YouTube just gave you the option to quit Shorts cold turkey, and it is buried so deep in the settings you would think the company does not want you to find it.
YouTube now lets you set your Shorts feed limit to zero
A new support page from Google quietly confirms that YouTube has rolled out a Shorts feed limit for all users on mobile. You will find it under Settings, then Time management, then Shorts feed limit inside the YouTube app. It lets you cap how much time you spend swiping through short-form videos.
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The options go from a couple of hours all the way down to zero minutes, that last one effectively blocking the Shorts feed entirely. YouTube will never frame it that way, but that is what setting the timer to zero does as confirmed by reporting by The Verge.
Turns out, all you have to do is set your Shorts feed limit to zero. | Image by Google
The catch nobody is talking about
When your limit is reached, YouTube shows a reminder that your Shorts feed is paused. You can dismiss it and keep scrolling like nothing happened, so the limit is really a suggestion, not a wall.
For parents managing supervised teen accounts through Family Link, the timer is non-dismissible, so the kid actually gets cut off. Adults get a polite nudge we can swipe away. This is also mobile-only for now, so desktop users still need browser extensions to deal with Shorts.
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How do you deal with YouTube Shorts right now?
Why no official YouTube announcement?
YouTube has poured resources into Shorts since launching the format in 2020, from expanding the max length to three minutes to rolling out creator tools like AI-generated avatars. The infinite-scroll design is what makes Shorts addictive, and growing scrutiny around screen time has forced platforms to at least look like they care.
By tucking a "zero minutes" option into time management, YouTube gets to check the digital wellbeing box without encouraging anyone to leave Shorts. Most of its wellbeing features follow this same pattern.
I might actually use this one
I am guilty of falling into the Shorts rabbit hole regularly. I will open YouTube to watch one video and 30 minutes later I am deep into clips of whatever TV show I am into at the moment. So I am curious to set my limit to zero and see what changes.
Whether I stick with it or dismiss the reminder every time remains to be seen. But this option existing at all feels like a quiet admission that Shorts can be a problem, even if YouTube will never say it out loud.
Johanna 'Jojo the Techie' is a skilled mobile technology expert with over 15 years of hands-on experience, specializing in the Google ecosystem and Pixel devices. Known for her user-friendly approach, she leverages her vast tech support background to provide accessible and insightful coverage on latest technology trends. As a recognized thought leader and former member of #TeamPixel, Johanna ensures she stays at the forefront of Google services and products, making her a reliable source for all things Pixel and ChromeOS.
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