How to Disable YouTube Shorts – Ugh, Enough Already!

Okay seriously, can we talk about YouTube Shorts for a sec?

Like… when did Shorts become the new “thing” on YouTube? One day you’re just watching your fav long videos or music, then next second – BOOM – some random dude dancing in vertical format appears on your screen.

Look, not saying Shorts are all bad. Some ppl love ’em. But for a lot of us, especially old-school YouTube users, they’re just annoying. Especially when you’re trying to watch normal videos and the homepage is full of Shorts… and then you accidentally click one and suddenly you’re scrolling forever, like TikTok.

If you’re here, you’re probably wondering – “how the heck do I turn off YouTube Shorts?”
Well… good news is, there’s some tricks. Bad news? YouTube don’t let you completely remove them (atleast not yet). But we can still reduce them, hide them, or make ’em disappear as much as possible.

Let’s get into it

Wait, what are YouTube Shorts again?

Just in case you didn’t know – YouTube Shorts are like short, vertical videos. Mostly under 60 seconds. People use them for funny clips, life hacks, dance stuff, rants, mini vlogs… all that. Basically, YouTube’s answer to TikTok and Insta Reels.

Problem is, they take over your feed. And there’s no clear option like “Disable Shorts” in settings. Which is… rude.

So how to remove or hide Shorts?

Alright, here’s few ways you can use to either disable, hide, or ignore Shorts on YouTube. They’re not perfect, but better than nothing.

Method 1: Use the “Not Interested” Option (again and again lol)

Okay this one is easy but you gotta be patient.

1. Open YouTube app

2. On the home screen, scroll till you see the Shorts section

3. Tap the 3 dots (⋮) on the top right of a Shorts video

4. Tap “Not interested”

5. Repeat this for a few Shorts

After a few times, YouTube should kinda get the message and start showing less Shorts in home feed. But tbh it comes back sometimes.

Not permanent, but it reduces them for a while.

Method 2: Use YouTube in Browser, Not App (Desktop FTW)

If you’re on desktop or using browser in mobile (instead of app), you’ll see waaaay less Shorts.

Just go to:

www.youtube.com on Chrome, Safari, Firefox etc.

Then:

• Sign in

• Use “Subscriptions” tab to only see videos from channels you subbed to

• Or go to Library to watch your playlists, history etc

In browser, the Shorts tab is not so aggressive like in the app. Also the scrolling trap is less.

Method 3: Use YouTube Vanced (for Android users only)

Okay this one’s not official but ppl love it.

YouTube Vanced is a modified version of the YouTube app. It lets you:

• Block ads

• Play videos in background

• Disable Shorts completely

• And lots more

But – Google doesn’t support it, and it’s kinda unofficial, so install at your own risk.

⚠️ Vanced got shut down officially but you can still find working forks like ReVanced. Just Google “ReVanced YouTube Shorts disable” and you’ll find install guides.

It’s the only method that really works 100%, but again, not for iPhone users.

Method 4: Set “Don’t Recommend Channel” for Shorts

This is a bit extreme but works.

If a Shorts channel keeps showing up:

1. Tap the 3 dots on their video

2. Tap “Don’t recommend channel”

YouTube won’t show you videos from them again, including Shorts. But if you go too far with this, you might lose good channels too

So only do this if it’s really annoying content.

Method 5: Use Older Version of YouTube App

Some older versions of the YouTube app didn’t have Shorts.

So what ppl do is:

1. Uninstall current YouTube app

2. Go to websites like apkpure.com or apkmirror.com

3. Download an older version (like from 2020)

4. Install it (you may need to allow unknown sources)

But downside:

• App may crash sometimes

• You lose latest features

• No updates

Still, if you really hate Shorts, this is one way.

Method 6: Ignore the Shorts Tab Completely

This is not really a method but like… just don’t go near that Shorts button

On mobile, Shorts has its own tab at the bottom (middle button). Just avoid it.

Use the Subscriptions tab instead, it only shows regular videos from creators you follow.

Sadly, YouTube Won’t Let Us Turn It Off Completely (for now)

Yeah. That’s the annoying part.

There’s no official setting like:

“Turn off Shorts”

Even after many ppl asking for it, YouTube hasn’t given that option. Why? Cos they wanna compete with TikTok and Insta. So they keep pushing Shorts more and more.

Even if you disable it today using tricks, they might bring it back with updates.

So, yeah… not ideal.

Bonus Tips

• Create a Playlist with only your fav content. Watch from there. No Shorts there.

• Use Kids YouTube app for younger kids – it doesn’t have Shorts the same way.

• Add an extension to Chrome like “Remove YouTube Shorts” if you watch on desktop

Summary: What Actually Works?

Final Thoughts

So yeah… Shorts are here and YouTube seems to love them more than we do. But if you’re one of those people who just want good old long videos, proper tutorials, or even just clean home feed – these tips can help.

Nothing removes Shorts 100% (unless you use ReVanced), but atleast you can make them go away a little bit.

Hopefully one day YouTube listens to us and adds a “disable Shorts” toggle in settings.

Until then, we gotta do it the messy way. But hey, that’s life, right?

Let us know if any of these worked for you. Or if you found a new trick. Sharing is caring!