Blocking YouTube Shorts on your kids' phone: A Guide for Parental Control

Whiny Whistleblower: A Frustrated Guide to Escaping the YouTube Shorts Scourge

Don't let those damn Shorts rule your YouTube world! They're as addictive as TikTok and offer about as much knowledge. Thankfully, traditional YouTube videos continue to provide tutorials and in-depth discussions on a multitude of topics. But why is YouTube infesting its site and app with Shorts, pushing them into search results and prominently displaying them as their own section? Argh, it's baffling!

Especially if you're a parent, striving to keep your rugrats away from mindlessly flipping through Shorts all day. Universe forbid that's what they intended when they started their YouTube journey.

Let's talk solutions:

How to Elude YouTube Shorts - Sly Strategies

Time to make YouTube Shorts disappear—here are some sneaky tactics:

On Desktop Wonders: Don't forget about browser extensions! There's a plethora of 'em out there that can block Shorts across YouTube. For example, Hide YouTube Shorts for Chrome. Install it, and Shorts will vamoose from YouTube in your browser—though this works only for desktop browsers, not phones (we aren't affiliated with any Shorts-blocking extensions).
Desktop Digs and Disappearances: If you're peeved about Shorts clogging your YouTube home page, click the 'X' on their annoying row on the right side. YouTube understands that you're not interested and will give you a respite for 30 days. Now, if only they'd offer a permanent solution!
Android Rollback Rumble: Yep, you can revert to an older version of YouTube on Android (avoid doing this on an iPhone). The magic version number is 14.12.56 or earlier. But you know, old versions of apps might be outdated in their security, so think twice before jumping on that time machine.
YouTube ReVamped: On Android, you can try using YouTube ReVance. We aren't affiliated, but this secret weapon lets you avoid Shorts with a treasure trove of patches and layout modifications. However, it doesn't block Shorts entirely.

Warning: As a responsible guide, we can't guarantee the safety and security of all third-party apps and extensions, so do your homework first!

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Curb YouTube on Your Kid's Gadget - Family Link and Screen Time

Blocking YouTube on a child’s phone is the next best thing when our cunning Shorts-evasion strategies fail. Family Link app on Android can help block both the app and website, while Screen Time on iPhones can handle the same tasks.

Curious about blocking a site or removing an app using Family Link? Google’s got the answers for Android, and Apple can teach you for iPhones.

Parents may fear blocking YouTube entirely considering its wealth of educational content, but with Shorts messing everything up, fruitless choices are left.

Tailored YouTube Experience for Your Child's Device

Even if you can't vanquish Shorts entirely, you can still control what your kid views on YouTube. Here's how:

YouTube Kids' Customized Realm: With YouTube Kids, parents can set up separate accounts for different children and control their viewing experience on a granular level. Choose from three age ranges, block specific channels, or approve specific videos.
Supervised Accounts: If your kids have grown out of YouTube Kids but you're not quite ready to turn the reins over, you can tailor their viewing with a supervised account. Just make sure to start supervising before they reach age 13, since kids can choose to manage their own account once they pass 13. With a supervised account, you can block specific channels, review watch history, disable autoplay, and control video recommendations.
General YouTube Settings: Even without parental controls, you can make adjustments to YouTube's suggestions for everyone. Restricted Mode, excluding specific channels from recommended videos, and "liking" videos to influence recommendations are all options.

Embrace the Digital Parenting Challenges

While open discussions with your kids about Internet safety and responsible usage are key, it's on platforms like YouTube to offer more customization options. Alas, parents are left battling Internet intruders like Shorts once more.

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*Note: Disabling or removing YouTube Shorts entirely from the YouTube experience varies by device and platform, as YouTube does not directly provide a “disable Shorts” feature. Check out the Enrichment Data if you're really into the nitty-gritty.

Enrichment Data:

Overall:

Disabling or removing YouTube Shorts entirely from the YouTube experience varies by device and platform, as YouTube does not provide a direct “disable Shorts” feature in its official settings as of 2025[1][2][3]. However, here are the most effective workarounds and options available for different devices:

Android Devices

Use Older YouTube App Versions: Download and install a version of the YouTube app from before Shorts were introduced (e.g., v14.12.56 or earlier). This requires uninstalling the current app and sideloading an APK from a trusted site like APKMirror[1][4].
Third-party Apps and Mods: Use apps like YouTube Vanced, YouTube ReVanced, or NewPipe, which can block or hide Shorts (note: these may require extra permissions and are not available on the Google Play Store)[1].
Mark Shorts as “Not Interested”: Repeatedly mark Shorts as “Not Interested” to train the algorithm to show fewer Shorts. This is not a complete removal but reduces their visibility[3].
Disable Playback in Feeds: Go to Settings > General and disable Playback in feeds. Mark Shorts as “Not Interested” in your Home feed for further reduction (this lasts for 30 days)[3].

iPhone Devices

No App Rollback: Unlike Android, iPhones cannot downgrade to an older YouTube app version.
Mark Shorts as “Not Interested”: As with Android, repeatedly mark Shorts as “Not Interested” to reduce their appearance[3].
Disable Playback in Feeds: Go to Settings > General and disable Playback in feeds. Mark Shorts as “Not Interested” for additional reduction[3].
Use Browser Version: Access YouTube through a mobile browser (like Safari or Firefox) and use browser-based block methods (see below)[2].

Desktop Browsers

Browser Extensions: Install extensions to block or hide Shorts. Popular options include:
uBlock Origin: Add a custom filter such as to block the Shorts section[1].
Hide Shorts for YouTube: Removes the Shorts shelf.
Unhook YouTube: Hides Shorts, comments, and recommendations[1][3].
Disable Shorts Temporarily: On the YouTube homepage, click the X in the top-right corner of the Shorts shelf. This hides Shorts for 30 days (repeatable)[3].
Brave Browser: The Brave Browser has a built-in blocker for YouTube Shorts that works on both desktop and mobile[2].

Additional Tips

Watch History Management: Remove Shorts from your YouTube Watch History to help the algorithm show fewer Shorts[1].
Block Reels & Shorts Apps: Apps like “NoScroll” (on Android) can block Shorts and Reels effectively, but only work within the app’s sandbox, not on the official YouTube app[5].
Desktop Site View on Mobile: On a mobile browser, switch to desktop view for access to desktop-style Shorts management options[3].

Summary Table

| Device/Platform | Method(s) to Reduce/Remove Shorts ||----------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------|| Android | Use older app, third-party apps, mark “Not Interested”, disable playback in feeds, browser extensions if using web || iPhone | Mark “Not Interested”, disable playback in feeds, use browser extensions if using web || Desktop Browser | Browser extensions, Brave Browser, X-out Shorts shelf, manage history || All (via Browser) | uBlock Origin, Hide Shorts for YouTube, Unhook YouTube, Brave Browser |

Note: There is currently no official way to completely disable YouTube Shorts within the official app or on the website, but these methods will significantly reduce or block their visibility[1][2][3].

In an effort to safeguard children's online experience, consider employing a reliable Virtual Private Network (VPN) to secure their data and mask their IP addresses, thereby shielding them from potential cyber threats.
To create a tailored YouTube experience for your child's device, utilize YouTube Kids for a customized viewing experience, or set up a supervised account to control their viewing habits without prohibiting access to educational content.