The emergence of short-form content has made it difficult for us to retain our attention on longer-form videos. While engaging with reels on Instagram makes sense, most people are on YouTube to watch the long-format content.
So, YouTube Shorts are a distraction for many. It could clutter the feed, affecting the kind of experience you have with using YouTube in the first place. That’s likely the last thing you want, especially when scrolling through the app for fun.
The good news is that there are potent ways to disable YouTube Shorts if you have been wondering how this guide has all the tips lined up for you.
Ways to Disable YouTube Shorts
There are a few direct ways and workarounds to disable YouTube Shorts to have an optimal user experience on the app.
Following are a few methods you should try:
1. From YouTube Settings
This is the easiest and the most direct method of disabling YouTube Shorts on the app. It is a simple four-step process that you can do on the desktop version or via the YouTube mobile app.
Here’s what you need to do:
- Launch the YouTube app or open YouTube on your desktop.
- Once on the homepage, navigate to Settings in the top-right corner.
- From there, find the Shorts tab.
- Under the options, you will find “Enable Shorts”. Turn off the toggle for that particular option.
- Once done, you have to confirm the changes.
This should be enough to prevent you from ever encountering unnecessary YouTube shorts.
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2. Use the “Not Interested” Option
There are instances wherein YouTube gives you the reign to choose which videos you will watch and which you won’t. The most straightforward workaround is using the “Not Interested” option. So, if you have been receiving unnecessary YouTube Shorts recommendations that you don’t feel like watching, using the “Not Interested” option is handy.
Here’s how to use it:
- Open your YouTube app and then navigate to the specific YouTube short you wish to remove from the feed or if you don’t want to watch any videos from the creator in the future.
- In the video, tap on the three dots to open the menu.
- Under that, you will find the “Not Interested” option. Clicking on it will prevent you from receiving recommendations from the channel in the future.
Note: YouTube might prompt you to define why you aren’t interested. Entering the reason allows YouTube to understand your preferences and ensure that it will not recommend the video or the channel in the future.
You can repeat the process for the specific YouTube Shorts that you don’t feel like watching in the future. This helps you filter out the unnecessary Shorts from your feed for good.
3. Downgrading the YouTube App
The addition of YouTube Shorts is relatively new. So, if you don’t want to encounter this unnecessary feature or YouTube Shorts on your app when using it on your desktop, the most straightforward workaround is to downgrade the YouTube app to an older version.
However, “downgrading” is not usually an option with the official YouTube app. So, you’d need to rely on software downloading platforms to download an older APK version of the YouTube app and run it on your desktop to see if it doesn’t come with the Shorts tab. If you download the correct version, you shouldn’t have to worry about the same.
Note: Downloading apps from unknown sources can be dangerous. So, ensure you download the older version of the YouTube app from a trusted source only.
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4. Revert to an Older YouTube App on Android
Like your desktop version of the YouTube app, you can also uninstall the unnecessary advanced updates on the YouTube Android app. You only have to ensure that you have YouTube’s 14.13.54 version, which was the one before YouTube introduced the Shorts tab.
Ensure that you turn off the “auto updates” option in the Play Store. Not doing so will automatically update the app, leading to a newer version of the YouTube app on your Android. Once you have the latest version, there’s no going back.
In that case, the only option left is to download an APK version of the older version of YouTube from a third-party APK store, which might not be safe after all.
5. Using YouTube Vanced App
YouTube Vanced is a third-party application that enables you to use YouTube without the hassle of unnecessary ads and specific features that you don’t particularly enjoy.
The YouTube Vanced app also has an option to turn off Shorts. Here’s what you need to do:
- Start by downloading and installing the YouTube Vanced app on your Android device.
- Open the app and then log into your YouTube account from there.
- In the three-dot menu, click on it and find Settings.
- Navigate to Shorts and disable the option by turning off the toggle beside it.
- Once you’ve done this, you’ll need to close and exit the app and relaunch it again. This should be enough to fix the changes and remove the Shorts option for sound.
Why Are My YouTube Shorts Not Getting Views?
What are the reasons for disabling YouTube Shorts?
Short-form content is currently on the rise, so why would you want to turn it off in the first place? This is a common question that might come up in people’s minds.
Following are a few potential explanations for the same:
Remove distractions
One of the main reasons people don’t enjoy watching YouTube shorts is because it causes a distraction. Short-form content is accessible to consume and doesn’t require a long attention span, contributing to its ease of watching. It is one of the main reasons why people indulge in it in the first place.
Content
Another reason people don’t really enjoy watching Shorts is the content itself. Many viewers categorize social media platforms, and for them, YouTube is primarily for long-format content. So, that’s another reason why many individuals prefer disabling YouTube Shorts for good.
Data usage
When you are doomed to scrolling YouTube Shorts, you don’t even realize how much time has passed. This consumes a lot of data before you even know it is happening. So, that’s another potential reason why people turn off Shorts.
Technical issues
Due to the influx of YouTube Shorts on the app, many users complain about the app crashing out of the blue. In short, this leads to many technical issues inside the application. Turning off the feature is usually a better choice.
Privacy concerns
Like most other applications, YouTube Shorts collects user data to improve recommendations. In a way, it records your moves and monitors the kind of content you interact with the most.
Cluttered interface
The Shorts feed on the YouTube app often appears cluttered. If you don’t want that, that’s another reason to disable the YouTube Shorts feature for good.
Conclusion
If you are tired of watching YouTube Shorts or want to limit the short-form content you engage with, turning off this feature is ideal. Remember, these methods may not eliminate Shorts from your experience but can significantly reduce their presence. So, pick and choose the method that works the best in your favor.
