The fastest way to stop Shorts from showing on your TV
YouTube Shorts will not appear on your TV if you turn off the Shorts feed in your YouTube account settings on a computer or phone — the setting syncs across all your devices, including your TV. Log into your YouTube account on any web browser, go to Settings, then Playback and performance, and toggle off "Show Shorts feed". Once you save that change, Shorts stop appearing when you use YouTube on your television.
If you use YouTube TV (the live TV service) rather than the regular YouTube app, Shorts do not appear in that service at all — they only show up in the standard YouTube app. So if Shorts are the problem, switching to YouTube TV eliminates them entirely.
Key Takeaways
- Disabling Shorts in your YouTube account settings on a computer or phone removes them from your TV automatically, since the setting syncs across devices.
- YouTube TV (the paid live television service) does not include Shorts, so switching to it is a permanent solution if you have a subscription.
- The standard YouTube app on your TV will continue to show Shorts unless you disable the feed in your account settings.
- Parental controls on your TV itself cannot block Shorts specifically, but YouTube's Restricted Mode can limit mature content across all videos.
How to disable Shorts in your YouTube account settings
Open a web browser on your computer or phone and go to youtube.com. Sign in with the same Google account you use on your TV. Click your profile picture in the top right corner and select "Settings".
In the left menu, click "Playback and performance". Scroll down until you see "Show Shorts feed" and toggle it off. The change saves automatically. Within a few minutes, Shorts will stop appearing on your TV when you use the YouTube app.
This works because your YouTube settings are tied to your Google account, not to individual devices. When you turn off Shorts on your account, every device signed into that account respects that setting.
Why Shorts appear on your TV in the first place
YouTube shows Shorts on your TV because the standard YouTube app displays the same feed as the phone and web versions. Shorts are short vertical videos — usually 15 to 60 seconds — that YouTube promotes heavily because they keep people watching. The app treats your TV like any other screen and sends the same content to it.
YouTube TV, by contrast, is a separate paid service focused on live television channels and on-demand shows. It does not include the Shorts feed at all, which is why switching to it removes Shorts completely. If you already subscribe to YouTube TV, you can use that instead of the standard YouTube app to avoid Shorts without changing your account settings.
Using Restricted Mode to limit mature content in Shorts
If your concern is that Shorts contain mature content, YouTube's Restricted Mode filters videos across the entire platform, including Shorts. Restricted Mode is not a parental lock — anyone can turn it off — but it removes videos flagged as containing violence, profanity, sexual content, or other mature themes.
To turn on Restricted Mode, scroll to the bottom of any YouTube page on your TV and select "Restricted Mode: Off". Toggle it to "On". Restricted Mode then applies to that device and account combination. If you want to lock it so it cannot be turned off without a password, you need to enable it on a computer or phone first, then use a PIN to protect it.
Restricted Mode is not perfect — some videos slip through, and some appropriate content gets filtered by mistake — but it removes most mature Shorts from your feed.
What to do if you share your TV account with others
If multiple people use the same YouTube account on your TV, disabling Shorts affects everyone signed into that account. If you want Shorts disabled for one person but not others, each person needs their own Google account on the TV.
Most smart TVs allow you to add multiple user profiles. Set up a separate profile for each person, sign each one into their own Google account, and adjust Shorts settings individually. That way, one person can disable Shorts while another person keeps them enabled.
If your TV does not support multiple profiles, or if setting them up is not practical, Restricted Mode is a middle ground — it filters mature content without removing Shorts entirely.
Blocking Shorts on specific TV brands and platforms
The steps above work on any TV running the standard YouTube app — Samsung, LG, Sony, Roku, Fire TV, Google TV, and others all use the same YouTube process. The account setting syncs across all of them.
If you use a TV that does not have the YouTube app (older models or some smart TVs), you can cast YouTube from your phone to your TV using Chromecast or AirPlay. In that case, disabling Shorts on your phone account still removes them from what appears on your TV screen.
YouTube TV, if you subscribe, works the same way on all devices and platforms — Shorts never appear because the service does not include them.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will disabling Shorts affect my YouTube recommendations?
No. Turning off the Shorts feed only removes the dedicated Shorts section from your home page and feed. YouTube's recommendations for regular videos remain unchanged, and your watch history still influences what the algorithm suggests.
Can I block Shorts just on my TV without affecting my phone?
No. YouTube account settings sync across all devices. If you disable Shorts, they disappear on your phone, computer, and TV. If you want Shorts on your phone but not your TV, you would need a separate Google account for your TV.
Does YouTube TV cost extra?
YouTube TV is a paid subscription service separate from the free YouTube app. Pricing varies by location and changes over time. You can check current pricing on the YouTube TV website. It includes live TV channels and on-demand content, but not Shorts.
What if Shorts still appear after I disable them?
Wait a few minutes for the setting to sync. If Shorts still appear, sign out of the YouTube app on your TV completely, then sign back in. If the problem continues, try clearing the app's cache in your TV's settings, or uninstall and reinstall the YouTube app.
Can I block Shorts for my kids without blocking them for myself?
Yes, if your TV supports multiple user profiles. Create a separate profile for your child, sign it into its own Google account, and disable Shorts on that account only. Your profile keeps Shorts enabled. If your TV does not support multiple profiles, use Restricted Mode on a shared account instead.