How to block YouTube Shorts on Android
You open YouTube for one tutorial and surface forty minutes later, deep in Shorts. YouTube does not let you remove the Shorts shelf. Blockerflow does, and it leaves ordinary videos alone.
Why Shorts is hard to avoid
Shorts is built into the app: a tab in the bottom bar, a shelf in the home feed, and a swipe up player that never runs out. There is no setting to switch it off, and hiding individual Shorts only trains the recommendations rather than closing the door.
Switch Shorts off in Blockerflow
The switch is on the Blocking tab, the screen the app opens on, in the Social Blocking card. You do not need to add YouTube to any list. The Blocklist tab is for apps and sites you choose to add yourself, which is a separate feature.
- Install Blockerflow and complete setup, including the Accessibility Service permission.
- Stay on the Blocking tab and scroll to the Social Blocking card.
- Switch on Block Youtube Shorts.
What happens next
In the YouTube app, Blockerflow recognises the Shorts player as it opens and puts a Content Blocked screen in front of it, with a button back to your home screen. Normal videos, your subscriptions, playlists, search and comments are untouched, because only the Shorts player is matched.
In the browser, addresses under youtube.com/shorts are blocked in Chrome or Firefox. The rest of youtube.com keeps working.
If Shorts is not the only feed pulling at you
The same Social Blocking card has switches for Instagram Reels, Facebook Reels, Snapchat videos and search, WhatsApp channels, and X videos. Each is a separate switch, so you can close exactly the doors that are a problem for you and leave the rest alone.
For a time boxed version instead, the Focus tab blocks the main social apps and sites completely for the length of a session. YouTube is deliberately not in that default list, since it is often needed for work or study, but you can add youtube.com under Also block during Focus.
Keep the switch from being flipped back
Turning Block Youtube Shorts off again goes through whichever accountability partner you chose. Shorts is graded Lenient, so the check is deliberately light. It exists to make the moment conscious.
Frequently asked questions
Can I still watch normal YouTube videos?
Yes. Only the Shorts player is blocked. Regular videos, subscriptions, playlists and search keep working.
Does it block Shorts on the YouTube website?
Yes. Addresses under youtube.com/shorts are blocked in Chrome and Firefox, alongside the app.
Can I block YouTube completely instead?
Yes. Add youtube.com in the Blocklist tab for a permanent block, or under Also block during Focus to block it only while a Focus session runs.
Try Blockerflow
Block adult content and distracting feeds on Android, with an accountability system behind it.