How to Block YouTube Shorts on PC, Mac, Android & iPhone
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YouTube Shorts can be addictive. Once you start scrolling, it will keep recommending content that you are interested in, making you watching longer than you intended. Many users find that Shorts waste time. And even expose kids to inappropriate content.
In this article, we’ll show you how to block YouTube Shorts while keeping regular videos accessible, remove Shorts from your feed, or limit the time you spend scrolling.
Cisdem AppCrypt
The Best YouTube Shorts Blocker
- Block websites/webpages on Chrome, Edge, Safari, and other browsers
- Block YouTube Shorts permanently or set time limits
- Also let you block specific YouTube channels
- Block categories of sites, like video sites, social media, etc.
- Lock apps with password, such as YouTube
- Easy to use and hard to bypass
- Protect your blocking settings with a password
- Help with productivity, parental controls, and privacy protection
- Compatible with Windows, Mac, Android, iPhone and iPad
How to block YouTube Shorts on PC or Mac
On a Windows PC or Mac, you can either block access to YouTube Shorts or simply hide Shorts from your feed to reduce the temptation to watch them.
Method 1. Block Shorts with Cisdem AppCrypt
Best for: Users who want to block YouTube Shorts with password or set time limits on it. It’s also ideal for parental controls.
Cisdem AppCrypt is an easy-to-use website blocker and app locker that allows you to block specific webpages. By adding the YouTube Shorts URL to the block list, it’s no longer accessible on your computer. You can also choose to set time limits on YouTube Shorts, block specific channels, URLs containing certain keywords, or the entire YouTube site.
Here’s how to set it up:
1. Download Cisdem AppCrypt on your computer.
Free Download Windows 10 or later 
Free Download macOS 10.15 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.
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.
6. 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: Block YouTube Shorts during work or study hours
With Cisdem ApCrypt, you can block access to YouTube Shorts during the time you set. Go 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.
Prefer a video tutorial? Watch the video below.
Method 2: Hide YouTube Shorts with a browser extension
Best for: Users who want to hide Shorts recommendations in their browsers.
You can use a browser extension to hide or remove Shorts from your YouTube feed, making the site less addictive to you. However, hiding Shorts is different from blocking access. The Shorts link is still available. For this reason, this method is not suitable for restricting children’s access.
On Chrome, Firefox, or Edge: Unhook
Unhook is an extension that let you hide YouTube Shorts, Homepage Feed, Video Sidebar, and other distractions. It’s available for Chrome, Firefox, and Edge.
1. Install Unhook - Remove YouTube Recommended & Shorts from Chrome Web Store, Firefox Add-ons, or Microsoft Edge Add-ons.
2. Open the YouTube site. Click the browser’s Extensions button. Select Unhook.
3. Enable Hide Shorts.
Refresh YouTube and you’ll find that the Shorts option has been hidden.
On Safari on Mac: Eat the Shorts
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: Temporarily hide Shorts from your feed
Best for: Users who want a built-in solution to temporarily hide Shorts for 30 days 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.
Same as the browser extension method above, it does not prevent you from opening the Shorts via a Shorts link.
How to block YouTube Shorts on Android or iPhone
On an iPhone or Android phone, you can use YouTube’s built-in features to limit Shorts scrolling or reduce Shorts recommendations.
Method 1: Set a Shorts feed limit in the YouTube app
Best for: Users who want to reduce their own Shorts scrolling with a built-in solution.
The YouTube app offers a built-in option to set a Shorts feed limit so you can control how much time you can spend watching YouTube Shorts.
1. Open the YouTube app on your phone. Click your profile image in the bottom-right corner.
2. Click Settings > Account > Time management.
3. Enable Shorts feed limit at the bottom.
4. Select 0 minutes if you want to block Shorts completely. Or you can set a desired time allowance. For example, select 30 minutes, then it will remind you to stop after you’ve spent 30 minutes scrolling through Shorts that day.
Method 2: Set a Shorts feed limit for your child’s supervised account
Best for: Parents who want to limit their child’s Shorts scrolling on a phone.
This method also uses YouTube’s built-in Shorts feed limit feature. On an ordinary account, users can ignore the reminder when the time limit is reached. Thereby, it’s unreliable for parental controls. For parent, it’s recommended to link your account with your child’s supervised account and then set a Shorts feed limit.
1. Open the YouTube app and sign in with your own account.
2. Click your profile image. Click Settings > Family Center.
3. Click Add a child account. Follow the prompts to enter your child’s name, age, and more.
3. Go back to Family Center. Select your child’s supervised account.
4. Click Time Management.
5. Turn on Shorts Feed limit. Then set how much time your child can scroll on Shorts each day.
Method 3: Reduce Shorts recommendations with “Show fewer Shorts”
Best for: Users who want see fewer Shorts recommendations without setting a strict limit.
This method won’t fully disable Shorts but reduce Shorts recommendations from your YouTube feed. It uses YouTube’s built-in “Show fewer Shorts” option.
1. Open YouTube and find a section containing Shorts.
2. Click the 3-dot icon next to Shorts.
3. Select Show fewer Shorts.
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 using method 1 - Cisdem AppCrypt. This is the only effective way to permanently block Shorts and you will not be able to access any Shorts videos on computer, even by entering the 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.