YouTube · Updated 2026-11-14

How to limit YouTube Shorts on Android

Why Shorts are harder to stop than normal videos

A normal video ends and asks you to choose the next one. Shorts autoplay the next video on a swipe, so there's never a moment to decide. Limiting Shorts means putting that moment back.

Your options

Don't tap the Shorts tab. Works until the Shorts shelf on the home feed pulls you in.

Android app timers (Digital Wellbeing). Limit all of YouTube at once, including the videos you actually wanted.

Unrot, “Shorts only”. Watches only the Shorts player, so the rest of YouTube is free; or “Whole app” to time the home feed too.

Set it up in Unrot

1. Install Unrot and switch on its Accessibility access

   This is how Android lets it see whether the Shorts player is on screen. Nothing leaves your phone.

2. Pick YouTube in “Which apps steal your focus?”

   YouTube is on by default.

3. Choose Shorts only or Whole app

   In Settings → Your apps → YouTube. “Shorts only” leaves normal videos alone.

4. Pick a daily budget

   One budget for all your feeds, for example 30 minutes. Inside it Mochi only reminds you; once it's used up, Shorts start to slow down.

5. Watch as usual

   Mochi counts your Shorts. Tap Mochi any time to see how many you've watched.

What happens when you keep swiping

Five minutes into a sitting Mochi hops to the middle with a chalkboard: “12 reels · 5 min! Keep going?”. As your daily budget nears its end the screen fades to grey. Once it is used up, each new Short waits 4, then 9, then 14 seconds, with the video paused, then comes a pause screen; skipping it twice rests YouTube and your other social apps for 30 minutes.