How to reduce or block YouTube Shorts
Quick answer
No single method removes Shorts from every YouTube surface on every device. Compare YouTube's own controls, browser extensions, and compatible third-party clients. Feedvault filters likely Shorts from its own chronological Feeds, but it cannot remove Shorts from YouTube itself.
Five methods can reduce, hide, or filter Shorts, with different device limits and tradeoffs. Feedvault solves a different problem: it organizes selected channels into chronological Feeds and filters likely Shorts from those Feeds.
Shorts are loud, and you didn't ask for them
YouTube Shorts launched as a TikTok-style answer to short vertical video. They have since expanded into the home feed, the Subscriptions tab, search results, and the mobile app's bottom navigation. For people who use YouTube to learn, follow long-form creators, or just keep up with the channels they actually subscribed to, Shorts are noise.
- Shorts mix with longer uploads. When a subscribed channel publishes Shorts, they can appear among longer videos and make catch-up harder.
- "Not interested" is not an off switch. It is feedback for recommendations, not a permanent Shorts filter; more Shorts may still appear.
- Mobile is the hardest case. Browser extensions don't work in the YouTube app, so most "block Shorts" guides only help on desktop.
- Hiding ≠ blocking. Some tools hide Shorts elements rather than change YouTube's underlying content. Their behavior can change when YouTube updates its layout.
Five ways to reduce or filter Shorts, plus Feedvault's role
Coverage varies by device and YouTube surface. Confirm current behavior before relying on any method.
YouTube's built-in Shorts feed limit
YouTube app · Free · Mobile only
In the YouTube app, open You → Settings → Time management → Shorts feed limit and choose zero. When the limit is reached, YouTube shows a reminder that you can dismiss or ignore. This is a time-management control, not a universal Shorts off switch.
Unhook or DF Tube (browser extensions)
Chrome / Firefox · Free · Desktop only
These extensions inject CSS rules into youtube.com to hide the Shorts row, the Shorts tab, and Shorts in search results. Unhook also hides recommendations and comments. They're the most popular "distraction-free YouTube" tools.
PocketTube (extension + apps)
Browser + iOS/Android · Freemium
PocketTube groups your YouTube subscriptions into folders that overlay the YouTube interface, on desktop browsers and through its mobile apps. It can hide Shorts inside that interface as part of its filtering options.
FreeTube, NewPipe, or LibreTube
Open source · Free · Desktop or Android only
Third-party YouTube clients that fetch videos through their own pipelines and may offer Shorts filtering. FreeTube is desktop, NewPipe and LibreTube are Android.
Use the Subscriptions tab as your homepage
Browser bookmark · Free · Any device
Bookmark youtube.com/feed/subscriptions as your YouTube homepage. The Subscriptions tab can still show Shorts from channels you follow. This can bypass the recommendation-driven Home tab, but it does not create topic groups.
Feedvault — organize channels and filter likely Shorts
Web app · Paid · Any device
Feedvault groups selected channels into chronological Feeds and adds per-video notes through Studies plus watch-later, important, and viewed flags. It filters likely Shorts from its own Feeds using duration and player aspect ratio. This is a Feed filter, not a change to YouTube, and no browser extension is required.
Methods at a glance
| Capability | Settings toggle | Unhook / DF Tube | PocketTube | FreeTube / NewPipe | Feedvault |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Filters likely Shorts in its own feed | UI hide | UI hide | |||
| Works on mobile (iOS & Android) | app only | via app | Android only | ||
| No browser extension or app install required | |||||
| Doesn't break when YouTube updates | fragile | fragile | fragile | ||
| Also organises subscriptions into chronological feeds | partial | ||||
| Save individual videos with notes | |||||
| Free | freemium |
Reviewed September 2026. Tool capabilities can change; check each tool's current device support and behavior.
Feedvault filters likely Shorts from chronological Feeds.
Feedvault groups channels into topic Feeds and orders eligible uploads by publish date. It also filters likely Shorts from those Feeds; that does not change what appears on YouTube.
Videos at or under 120 seconds are excluded from Feedvault Feeds. For videos from 121 to 180 seconds, square or vertical player shape — or missing shape data — means exclusion, while known landscape videos can appear. Unknown durations stay hidden pending a metadata retry. Feedvault may still fetch and store video IDs and metadata; this is not a guarantee that every YouTube Short is identified. Use a separate control if you also want to hide Shorts while watching on YouTube.
Likely Shorts filtered
Shorts filtering applies to Feedvault Feeds, not YouTube.
Plus chronological Feeds
Group channels by topic, newest first.
Plus Studies for saved videos
Save standout videos with free-text notes.
Common questions
Can you fully disable YouTube Shorts?
YouTube does not provide one universal off switch. Its mobile feed limit, browser extensions such as Unhook, and compatible third-party clients each cover different surfaces. Check the current behavior of the tool you choose.
Does YouTube's built-in option to hide Shorts work?
Partly. In the YouTube app you can set the Shorts feed limit to zero, but the resulting reminder can be dismissed or ignored. It does not remove individual Shorts across YouTube.
Why do YouTube Shorts keep showing up in my subscriptions?
Shorts are part of YouTube's subscription and discovery surfaces. Dismissing a row does not necessarily create a permanent filter. A browser extension or compatible third-party client may provide stronger filtering.
Does Unhook block Shorts?
Unhook can hide Shorts in supported desktop browsers by changing what the YouTube interface displays. It does not change the underlying uploads, and its behavior can depend on YouTube's current page layout.
How do I block YouTube Shorts on iPhone or Android?
Mobile browser extensions generally do not control the YouTube app. Options include YouTube's own Shorts controls or a compatible third-party client. Review each tool's platform support and privacy terms.
Does Feedvault block YouTube Shorts?
Feedvault filters likely Shorts from its own Feeds using duration and player aspect ratio. This does not change YouTube, and no classifier catches every Short.
Will short videos from creators I follow appear in Feedvault?
Videos at or under 120 seconds are excluded from Feeds. From 121 to 180 seconds, square or vertical videos and videos without a usable player aspect ratio are excluded; known landscape videos may appear. Feedvault may still fetch and store video IDs and metadata.
Keep reading
- How to organize YouTube subscriptions — five methods to group channels by topic, including Feedvault.
- PocketTube alternative — why people switch from PocketTube to Feedvault.
- Unhook alternative — how Feedvault compares to the popular YouTube-cleanup extension.
- YouTube Watch Later alternative — save videos with notes, flags, and topic groups via Studies.
- Save YouTube videos with notes — five tools compared, including Notion, Annotate.tv, and Feedvault Studies.
- YouTube without the algorithm — manifesto for bypassing the YouTube algorithm entirely.
- Alternative to the YouTube subscription feed — rebuild a chronological subscription feed.
- Distraction-free YouTube — complete guide mapping distractions to tools.
- Feedvault home — Feeds + Studies overview, comparison table, FAQ.
- For Families & Education — parent-managed channel curation, limitations included.
- Pricing — Plus Monthly at $7/month or Plus Annual at $59/year.