The YouTube Shorts Problem
YouTube Shorts launched in 2020 as Google's answer to TikTok. Since then, it has grown into one of the most addictive content formats on the internet, generating over 70 billion daily views. What was once a platform for intentionally chosen long-form content has become another endless scroll of 60-second clips competing for your attention.
The core issue is how Shorts changes your YouTube behavior. Before Shorts, you would open YouTube, search for something specific, watch it, and leave. Now, the Shorts tab sits right at the bottom of the app, constantly tempting you to "just swipe through a few." Those few swipes turn into 20 minutes, then 40, then an hour. The same variable-ratio reinforcement that drives slot machine addiction is at work here: you never know when the next incredibly entertaining clip will appear, so you keep swiping.
What makes YouTube Shorts particularly insidious is that it piggybacks on a platform you genuinely need. Many people rely on YouTube for tutorials, educational content, music, podcasts, and professional development. You cannot simply delete YouTube the way you might delete TikTok. You need the long-form content. You just need the Shorts to disappear.
Why Google Will Not Let You Disable Shorts
YouTube has no setting to turn off Shorts. This is not an oversight. Shorts are a core part of YouTube's engagement strategy. More time spent watching Shorts means more ad impressions, which means more revenue. Google has no financial incentive to let you opt out.
Over the years, users have petitioned, submitted feedback, and posted on forums asking for a "disable Shorts" toggle. Google has consistently ignored these requests. The Shorts tab has actually become more prominent with each app update, not less. In recent versions, the Shorts button occupies prime real estate in the bottom navigation bar, making it nearly impossible to avoid.
Methods That Fall Short
People have tried many workarounds to eliminate Shorts from their YouTube experience. Here is why each approach is insufficient.
YouTube's "Not Interested" Button
You can long-press on individual Shorts and select "Not Interested." This only affects the recommendation algorithm for that specific type of content. The Shorts tab remains, the Shorts shelf on the home page remains, and the algorithm will continue serving you new Shorts. You would have to press "Not Interested" on every single Short indefinitely.
Restricted Mode
YouTube's Restricted Mode is designed to filter out mature content, not to disable Shorts. Turning it on has zero effect on whether Shorts appear. You will still see the Shorts tab, still get Shorts in your feed, and still be one tap away from the infinite scroll.
Browser Extensions and Modified APKs
Desktop browser extensions like "Hide YouTube Shorts" work on computers but not on Android phones where most Shorts consumption happens. Modified YouTube APKs (like ReVanced) can remove Shorts, but they require technical knowledge to set up, break with YouTube updates, may violate YouTube's terms of service, and introduce security risks from running unofficial software. They are also not available from the Play Store.
Digital Wellbeing App Timers
Android's Digital Wellbeing can set a daily time limit for the YouTube app, but this limits all of YouTube, not just Shorts. If you set a 30-minute timer and spend it all on Shorts, you have no time left for the tutorial you actually needed to watch. And these timers are trivially easy to dismiss with one tap.
Using YouTube in the Browser
Watching YouTube through Chrome or Firefox on mobile does reduce Shorts exposure somewhat, but the mobile web experience is degraded: no picture-in-picture, worse video quality, no offline downloads, and YouTube constantly prompts you to open the app instead. It is an inconvenient workaround that most people abandon within a week.
How BeFocussed Blocks YouTube Shorts
BeFocussed solves this problem cleanly. It blocks YouTube Shorts content within the YouTube app itself while leaving regular long-form videos completely untouched.
Here is what your YouTube experience looks like with BeFocussed active:
- Regular videos -- fully accessible. Search, browse, watch, subscribe, create playlists
- Shorts tab -- blocked. Navigating to it triggers an instant redirect
- Shorts in your feed -- blocked. Short-form content is detected and intercepted
- Music, podcasts, live streams -- fully accessible
- YouTube Premium features -- fully accessible (downloads, background play, etc.)
BeFocussed uses Android's Accessibility Service to detect when you encounter Shorts content. The detection is real-time and works regardless of how YouTube updates its interface. When Shorts are detected, BeFocussed instantly redirects you away, before the first Short even begins playing.
YouTube Channel Control
One of BeFocussed's most powerful features is YouTube Channel Control. This goes beyond simple Shorts blocking to give you granular control over which YouTube channels you can access.
With Channel Control, you can:
- Whitelist specific channels -- allow only educational, work-related, or other productive channels
- Block specific channels -- prevent access to channels you find especially distracting
- Set time limits per channel -- allow a certain amount of time on entertainment channels per day
This feature is particularly valuable for students and professionals who use YouTube as a learning resource. You can ensure that YouTube remains a tool for growth rather than a source of distraction.
Step-by-Step Setup Guide
Setting up YouTube Shorts blocking with BeFocussed takes about two minutes:
- Install BeFocussed from the Google Play Store. The app is free to download and does not require root access.
- Grant Accessibility Service permissions -- navigate to Settings > Accessibility > BeFocussed and toggle it on. This permission is required for BeFocussed to detect Shorts content within the YouTube app.
- Open BeFocussed and enable YouTube Shorts blocking in the platform blocking section. Toggle on YouTube Shorts.
- Configure YouTube Channel Control (optional) -- set up whitelisted channels if you want to restrict YouTube to specific educational or professional content.
- Enable anti-bypass protections -- turn on anti-uninstall, set a cooldown timer, and enable restart protection to ensure the block stays active.
Once configured, open YouTube and test it. Try navigating to the Shorts tab. You should be immediately redirected. Regular videos will work exactly as before.
Anti-Bypass Protections
A YouTube Shorts blocker is only useful if it actually stays active when you are tempted. BeFocussed includes comprehensive anti-bypass protections designed for exactly these moments:
- Anti-uninstall protection -- uses Android's Device Administrator API to prevent BeFocussed from being casually uninstalled. You must go through a deliberate multi-step process, which gives you time to reconsider.
- Cooldown timer -- changes to your blocking settings do not take effect immediately. You can configure a waiting period (e.g., 12 hours or 24 hours) so that impulsive decisions to "just watch a few Shorts" are interrupted by a mandatory delay.
- Split-screen blocking -- prevents opening YouTube in a split-screen window to work around the Shorts block.
- Restart protection -- BeFocussed automatically restores its blocking service after your phone reboots. Restarting your phone will not disable the Shorts block.
These protections work together to ensure that the only way to access Shorts is through a deliberate, time-delayed decision, not a momentary impulse.
Privacy and Performance
BeFocussed operates with a privacy-first design. The Accessibility Service is used exclusively to detect and block Shorts content. No data about your YouTube activity is collected, stored, or transmitted. Everything happens locally on your device.
Performance impact is minimal. The Accessibility Service runs in the background with negligible battery and CPU usage. You will not notice any slowdown in YouTube or any other app.
Read the full privacy policy for complete transparency on how BeFocussed handles data.
Block More Than Just Shorts
YouTube Shorts often co-exists with other short-form video habits. If you are scrolling Shorts on YouTube, chances are you are also losing time to Instagram Reels, TikTok, or Snapchat Spotlight.
BeFocussed can block all short-form video platforms simultaneously:
- YouTube Shorts -- blocked while keeping regular YouTube
- Instagram Reels -- blocked while keeping posts, DMs, and Stories
- TikTok -- fully blocked or time-limited
- Snapchat Spotlight -- blocked while keeping Snaps and Chat
- Facebook Reels -- blocked while keeping the Facebook feed
You can also use the app blocker to set time limits on other distracting apps, the adult content blocker to filter inappropriate websites, or the digital detox mode to create scheduled focus periods.
What Changes When You Block Shorts
People who block YouTube Shorts consistently describe the same set of changes:
- YouTube becomes intentional again -- without Shorts, you open YouTube with a purpose (watch a specific video, learn something) instead of mindlessly browsing.
- Total YouTube time drops significantly -- most users report a 40-60% reduction in total YouTube usage after blocking Shorts, because Shorts were the primary time sink.
- Better content consumption -- with Shorts removed, you naturally gravitate toward longer, more substantive content that actually teaches you something or provides genuine entertainment.
- Improved attention span -- after a few weeks without Shorts, many users notice they can focus on longer videos, articles, and tasks more easily.
The first few days without Shorts can feel uncomfortable. You might find yourself reaching for the Shorts tab out of habit. That muscle memory fades quickly. Within a week, most people stop thinking about Shorts entirely.
Take Back Your YouTube Experience
YouTube is an incredible resource for learning, entertainment, and creativity. Shorts undermine all of that by turning a platform for intentional viewing into another addictive infinite scroll. BeFocussed restores YouTube to what it was always meant to be: a place where you choose what to watch.
If you are ready to stop doomscrolling through Shorts and reclaim your time, install BeFocussed, enable Shorts blocking, turn on anti-bypass protection, and experience YouTube the way it should be: on your terms.