What blocking a video actually does
Blocking a video on YouTube tells the platform you do not want to see that specific video again. YouTube will not show it to you in recommendations, search results, or your home feed. The video stays on the platform — other people can still watch it — but your account will not surface it.
This is different from reporting a video, which flags content to YouTube's moderation team if it breaks the platform's rules. Blocking is purely about your own viewing experience. It is also different from unsubscribing from a channel, which stops you from seeing new uploads from that creator but does not hide their old videos.
Key Takeaways
- Blocking a video hides it from your recommendations and search results, but does not remove it from YouTube or affect other viewers.
- On desktop, click the three-dot menu next to a video title and select "Don't recommend channel" or "Not interested" depending on what you want to hide.
- On mobile, swipe left on a video in your feed or tap the three-dot menu to access the same blocking options.
- YouTube learns from your blocks and adjusts what it shows you over time, so blocking videos trains the algorithm to show you different content.
- You can undo a block by going to your YouTube history and removing the "Not interested" label, though this takes extra steps.
How to block a video on desktop
Open YouTube in your web browser and find the video you want to block. Next to the video title, you will see a three-dot menu icon (sometimes called a "more options" button). Click it.
A small menu will appear with several choices. Look for "Not interested" — this hides that specific video from your recommendations and search. If you want to hide all videos from that creator, choose "Don't recommend channel" instead. Either option takes effect when ready.
YouTube will not ask you to confirm. The video disappears from your feed right away. If you change your mind, you can undo this by going to your YouTube history, finding the video, and clicking the three-dot menu again to select "Undo" — but you have to do this within a short window before YouTube forgets the action.
How to block a video on mobile
On the YouTube app for iPhone or Android, blocking works slightly differently depending on where you are. If you are looking at your home feed and see a video you want to block, swipe left on the video thumbnail. A menu will appear with options including "Not interested" and "Don't recommend channel."
If you are already watching a video and want to block it, tap the three-dot menu icon below the video title. The same options appear. Select whichever one fits what you want — "Not interested" for that video alone, or "Don't recommend channel" if you never want to see content from that creator again.
On mobile, undoing a block is harder than on desktop. You would need to go to your account settings, find your history, and manually remove the block — a process that takes several taps. It is worth being sure before you block on a phone.
The difference between "Not interested" and "Don't recommend channel"
"Not interested" hides only that one video. YouTube will not show it to you again, but you may still see other videos from the same creator in your recommendations. This is useful when a channel you normally like posts something you do not want to watch.
"Don't recommend channel" hides everything from that creator. You will not see any of their videos in recommendations, search, or your home feed. Other people can still find and watch their content. This is the stronger option and is useful when you want to avoid a channel entirely.
Neither option prevents you from finding the video or channel if you search for it by name. Both are about what YouTube shows you automatically, not about what you can manually access.
What happens after you block a video
YouTube's recommendation system learns from your blocks. The more videos you mark as "Not interested," the more the algorithm adjusts what it shows you. Over time, your home feed and recommendations should reflect your actual preferences more closely.
Blocking does not affect your watch history. The video still appears there if you want to find it later. It also does not notify the creator — they have no way of knowing you blocked their content. YouTube only tells creators how many views and clicks their videos get, not who blocked them.
If you block many videos from a particular creator, YouTube may eventually stop recommending them to you even without an explicit "Don't recommend channel" action. The system picks up on patterns.
How to undo a block
On desktop, go to YouTube.com and click your profile icon in the top right corner. Select "History" from the menu. You will see your watch history — videos you have actually watched. Scroll through to find the video you blocked.
Click the three-dot menu next to the video and select "Undo." This removes the "Not interested" label and tells YouTube to start showing you that video again. The undo option only appears for a limited time after you block, so if you wait too long, you may not be able to reverse it.
On mobile, the process is the same but slower. Open the YouTube app, tap your profile icon, go to History, find the video, and tap the three-dot menu to undo. If you blocked an entire channel, undoing is harder — you would need to manually search for that creator and re-subscribe or adjust your settings.
When blocking is not the right tool
If a video breaks YouTube's rules — it contains hate speech, graphic violence, misinformation about health or elections, or other policy violations — report it instead of blocking it. Click the three-dot menu and select "Report." This sends the video to YouTube's moderation team, who can remove it from the platform entirely if it violates their policies.
Blocking only hides it from you. Reporting gives YouTube a chance to take action that protects other viewers too. You can both report and block the same video if you want.
If you are having trouble with a specific creator's behavior — harassment, spam, or repeated policy violations — you can also block their entire channel or report their account. These are stronger actions than blocking individual videos.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I see a list of all the videos I have blocked?
YouTube does not show you a dedicated list of blocked videos. Your history shows what you watched, not what you blocked. If you need to find a blocked video to undo the block, you have to remember enough about it to search for it by title or creator name.
Does blocking a video delete it from YouTube?
No. Blocking only removes it from your own recommendations and search results. The video stays on the platform and other people can still watch it. Only YouTube's moderation team can remove a video entirely, and only if it violates their policies.
Will the creator know I blocked their video?
No. Creators cannot see who blocked their videos or channels. They only see total view counts, click-through rates, and other aggregate data. Blocking is completely private to your account.
What if I block a video by accident?
You can undo it by going to your history, finding the video, and clicking the three-dot menu to select "Undo." This option is available for a limited time after you block. If too much time passes, you may need to search for the video by name to find it again.
Does blocking a video affect my recommendations for other content?
Yes. YouTube uses your blocks to learn what you do not want to see. The more you block, the more the algorithm adjusts your feed. This is intentional — blocking helps train YouTube to show you more relevant content over time.