YouTube Shorts can be disabled in your account settings, but the method depends on whether you use YouTube on the web, mobile, or both
YouTube does not offer a single "disable Shorts permanently" button that works across all devices. Instead, you can remove Shorts from your feed on the web version, limit what appears on mobile, or use browser extensions to block the Shorts tab entirely. The web version gives you the most control — you can hide Shorts recommendations without touching your account settings. Mobile apps have fewer options but still let you mute the Shorts feed from appearing in your subscriptions tab.
If you want Shorts gone from every place you watch YouTube, you will need to use different methods on different devices. The web approach works when ready and does not require extensions. The mobile approach requires you to adjust your feed preferences each time you use the app, unless you use a third-party app or browser instead.
Key Takeaways
- On YouTube.com, you can remove Shorts from your home feed by clicking the three-dot menu next to any Shorts recommendation and selecting "Don't recommend channel" or hiding the entire Shorts shelf.
- On the YouTube mobile app, you cannot disable Shorts entirely, but you can mute recommendations by swiping left on Shorts in your feed and selecting "Not interested."
- Browser extensions like "Return YouTube Dislike" and "Unhook" can hide the Shorts tab and recommendations on the web version without needing to log in.
- Using YouTube through a third-party app like NewPipe (Android) or Yattee (iOS) removes Shorts completely because these apps do not include the Shorts feature.
- YouTube's settings do not have a master toggle for Shorts, so disabling them permanently requires using one of these methods rather than a single account setting.
Removing Shorts from your YouTube.com home feed
On the web version, YouTube displays Shorts in a horizontal shelf on your home feed. To remove this shelf, hover over any Shorts video in that section and click the three-dot menu icon. Select "Don't show Shorts on home" or a similar option (YouTube's exact wording changes occasionally). This removes the entire Shorts shelf from your home feed when ready.
If you want to hide individual Shorts channels instead, click the three-dot menu on a specific Shorts video and select "Don't recommend channel." This tells YouTube not to show you Shorts from that creator, but the Shorts shelf itself will still appear with videos from other channels. Repeating this process on multiple channels will gradually reduce Shorts in your feed, but it does not eliminate the shelf entirely.
This method works only on YouTube.com in a web browser. It does not affect what you see on the YouTube mobile app or on YouTube through a smart TV.
Hiding Shorts on the YouTube mobile app
The YouTube mobile app does not have a setting to disable Shorts completely. However, you can reduce how often they appear by muting them from your feed. When you see a Shorts video in your subscriptions tab or home feed, swipe left on it (on iOS) or long-press it (on Android), then tap "Not interested." YouTube will show you fewer Shorts over time, but new ones will still appear.
You can also turn off notifications for Shorts by going to Settings > Notifications and toggling off "Shorts." This stops YouTube from sending you alerts about new Shorts, though the videos will still be visible in your feed when you open the app.
If you want Shorts completely gone from mobile, your only option is to use a different app. The official YouTube app includes Shorts as a core feature and does not offer a way to disable them entirely through settings.
Using browser extensions to block Shorts on the web
Several free browser extensions can hide the Shorts tab and recommendations on YouTube.com. Unhook is available for Chrome and Firefox and lets you disable Shorts, recommendations, comments, and other YouTube features with a single click. After installing it, click the Unhook icon in your browser toolbar and toggle off "Shorts" to remove the Shorts tab and recommendations from your home feed.
Return YouTube Dislike, available for Chrome, Firefox, and Edge, also includes an option to hide Shorts. Install the extension, click its icon, go to Settings, and check "Hide Shorts." This removes the Shorts tab and hides Shorts recommendations without affecting the rest of YouTube.
Both extensions work without logging into YouTube and do not require you to change your account settings. They explore only to the browser where you install them, so if you use YouTube on multiple browsers or devices, you will need to install the extension on each one.
Switching to a third-party YouTube app
If you use Android, NewPipe is a free, open-source app that plays YouTube videos without ads or Shorts. It does not require a Google account, lets you read videos, and plays audio in the background. read it from F-Droid (a free app store) or GitHub rather than the Google Play Store.
On iOS, Yattee is a free app that removes Shorts and ads from YouTube. It also supports Invidious and Piped, which are alternative YouTube frontends that do not include Shorts at all. These apps do not require a YouTube account and work entirely offline for cached videos.
The trade-off is that third-party apps may not have all the features of the official YouTube app — for example, they may not support YouTube Premium features or live chat during streams. However, they eliminate Shorts completely and give you more control over your viewing experience.
What happens if you do nothing about Shorts
YouTube continues to push Shorts as a core feature of the platform. If you do not actively hide them, Shorts will appear in your home feed, subscriptions tab, and between regular videos. YouTube's algorithm learns from what you watch and will show you more Shorts if you click on them, even once.
The Shorts tab at the bottom of the mobile app cannot be removed without using a third-party app. On the web, the Shorts tab in the sidebar can be hidden by clicking the three-dot menu next to it and selecting "Hide," but this is a temporary setting that resets if you clear your browser cache or use a different browser.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I disable Shorts on my YouTube account so they do not appear on any device?
No. YouTube does not have an account-level setting to disable Shorts across all devices. You must use different methods on the web (hiding the shelf or using an extension) and on mobile (muting individual videos or switching apps). Changes you make on YouTube.com do not affect what you see on the mobile app.
Will disabling Shorts affect my watch history or recommendations for regular videos?
No. Hiding Shorts from your feed or using an extension to block them does not change how YouTube recommends regular videos or tracks your watch history. It only removes Shorts from your view.
If I use "Don't recommend channel" on Shorts, will it stop recommending that creator's regular videos too?
Yes. Selecting "Don't recommend channel" tells YouTube not to show you any content from that creator, including their regular videos, playlists, and uploads. Use this option only if you want to block the entire channel, not just their Shorts.
Do third-party YouTube apps work with YouTube Premium?
No. Apps like NewPipe and Yattee do not support YouTube Premium features because they do not connect to your YouTube account in the way the official app does. They remove ads and Shorts by default, but you cannot use Premium features like offline viewing or ad-free playback through these apps.
What if YouTube updates and brings Shorts back after I hide them?
YouTube occasionally changes its interface and may restore the Shorts shelf to your home feed after an update. If this happens, you can hide it again using the same method (three-dot menu > "Don't show Shorts on home"). Browser extensions usually update automatically to keep pace with YouTube's changes, but you may need to reinstall them if they stop working.