Since its introduction in 2020, YouTube Shorts has become a popular feature among users of the platform. Despite its increasing popularity, there are some who may not be too fond of this feature and would like to disable it on their devices. If you belong to that group, you're in luck! This article will provide step-by-step instructions to help you disable YouTube Shorts both on mobile and desktop site versions.

Understanding YouTube Shorts

Before we dive into the disabling process, let's take a quick look at what YouTube Shorts is and why some may want to disable it. YouTube Shorts is a short-form video format (60 seconds or less) designed for creators to share entertaining and engaging content with their audience. Inspired by the rise of other short-video apps, Shorts allows users to view and create looped videos with various editing features, such as music overlays, text, and more.

However, not everyone may enjoy this type of content, and some may find the constant presence of these short videos in their feed a bit overwhelming or distracting from their regular viewing experience. Fortunately, we have got you covered with the ways to disable YouTube Shorts on both mobile and desktop platforms.

Disabling YouTube Shorts on Mobile Devices

If you primarily use YouTube through the app on your smartphone or tablet, follow the steps below to disable Shorts from your mobile device:

1. Update your YouTube app: First, make sure your YouTube app is up-to-date by checking whether any updates are available in your respective app store (Google Play Store for Android or the App Store for iOS).
2. Open the app and tap on your profile picture: Once the app is up-to-date, open it and click on your profile picture at the top-right corner of the screen to access your account settings.
3. Go to Settings: In your account menu, tap "Settings" to explore the different options related to your YouTube experience.
4. Select General: Within the "Settings" menu, you will see a list of categories. Tap on "General" to tweak general app preferences.
5. Disable Shorts: Unfortunately, there isn't currently a straightforward toggle option to disable Shorts completely. However, you can take some steps to minimize their presence in your feed by being proactive about what content you interact with. For instance, if you often find yourself clicking on Short videos inadvertently, try to refrain from this behavior, as the YouTube algorithm tends to serve more content similar to what you have recently engaged with.

While these measures may not eliminate Shorts entirely for mobile users, they should help reduce the number of Short videos that appear on your feed.

Disabling YouTube Shorts on Desktop Site

If you usually access YouTube via your computer's web browser, follow these steps to disable Shorts:

1. Open your favorite web browser: Navigate to www.youtube.com on any web browser such as Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, or Microsoft Edge.
2. Log into your YouTube account: Click on the "Sign in" button at the top-right corner of the screen and enter your Google account credentials to log in.
3. Access YouTube Studio: Once logged in, click on your profile picture in the top-right corner of the screen and select "YouTube Studio" from the drop-down menu.
4. Explore customization options: In the left-hand menu of YouTube Studio, click on "Customization" to access various settings related to your channel's appearance and layout.
5. Disable Shorts section: Under the "Customization" tab, scroll down to find the "Shorts" section. Toggle off the switch beside it to disable Shorts from appearing on your channel.

Note that this method will only disable Shorts on your personal YouTube channel. To avoid seeing Shorts while browsing other channels or when searching for content on YouTube, try employing browser extensions like uBlock Origin or a custom filter, which can be configured to block specific types of content based on user preferences.

Using Browser Extensions to Disable YouTube Shorts

As an alternative to the above methods, you can utilize browser extensions that offer increased control over what content appears on your YouTube feed. Here are two popular extensions to consider:

• uBlock Origin: This extension is available for Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, and Mozilla Firefox. It provides granular controls that allow users to create custom filters and block content from specific domains or categories.
• Video Blocker: Available for both Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox, Video Blocker enables users to block videos from specific channels or based on keywords in video titles and descriptions, effectively allowing you to remove Shorts if desired.

Both of these extensions come with advanced features that require some technical knowledge for proper configuration. However, once set up correctly, you should see a significant reduction or outright elimination of Shorts from your browsing experience on YouTube.

The Takeaway

Disabling YouTube Shorts may not be as simple as flipping a switch in your account settings, but with some effort, it is achievable. By following the steps mentioned in this guide for mobile and desktop platforms, you can curate your YouTube experience more aligned to your preferences. In addition, those seeking even greater control over their browsing environment can explore browser extensions such as uBlock Origin and Video Blocker to create a tailor-made viewing experience that omits Shorts completely or selectively.

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