YouTube Shorts is addictive by nature, and to make things worse, YouTube likes to push its short-form videos on the app.
Before I knew it, this place became my go-to for filling every gap in my day, whether I was waiting for coffee or passing the time before an appointment.
But over the last few months, I’ve been trying to undo the damage. I wanted to enjoy YouTube on my phone again without feeling like the algorithm trapped me.
Here’s how I managed to reclaim my focus from the endless scroll.
How YouTube set the perfect attention trap
It rewired my brain
YouTube did not create the phenomenon of short-form content addiction; that credit goes to TikTok.
However, YouTube perfected it by slotting it right next to everything else you already love. You swipe once from a regular video, and you’re in an endless vertical scroll designed to keep you there.
The danger is in how seamlessly it blends with your habits. You open YouTube to watch a tutorial or a review, but the Shorts shelf is waiting right below it.
Every element of Shorts is engineered for maximum engagement: the rapid-fire pacing, the instant loop, and the unpredictable mix of content.
YouTube’s algorithm was already scarily good at predicting what I’d like. But Shorts are engineered for instant gratification, and I found myself wasting time scrolling through them.
Removing Shorts from my YouTube feed
Taking back control of my feed
With the Shorts tab at the bottom of the app, YouTube makes it nearly impossible to avoid.
When I use the mobile website, I rely on the Hide YouTube Shorts extension with the Firefox browser. It completely erases Shorts from the homepage, search results, and creator feeds.
This simple change completely rewired how I used YouTube. Without that endless scroll waiting for me, my sessions became intentional again. My screen time dropped, and my attention span stretched.
Alternatively, you can use YouTube ReVanced. It lets you remove the Shorts tab from the app and even block it from appearing in recommendations. It’s the closest thing to an “attention-safe” version of YouTube.
I don’t always use it; sometimes I prefer the official app for reliability and updates. However, having ReVanced as a backup means I can switch to it on weekends or workdays when I want to stay focused.
Train the YouTube algorithm
For better recommendations
YouTube’s algorithm adapts fast, which means you can use it to your advantage.
When I see a Short, I tap the three-dot menu icon and select Not interested. It takes a few steps, but over time, it’s cleaned up my feed.
Simultaneously, I also started liking videos that aligned with the YouTube experience I desired, which included essays, explainer videos, reviews, and full-length podcasts.
Within a week, my recommendations changed significantly.
You can also restrict the number of Shorts you see by scrolling to the Shorts section on your feed, tapping the three-dot menu icon, and selecting Show fewer Shorts.
After refreshing the app, I immediately noticed that my home page was less cluttered.
Use playlists like guardrails
Let playlists guide what you watch next
One of the simplest ways I stopped drifting into random videos was by using playlists as my own guardrails. Instead of letting YouTube decide what to play next, I built my own queues.
When I find something worth watching, I add it to my Watch later playlist. That way, opening YouTube meant picking up where I left off rather than scrolling through the chaos of recommendations.
How to keep your searches Shorts-free
Filter out the noise
Even after I cut down on scrolling through Shorts, YouTube found sneaky ways to pull me back in, right through the search results. You’ll see entire rows of Shorts before any long videos show up.
Now, when I use the YouTube app, I tap the Videos tab below the search bar. This instantly filters out Shorts and shows the longer, more detailed videos I actually came for.
Alternatively, you can tap the three-dot menu icon, go to Search filters > Duration, and select 4 – 20 minutes.
This small change made a massive difference. Instead of scrolling through random Shorts, I spent time on the long-form content I came for.
Rediscovering the joy of long-form videos
I wish there were a simple setting on YouTube to turn off Shorts entirely. It would be nice to have a single toggle to say, “No, thanks, I prefer long-form.”
Instead, cutting them out means using third-party extensions, curating my recommendations, and training the algorithm. It took effort, but it worked.
Without Shorts, my YouTube home page feels more intentional. I also stopped using the app as a filler between tasks.
My attention span stretched again; I could work and rest without my brain begging for constant novelty.
