Can You Completely Disable YouTube Shorts?
Not entirely — YouTube doesn't offer a toggle to permanently remove Shorts from the app. However, there are several ways to significantly reduce or eliminate Shorts from your feed and browsing experience.
Method 1: Tell YouTube You're Not Interested (Mobile)
The most direct native option:
- Open the YouTube app
- Find a Short in your feed or the Shorts shelf
- Tap the three dots (...) next to the Short
- Tap Not interested or Don't recommend channel
Do this repeatedly for every Short that appears. Over time, YouTube's algorithm learns you don't want to see Shorts and reduces them in your recommendations.
This is gradual — it takes consistent feedback over days or weeks to meaningfully reduce Shorts in your feed.
Method 2: Skip the Shorts Shelf on Homepage
On the YouTube app homepage, there's a dedicated "Shorts" shelf showing a row of Shorts. You can dismiss it:
- Scroll to the Shorts shelf on your homepage
- Tap Not interested or the X button (if visible) on the shelf header
This may temporarily remove the shelf but it typically reappears. Use it in combination with Method 1 for better results.
Method 3: Use a Browser Extension on Desktop
For YouTube on desktop (Chrome, Firefox, Edge), browser extensions can completely remove Shorts:
Popular options:
- Hide YouTube Shorts (Chrome Extension) — Removes Shorts from homepage, search results, and sidebar
- YouTube Shorts Blocker
- uBlock Origin with a custom filter rule
For uBlock Origin:
- Install uBlock Origin
- Go to the dashboard → My Filters
- Add:
youtube.com##ytd-rich-section-renderer:has(#title:has-text(Shorts)) - Save and reload YouTube
This completely hides the Shorts section from the YouTube homepage on desktop.
Method 4: Use YouTube with a Different Account or Incognito
If you watch YouTube while signed in, your viewing history influences what you're shown. Watching without an account (or in incognito) means YouTube can't learn your preferences — it will show a generic mix.
This isn't a true "disable" but can result in fewer Shorts if the algorithm doesn't know to push them to you.
Method 5: Use YouTube Premium (Doesn't Disable Shorts, But...)
YouTube Premium removes ads and allows background play but does not disable Shorts. This method doesn't work for this purpose.
How to Stop YouTube Shorts from Autoplaying
If your issue is specifically that Shorts autoplay and won't stop scrolling:
- Open a Short
- Tap the three dots (...) in the bottom right
- Tap Don't recommend channel for each channel that keeps showing up
Alternatively, simply tap outside the Shorts feed to exit back to the regular feed.
Why YouTube Doesn't Let You Fully Disable Shorts
YouTube Shorts generate significant ad revenue and are central to YouTube's strategy for competing with TikTok. Providing a simple "disable Shorts" button would undermine that business goal, which is why the option doesn't exist natively.
The best practical solution for desktop users is the Hide YouTube Shorts browser extension — it works immediately and completely removes Shorts from the interface.
Summary
To reduce or remove YouTube Shorts from your feed:
| Method | Platform | Effectiveness |
|---|---|---|
| Not interested feedback | Mobile + Desktop | Gradual |
| Dismiss Shorts shelf | Mobile | Temporary |
| Browser extension (Hide YouTube Shorts) | Desktop only | Complete |
| uBlock Origin custom filter | Desktop only | Complete |
For desktop users who genuinely don't want Shorts, the browser extension is the only reliable permanent solution. For mobile, consistent "Not interested" feedback is the best native option.
