New Delhi: YouTube is giving users more control over what they see, including the option to effectively remove Shorts from their feed. Based on the same idea as last year’s feature, Shorts Feed Limit, the new feature enables users to set the timer to zero, which will show less short-form content that many find distracting.
The change was not announced formally but was revealed in an update of a support page by Google. A report by The Verge has revealed that the feature has already been activated for parents and is being rolled out to everyone around the world. The move is an indication of a change in favour of more user-controllable screen time and content consumption.
What is the new Shorts limit feature?
Shorts Feed Limit was initially launched in 2025 as a time management system. First, users had the option to cut the viewing of Shorts to a minimum of 15 minutes/day. The new update has made it possible to set that limit to zero.
Once enabled, the Shorts tab will no longer show any videos but will send a notification that it is the daily limit. In the case of regular accounts, however, it is rather a cautionary measure than an outright block – users can still opt to keep watching.
Stronger controls for parents and teens
The option is not applicable to the supervised accounts. The zero-limit option turns non-dismissible to teens who use accounts operated through Google Family Link. This implies that once parents have put the restriction in place, Shorts content cannot be accessed at all.
This tightening of the screws underscores the continued movement of Google to digital well-being, particularly among young audiences that are more prone to over-scrolling behaviours.
How to turn off Shorts on YouTube
Follow these steps to reduce or eliminate Shorts from your app:
- Open the YouTube app on your device.
- Please sign in.
- Tap on the “You” tab in the bottom right.
- Go to Settings
- Select “Time watched” or the time management dashboard
- Tap on “Shorts feed limit”.
- Set the limit to zero (if available)
- When the option is not available yet, it is probably because the feature has not been rolled out to your account yet.
Why this update matters
Since its debut in 2020, Shorts has been one of the most captivating and addictive features on YouTube. YouTube is recognising the rising alarm about doomscrolling and digital fatigue by giving users the option to reduce it or get rid of it completely.
Although it is not a full shutdown to all users, the update provides a significant amount of control. This feature, when used in conjunction with the current reminders, such as a reminder to take a break and the bedtime alert, can assist users in adopting healthier viewing habits and not leave the platform.
