block YouTube Shorts on phone.
Method 1: Disable YouTube Shorts on mobile with the “Not interested” option
Best for: Mobile users who want a built-in solution to temporarily hide Shorts in the feed.
On mobile app:
1. Launch YouTube app on your Android or iPhone device.
2. Click Shorts at the bottom.
3. Click the 3-dot icon on the right.
4. Click Not interested.
5. Repeat these steps until you no longer see Shorts recommendations.
This will temporarily hide Shorts from your feed.
On mobile site:
You can also hide Shorts from your feed on YouTube mobile site.
1. Open your browser and go to YouTube site.
2. Sign in.
3. Click the 3-dot icon on the upper right corner.
4. Choose Desktop site from the drop down menu.
5. Then scroll down the window to find the Shorts section. Click the “✕” or “Not interested” button next to it.
Method 2: Block YouTube Shorts on Android phone with YouTube Vanced app
Best for: Android users who want a modified version of the YouTube app to view YouTube videos normally but block YouTube Shorts.
YouTube Vanced is a modified version of the YouTube app on Android, with extra features like block Shorts, block ads, picture in picture, etc. To block Shorts videos, you can replace your YouTube app with YouTube Vanced and turn on its built-in Shorts blocking feature. Below are steps:
1. Download and install YouTube Vanced from its official site.
2. Open it. Log into your YouTube account.
3. Go to Vanced Settings menu.
4. Scroll down to find Shorts shelf. Turn it on.
5. Restart the app. Then you’ll find Shorts section is removed.
Method 3: Hide YouTube Shorts by downloading the older version of YouTube on Android
Best for: Android users who are using older Android systems and want to remove YouTube Shorts without installing third-party apps.
YouTube Shorts is a new feature launched in 2020. Since that, older version of the YouTube app doesn’t have Shorts section. You can download and use the older version of YouTube if you don’t want to see Shorts videos.
1. Long press the YouTube app on your Android phone. Click App Info.
2. Click the 3-dot icon on the upper right.
3. Click Uninstall Updates.
4. Tap OK. Then you’ll get an older version of YouTube without Shorts.
Note: This method does not work on all Android phones. If you find that the Shorts section is still appear on YouTube after uninstalling update, you can go to a trustworthy APK source (like APKmirror.com). Download an older version of YouTube app (older than 14.13.54) and install in on your phone.
Conclusion
YouTube Shorts are designed to be addictive. Disable YouTube can make you more productive, and decrease your screen time. This article introduced 6 different ways to block YouTube Shorts. If you are a desktop user, I recommend you to use method 1-Cisdem AppCrypt. This is the only way to permanently block Shorts and you will not be able to access any Shorts videos on computer, even by entering a specific URL of YouTube Shorts.
Norah Hayes likes to share her tips on how to improve focus and stay motivated at work. She believes it is essential to eliminate all online distractions during work hours.
Ethan Long joined Cisdem in 2015 as a developer and now serves as the editorial advisor for Cisdem AppCrypt. He actively tests and uses Cisdem AppCrypt and other screen-time management tools to ensure AppCrypt meets its promises in real-world scenarios.