There’s no single built‑in “Off” switch for YouTube Shorts right now, but there are several workarounds that can almost hide them completely depending on your device.

The Core Reality (2026)

  • YouTube does not offer an official setting to globally disable Shorts across your account.
  • You can only:
    • Hide or reduce them in feeds.
    • Use extensions or special apps/browsers to strip them out visually.

Think of it as: you can’t stop YouTube from sending Shorts, but you can stop seeing them.

On Desktop (Chrome, Firefox, Edge, etc.)

1. Use “hide/hard-block” extensions

Several browser extensions directly remove Shorts sections from YouTube pages. They work by hiding elements labeled as Shorts, tabs, and carousels.

Typical options include:

  • Extensions like “Hide Shorts for YouTube,” “Unhook YouTube,” or general YouTube enhancers.
  • Features they commonly provide:
    • Remove the Shorts tab.
    • Hide the Shorts shelf on the homepage.
    • Hide Shorts in search results and channel feeds.

Once configured, Shorts usually disappear entirely from the desktop experience unless YouTube changes its layout again.

2. Use YouTube’s temporary hide

Even without extensions, you can partially reduce Shorts:

  • On the YouTube homepage, find the Shorts row.
  • Click the “X” on the right side; this hides that Shorts section for about 30 days.

This is temporary and Shorts will come back, especially in search or subscription feeds.

On Mobile App (Android & iOS)

This is where things are more limited, because extensions don’t run inside the official app.

1. Mark Shorts as “Not Interested”

You can train the algorithm to show fewer Shorts:

  1. Open the YouTube app and scroll to the Shorts section on Home.
  2. On each Short’s thumbnail, tap the three dots.
  3. Tap “Not Interested,” and repeat for each one in the row.

This can hide that Shorts row from the homepage after enough repetition, though it’s not permanent and Shorts may still appear in search or subscriptions.

2. Use mobile browser instead of the app

If you don’t need the app, use YouTube in your browser:

  • Open YouTube in Chrome/Safari, tap the menu, and request “Desktop site.”
  • On desktop mode in mobile, the layout is closer to desktop, so:
    • You can hide the Shorts row with the “X” (same as on desktop).
* If your mobile browser supports extensions (some Android browsers do), you can use the same “hide Shorts” extensions as on desktop.

3. Old app versions / alternative clients (Android)

More advanced users sometimes:

  • Install an older YouTube app version from before Shorts existed (for example, YouTube v14.12.56 or earlier) via APK.
  • Disable auto‑updates in Google Play so the app doesn’t upgrade and bring Shorts back.

This is a bit risky (no security updates, manual APK management) and only really recommended if you’re comfortable sideloading apps. Some third‑party clients or wrappers also offer options to hide Shorts and other distractions, but they may break when YouTube changes back‑end APIs and may have their own risks.

Strategy If You Want “Almost No Shorts”

If your goal is to seriously reclaim your attention and stop doom‑scrolling:

  1. Desktop
    • Install a YouTube‑tuning extension that explicitly lists “Hide Shorts” among its options.
 * Hide Shorts shelves, tabs, and search results.
  1. Phone
    • Prefer browser + desktop mode with whatever hiding is available.
 * In the app, aggressively mark Shorts as “Not Interested” and “Show fewer Shorts.”

 * Optionally use Screen Time / Digital Wellbeing to limit app time during “weak” hours and avoid the Shorts tab entirely.
  1. Algorithm hygiene
    • Stop tapping Shorts at all; even a few taps can reinforce that you “like” that format.
 * Clear or pause watch history if Shorts have completely taken over your recommendations.

Quick FAQ

Q: Is there a setting in YouTube like “Disable Shorts”?
A: No, there is currently no official toggle to disable Shorts globally for your account.

Q: Can I make Shorts disappear forever on every device?
A: Only approximated: desktop with extensions works very well, mobile less so. There is no guaranteed, account‑level permanent off switch.

Q: Is this still a trending complaint?
A: Yes. Even in 2025–2026, guides, videos, and forum threads continue popping up with new workarounds because YouTube still hasn’t added a native “turn off Shorts” button.

TL;DR: You can’t officially disable YouTube Shorts, but you can get very close by using browser extensions on desktop, “Not Interested” spam + browser mode on mobile, and—if you’re advanced—older/alternative Android clients.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.