YouTube Shorts won't go away on their own, but you can remove them from your feed and homepage
YouTube Shorts are short videos under 60 seconds that appear in a dedicated tab, in your feed between regular videos, and sometimes on your homepage. If you don't want to see them, you have options — though the choice depends on what device you're using and how much of Shorts you want to hide. You can remove the Shorts tab entirely, hide individual Shorts from your recommendations, or use YouTube's settings to reduce how often they show up in your feed.
The most complete way to disable Shorts is through YouTube's web version on a computer, where you can hide the tab and adjust your feed preferences. On phones and tablets, your options are more limited — you can hide individual Shorts and adjust recommendations, but you cannot remove the Shorts tab itself from the mobile app.
Key Takeaways
- On a computer, you can hide the Shorts tab by right-clicking it and selecting "Remove from sidebar" in YouTube's web version.
- On any device, you can tell YouTube not to recommend a specific Short by clicking the three-dot menu and selecting "Don't recommend channel" or "Not interested".
- YouTube's feed preferences let you control what types of content appear in your recommendations, which can reduce Shorts visibility without removing the tab.
- The Shorts tab will reappear if you watch Shorts again or if YouTube resets your preferences during app updates.
Removing the Shorts tab on a computer
On YouTube's website, the Shorts tab sits in the left sidebar below the Home and Subscriptions tabs. To remove it, right-click directly on the word "Shorts" and a small menu will appear. Select "Remove from sidebar" and the tab disappears when ready.
This change stays in place until you reverse it. If you want the Shorts tab back later, click the menu icon (three horizontal lines) at the top left of the sidebar, scroll down to "More from YouTube", and select "Shorts" to restore it. The tab will also reappear if you clear your browser's cookies or if you sign out and back in on a different browser.
Hiding Shorts from your feed on any device
Even with the Shorts tab removed, individual Shorts can still appear mixed into your regular feed on the homepage. To hide a specific Short, hover over it (on computer) or tap it (on phone), then click or tap the three-dot menu icon in the corner. A menu will appear with options including "Don't recommend channel", "Not interested", or "Remove from Watch history".
Clicking "Not interested" tells YouTube you don't want to see that particular video again. Clicking "Don't recommend channel" tells YouTube to stop showing you videos from that creator. Both actions help train YouTube's algorithm to show you fewer Shorts overall, though new Shorts will still appear in your feed from time to time.
Adjusting feed preferences to see fewer Shorts
YouTube's feed preferences let you control what content types appear in your recommendations. On a computer, click your profile picture in the top right corner, select "Settings", then go to "Preferences" in the left menu. Look for "Content preferences" or scroll down to find options related to content types.
Unfortunately, YouTube does not offer a direct toggle to disable Shorts in these settings. However, you can reduce Shorts visibility by adjusting your watch history, clearing your recommendations, or marking Shorts as "Not interested" consistently over time. YouTube will gradually learn your preference and show fewer of them.
Why Shorts keep reappearing
YouTube treats Shorts as a core feature of the platform, similar to how it treats regular videos. Even if you remove the Shorts tab and hide individual Shorts, YouTube may restore the tab after app updates, browser refreshes, or if you accidentally watch a Short. This is by design — YouTube wants users to discover Shorts content.
If you find the Shorts tab has returned, you can remove it again using the same method. On phones, the Shorts tab is harder to remove permanently because the YouTube mobile app does not offer a "Remove from sidebar" option like the web version does.
Differences between computer, phone, and tablet
On a computer using YouTube's website, you have the most control. You can remove the Shorts tab from the sidebar, adjust feed preferences, and hide individual Shorts. These changes persist across sessions unless YouTube resets them.
On the YouTube mobile app for iPhone or Android, you cannot remove the Shorts tab from the bottom navigation bar. You can only hide individual Shorts by tapping the three-dot menu and selecting "Not interested". The Shorts tab will remain visible at the bottom of the app, though you can avoid it by staying on the Home or Subscriptions tabs.
On tablets, the experience is similar to phones — the Shorts tab stays in place, but you can hide individual Shorts from appearing in your feed. Some tablets running YouTube's web version may allow sidebar customization like a computer does, depending on your screen size and browser.
What happens to your watch history when you hide Shorts
Hiding a Short or removing the Shorts tab does not delete your watch history. YouTube still records that you watched the video if you played it, and that data remains in your account. If you want to remove a Short from your watch history entirely, click the three-dot menu on the video and select "Remove from Watch history".
Clearing your watch history is a separate action. Go to your account settings, select "Privacy", and choose "Clear all watch history" if you want to erase your entire viewing record. This action affects all videos, not just Shorts, and YouTube will use this cleared history to rebuild recommendations from scratch over time.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I permanently delete the Shorts tab so it never comes back?
No. YouTube will restore the Shorts tab after app updates, browser refreshes, or if you watch a Short. You can remove it repeatedly, but it is not a permanent setting. The best you can do is remove it from your sidebar on a computer and avoid clicking on Shorts content.
Will hiding Shorts affect my recommendations for regular videos?
Not directly. Telling YouTube you are "Not interested" in a Short trains the algorithm to show fewer Shorts, but it does not change how YouTube recommends regular videos. Your regular recommendations are based on your watch history, subscriptions, and what videos you click on.
What if I want to watch Shorts again after hiding them?
You can restore the Shorts tab on a computer by clicking the menu icon in the sidebar, scrolling to "More from YouTube", and selecting "Shorts". On a phone, the Shorts tab is always there at the bottom — you just have not been using it. You can also search for "Shorts" in YouTube's search bar to find them.
Does disabling Shorts save data or battery on my phone?
Not significantly. Shorts are still downloaded and cached by the YouTube app whether you watch them or not. If you want to reduce data or battery use, you can turn off autoplay in YouTube's settings or use YouTube's data saver mode, which applies to all video types.
Can I hide Shorts on YouTube TV or other YouTube platforms?
YouTube TV does not include Shorts. Shorts appear only on YouTube's main website, the mobile app, and tablets. Other YouTube products like YouTube Music or YouTube Kids have their own separate interfaces and do not show Shorts.