Imagine opening YouTube and seeing only the content you actually want: 20-minute tutorials, hour-long documentaries, and in-depth reviews—no vertical, 60-second clips auto-playing in your face. That clean feed isn’t a fantasy; you can make it happen right now by combining YouTube’s own controls with a few extra tricks. Here’s how to permanently remove YouTube Shorts from your feed, step by step.
Tap ‘Not Interested’ on Every Shorts Shelf You See
The fastest way to start clearing Shorts is to use YouTube’s built-in feedback button. Whenever a Shorts shelf appears on your home page or in your subscriptions, look for the three-dot menu directly next to the section header. Tap it and select ‘Not interested’. This signal tells the algorithm to reduce the frequency of Shorts in your feed. Keep doing this consistently for a few days, and you’ll notice the shelves shrinking or disappearing altogether.
On mobile, the process is slightly different: long-press any Shorts video thumbnail while scrolling the home feed, then choose ‘Not interested’ from the pop-up menu. You don’t have to open the Shorts player; simply dismissing them from the feed sends the same negative signal. YouTube’s recommendation system treats these interim actions as strong disinterest, which eventually deprioritizes all Shorts content for your account.
If you want to go further, you can also tap ‘Don’t recommend channel’ on any Shorts video that autoplays after you accidentally tap one. This action blocks that specific channel from appearing again, but combined with many such blocks, it further teaches the algorithm that you don’t want any Shorts at all. According to YouTube’s help documentation on managing your recommendations, these signals are used to fine-tune what appears in your feed over time. For an added layer of control, you can also clear your search and watch history, which we’ll cover in another step.
Install a Dedicated YouTube Shorts Blocker
Browser extensions offer the most aggressive solution for hiding Shorts. For Chrome, Firefox, and Edge, several free add-ons automatically detect and remove the Shorts shelf, the Shorts button from the sidebar, and even Shorts from search results. Extensions like ‘YouTube Shorts Blocker’ or ‘Enhancer for YouTube’ operate locally on your device, applying custom CSS and JavaScript filters the moment the page loads. Once installed, you won’t see a single Shorts element anywhere on the desktop version of YouTube.
To set one up, open your browser’s extension store and search for ‘hide YouTube Shorts’. Pick an extension with recent updates and good user ratings, then click ‘Add to Browser’. After installation, you might need to tweak the extension’s options: most let you hide just the Shorts shelves, the entire Shorts section, or even redirect any Shorts URL back to your home page. The filter runs silently in the background, so you never have to think about it again.
One caveat: these extensions only work on the browser where they’re installed, meaning they won’t help on the YouTube mobile app or on a different computer. For a truly cross-device solution, you’ll need to combine the extension with your account-level ‘Not interested’ signals. Still, if you primarily watch YouTube on a laptop or desktop, a blocker virtually eliminates the problem in seconds.
Create a ShortDo it on your video, here.Purge Shorts from Your Watch and Search History
A messy watch history can override every other signal you’ve sent. Even if you’ve been tapping ‘Not interested’ for weeks, a single hour spent binge-watching Shorts a month ago can keep the algorithm convinced you enjoy them. Clearing your watch history wipes that slate clean, forcing YouTube to rebuild your interest profile from scratch. While this also removes the history that powers useful recommendations for long-form videos, the trade-off is often worth it if Shorts are ruining your experience.
On desktop, click your profile icon in the top-right corner, go to ‘Your data in YouTube’, and scroll down to ‘YouTube Watch History’. Select ‘Manage’ and then ‘Delete watch history’. On mobile, tap your avatar, go to ‘Settings’ > ‘History & privacy’, and there you’ll find the same option. For an even deeper reset, also clear your ‘YouTube Search History’, which is located right above the watch history option. Many users find that purging both histories slashes Shorts appearances by more than half within a day.
After the purge, be deliberate about what you watch. Open specific videos from subscriptions or direct links, and immediately dismiss any Shorts that pop up. The algorithm will quickly learn that your new behavior skews heavily toward longer content. If you want to keep a clean record without fully deleting history, consider pausing watch history altogether—though that will also stop YouTube from recommending new long-form videos based on your interests.
Signal Disinterest to the Algorithm Consistently
One-off actions rarely convince YouTube’s recommendation engine. To permanently remove Shorts from your feed, you need a routine of consistent negative feedback. Every time you see a Shorts shelf on the home page, mark it as ‘Not interested’. If a Shorts autoplays after a regular video, tap ‘Don’t recommend channel’—even if you’ve done it to fifty other channels. This sustained pattern of behavior is far more effective than any single setting change.
Combine these signals with other account-level tweaks: avoid interacting with Shorts entirely (no likes, comments, or shares), and never save a Shorts video to a playlist. Even a single accidental like can undo days of training because YouTube interprets any engagement as a positive signal. If you do accidentally tap a Short, immediately go to your ‘Liked videos’ playlist and remove it, then clear that specific Short from your watch history. These small corrections keep your profile aligned with your goal.
Finally, check your YouTube account’s ‘Google Ads settings’ and ‘YouTube personalization’ to see if you can adjust the topics YouTube thinks you enjoy. While Shorts aren’t a selectable category, reducing ad personalization and limiting topic interests to only long-form niches (like ‘technology’, ‘education’, or ‘documentary’) helps reinforce your preferences. The more data points you give the system that suggest you’re a long-form viewer only, the fewer Shorts you’ll see across all devices.
Download and Compress the Long-Form Videos You Love
Once your feed is free of Shorts, it’s time to enjoy the content you actually want—and preserve it. Many creators post hours-long tutorials, seminars, or documentaries that deserve to be kept offline. You can download any video from YouTube using a simple online tool that grabs the highest quality version available. After downloading, those files are yours to watch anytime, even without an internet connection.
High-resolution videos eat up storage quickly. A single 4K video can occupy over 10 GB, making it impractical to keep more than a handful. That’s where compression comes in: a smart video compressor can shrink that file to a fraction of its size without noticeable quality loss. Pick a resolution like 1080p or 720p, and you’ll fit ten times as many videos on your device while still enjoying crystal-clear playback.
Before archiving, you might want to trim out dead air or irrelevant parts. An online video cutter lets you select only the valuable segments of a download, turning a 2-hour lecture into a crisp 45-minute highlight reel. Combined, downloading, compressing, and cutting give you a permanent library of long-form content that’s neatly organized, space-efficient, and completely free of Shorts or algorithmic distractions. This way, you build a feed that’s entirely under your control—no algorithm needed.
Got Lingering Questions? Here’s the Definitive FAQ
Can I permanently disable YouTube Shorts?
YouTube doesn’t offer a single global switch to disable Shorts entirely. However, consistent use of the ‘Not interested’ button, watch history clearing, and browser extensions can effectively remove them from your feed. Over time, the algorithm will treat your account as a long-form-only viewer.
Do I need a browser extension to hide Shorts?
Not necessarily—built-in signals like ‘Not interested’ work well, but they’re slower. A browser extension instantly filters out all Shorts elements on desktop YouTube, making it the quickest fix. On mobile, you’re limited to account-level training.
Will hiding Shorts affect my recommendations for long videos?
Yes, initially. Clearing your watch history and signaling disinterest against Shorts also resets the data YouTube uses to recommend long-form content. But as you watch more long videos, those recommendations will rebuild, likely with better quality.
Can I hide Shorts on the YouTube mobile app?
You can’t install extensions on mobile, but you can train the app by long-pressing Shorts thumbnails and selecting ‘Not interested’. This reduces Shorts over time, though not instantly. Clearing history also helps.
Why do Shorts keep reappearing even after I hide them?
If you accidentally watch or engage with a Short—even by autoplay—it sends a positive signal. Additionally, YouTube occasionally resets its algorithm or tests new features, which can temporarily reintroduce Shorts. Consistent, ongoing disinterest signals are needed.
Does clearing my watch history remove Shorts completely?
It doesn’t remove them immediately, but it gives you a clean slate. After clearing history, you must actively avoid Shorts for the algorithm to forget them. Many users see a significant drop in Shorts within a day or two after a clean-up.
Hiding YouTube Shorts isn’t a one-click fix, but with these methods you can reclaim your feed and focus on the long-form videos that matter. Combine ‘Not interested’ taps, a browser extension, and regular history purges for a Shorts-free experience that lasts. Once you’ve cleaned things up, compress your downloaded videos now to keep your favorite content offline and ad-free—without draining your storage.
