# How to Remove YouTube Shorts in 2026 (iPhone, Android, Desktop and TV) > The YouTube app can’t switch Shorts off completely. Here’s what actually works on iPhone, Android, desktop and Android TV, with the catches for each. - Author: Joel Happ, Software Engineer and Founder of RelockIn - Published: 2026-09-23 - Updated: 2026-11-11 - Canonical URL: https://relockin.com/blog/how-to-remove-youtube-shorts - Language: en ## Key takeaways - There’s no switch in the YouTube app that turns Shorts off for good. The closest built-in option is setting the Shorts feed limit to 0 minutes, but it’s a dismissible reminder and only exists in the mobile app. - On iPhone, iPad and Android, the RelockIn browser removes Shorts and the Shorts tab from YouTube. It’s free, but it only applies to YouTube opened in RelockIn, not the YouTube app. - On a computer, a free browser extension such as Unhook or RelockIn for Web hides Shorts on youtube.com. Youtube-ShortsBlock takes a lighter approach: it plays Shorts as normal videos, so you can’t swipe from one to the next. - On Android TV, the third-party SmartTube app can hide Shorts. Only install it from the developer’s official site. You can’t fully turn off YouTube Shorts inside the official YouTube app. The closest built-in option is to set the **Shorts feed limit to 0 minutes** (Settings → Time management → Shorts feed limit), which hides Shorts until you choose to ignore the limit. To remove Shorts completely, use a browser or extension that strips them out: the free [RelockIn](https://relockin.com/download) app on iPhone and Android, a Chrome extension like Unhook on a computer, or SmartTube on Android TV. Shorts are YouTube’s vertical, TikTok-style videos, and they’re built to keep you swiping. Below are the methods that work on each device, how to set each one up, and what each one can’t do. ## Which method should you use? | Device | Best option | Removes Shorts completely? | Cost | The catch | | --------------------- | --------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------- | ---- | -------------------------------------------- | | iPhone, iPad, Android | RelockIn browser | Yes, inside RelockIn | Free | Doesn’t change the YouTube app itself | | iPhone, iPad, Android | YouTube’s Shorts feed limit (0 minutes) | No, it’s a reminder | Free | One tap on “Ignore limit” brings Shorts back | | Computer (browser) | Unhook or RelockIn for Web | Yes, on youtube.com | Free | Only works in the browser you install it in | | Computer (browser) | Youtube-ShortsBlock | No, it plays them as normal videos | Free | Stops the swiping, not the Shorts | | Android TV | SmartTube | Mostly | Free | Third-party app; some Shorts may remain | ## How do you remove YouTube Shorts on iPhone or Android? Use a browser that removes Shorts from YouTube. The YouTube app doesn’t let you remove them, so the fix is to watch YouTube somewhere that does. RelockIn is a browser for iPhone, iPad and Android that strips addictive features out of sites like YouTube. Disclosure: we make it. Here’s how to turn Shorts off: 1. Install [RelockIn](https://relockin.com/download) from the App Store or Google Play and open it. 2. Open the hub (the hourglass button) and go to **Customize Sites**. 3. In the **YouTube** section, turn on **Hide Shorts**, and optionally **Hide Shorts tab**. That’s it. Shorts disappear from the Home feed, suggestions and search results, and the Shorts tab is gone. ![YouTube’s Home feed on an iPhone, with a row of Shorts under the first video](https://relockin.com/blog/remove-youtube-shorts/youtube-home-with-shorts.webp 'Before: a row of Shorts in YouTube’s Home feed.') ![The same YouTube Home feed in RelockIn, with a notice that 8 Shorts were removed](https://relockin.com/blog/remove-youtube-shorts/youtube-home-shorts-removed-relockin.webp 'After: the same feed in RelockIn, with the Shorts removed.') The same settings page can also hide YouTube ads, clickbait thumbnails and the algorithmic Home feed, and it covers other sites such as Instagram Reels. RelockIn can also put time limits and schedules on distracting apps, including the YouTube app itself. > [!NOTE] > RelockIn’s YouTube settings apply to YouTube opened inside the RelockIn browser. They don’t change the YouTube app. If you want to stop opening the app out of habit, add it to a RelockIn limit so it stays locked until you start a session. Removing Shorts is free. RelockIn Pro adds more site customizations and screen time controls. ## How do you limit YouTube Shorts inside the YouTube app? Set the Shorts feed limit to 0 minutes. It’s the only built-in control YouTube offers for Shorts, and it’s available in the YouTube app for iPhone, iPad and Android. 1. Open the YouTube app and make sure you’re signed in. 2. Tap **You** (your profile picture) in the bottom bar. 3. Tap the **Settings** gear in the top right. 4. Tap **Time management**. 5. Tap **Shorts feed limit** and choose **0 minutes**. If Shorts are still showing, close and reopen the app. ![YouTube’s “You reached your Shorts feed limit” screen, with Go to Home and Ignore limit for today buttons](https://relockin.com/blog/remove-youtube-shorts/youtube-shorts-limit-reached.webp 'YouTube’s limit screen. “Ignore limit for today” is one tap away.') This helps, but it isn’t a real off switch: - **It’s easy to bypass.** When you hit the limit, YouTube shows a reminder with an **Ignore limit for today** button. One tap and you’re back to scrolling. - **Shorts don’t disappear everywhere.** They can still show up in search results and in the Shorts tab. - **It’s mobile only.** The setting doesn’t exist on youtube.com in a desktop browser. > [!TIP] > Tapping **Not interested** on the Shorts shelf only hides it for a while. YouTube brings Shorts back to your Home feed later, so it’s not worth relying on. ## How do you remove YouTube Shorts on youtube.com on a computer? Install a browser extension. Here are three free options from the Chrome Web Store: the first two hide Shorts completely, and the third stops the endless swiping. They also work in most Chromium-based browsers, like Edge and Brave. ### Unhook [Unhook](https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/unhook-remove-youtube-rec/khncfooichmfjbepaaaebmommgaepoid) hides Shorts along with other distractions, like the Home feed, recommended videos, end screens and comments. Each one has its own switch, so turn on **Hide Shorts** and leave the rest as you like. ![Unhook’s settings menu with Hide Shorts, Hide Home Feed and Hide Recommended switched on](https://relockin.com/blog/remove-youtube-shorts/unhook-settings.webp 'Unhook’s settings. Hide Shorts is one of many switches.') ### RelockIn for Web [RelockIn for Web](https://relockin.com/web) is our extension, for Chrome and Firefox. It brings RelockIn’s site customizations to your computer: open it, go to **Customize Sites**, pick YouTube and turn on **Hide Shorts** and **Hide Shorts tab**. It can also block distracting sites and set time limits. ![The RelockIn for Web extension’s Customize Sites page for youtube.com, with Hide Shorts switched on](https://relockin.com/blog/remove-youtube-shorts/relockin-for-web-customize-sites.webp 'RelockIn for Web’s YouTube settings.') ### Youtube-ShortsBlock [Youtube-ShortsBlock](https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/youtube-shorts-block/jiaopdjbehhjgokpphdfgmapkobbnmjp) doesn’t hide Shorts. It plays them in YouTube’s normal video player instead of the Shorts feed, so you can’t swipe straight to the next one. Pick it if you still want to watch the occasional Short someone sends you. ![The Youtube-shorts block extension, described as playing Shorts as if they were normal videos](https://relockin.com/blog/remove-youtube-shorts/youtube-shorts-block.webp 'Youtube-ShortsBlock has one switch.') Extensions only work in the browser you install them in, so Shorts are still there if you open YouTube in another browser or on your phone. ## How do you remove YouTube Shorts on Android TV? Use SmartTube, a free, open-source YouTube app for Android TV and Google TV that can hide Shorts. It isn’t on the Play Store, so you install it from the developer’s site. 1. Install SmartTube from its official site, [smarttubeapp.github.io](https://smarttubeapp.github.io/). 2. Open **Settings** → **General** → **Hide content**. 3. Turn on **Hide Shorts everywhere**. Some people still see Shorts in places like the Gaming section after turning this on. > [!WARNING] > In late 2025, SmartTube’s developer reported that malware on their development machine had compromised some builds, and the app moved to a new signing key. Only install SmartTube from the official site, and follow the developer’s instructions there if you installed it before then. ## Summary: the best way to remove Shorts on each device - **iPhone, iPad and Android:** Use the [RelockIn](https://relockin.com/download) browser and turn on **Hide Shorts** for YouTube. It’s free. - **Inside the YouTube app:** Set the **Shorts feed limit** to 0 minutes. It’s free and built in, but easy to ignore. - **Computer:** Install [Unhook](https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/unhook-remove-youtube-rec/khncfooichmfjbepaaaebmommgaepoid) or [RelockIn for Web](https://relockin.com/web) in Chrome (RelockIn for Web also works in Firefox) to hide Shorts, or [Youtube-ShortsBlock](https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/youtube-shorts-block/jiaopdjbehhjgokpphdfgmapkobbnmjp) to stop the swiping. - **Android TV:** Install [SmartTube](https://smarttubeapp.github.io/) from its official site and turn on **Hide Shorts everywhere**. Shorts are designed to be hard to stop watching, so the methods that actually work take them out of reach instead of relying on willpower. Pick the one that matches the device you scroll on most. If you also scroll Instagram, see [how to remove Instagram Reels](https://relockin.com/blog/how-to-remove-instagram-reels). ## Frequently asked questions ### Can you permanently turn off YouTube Shorts in the YouTube app? No. YouTube doesn’t offer a setting that removes Shorts for good. Setting the Shorts feed limit to 0 minutes (Settings → Time management → Shorts feed limit) is the closest option, but on adult accounts you can dismiss the limit, and Shorts can still appear in search and the Shorts tab. ### Does the Shorts feed limit work on a computer? No. The Shorts feed limit is only in the YouTube app for iPhone, iPad and Android. On youtube.com in a desktop browser, use an extension such as Unhook or RelockIn for Web instead. ### Is there a free way to remove YouTube Shorts? Yes. The Shorts feed limit is built into YouTube, the desktop extensions in this guide are free, and removing Shorts in the RelockIn app is free on iPhone and Android. ### Does tapping "Not interested" on Shorts stop them? Only for a while. Marking Shorts as not interested hides that shelf temporarily, but YouTube brings Shorts back to the Home feed later. ## Sources - [Set a Shorts feed limit](https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/16671528) - [YouTube now lets you hide Shorts completely — here’s how to turn them off](https://tomsguide.com/phones/youtube-now-lets-you-hide-shorts-completely-heres-how-to-turn-them-off) - [SmartTube (official site)](https://smarttubeapp.github.io/) - [Top YouTube app for Android TV compromised to serve malware](https://techradar.com/pro/security/top-youtube-app-for-android-tv-compromised-to-serve-malware-heres-what-we-know-and-how-to-stay-safe)