YouTube Shorts won't go away on their own, but you can hide them from your home feed
YouTube Shorts appear automatically on the home screen of YouTube TV and the main YouTube app on most smart TVs. There is no single "disable Shorts" setting that turns them off entirely. Instead, you can remove them from your home feed by telling YouTube not to recommend them to you, or you can straightforward skip past them when they appear. The method depends on which device you use and whether you want to hide Shorts everywhere or just on your TV.
The most direct approach is to use the "Don't recommend channel" or "Not interested" option on individual Shorts. Over time, as you mark Shorts as not interested, YouTube learns your preference and shows fewer of them on your home feed. This works on Roku, Fire TV, Google TV, and Samsung Smart TV apps.
Key Takeaways
- You cannot completely disable YouTube Shorts on TV, but you can remove them from your home feed by marking them "Not interested" repeatedly.
- On most smart TV apps, highlight a Short and press the menu button (three dots or options), then select "Not interested" to hide similar content.
- YouTube learns from your choices and gradually shows fewer Shorts on your home screen as you mark them as not interested.
- If you want Shorts gone from all your devices, you can adjust your YouTube account settings on a computer or phone, and the changes sync to your TV app.
How to mark Shorts as not interested on your TV remote
The steps are nearly the same across Roku, Fire TV, Google TV, and most Samsung and LG smart TVs. Start by navigating to a Short on your home feed. Highlight it with your remote so it is selected (you will see a border or highlight around it).
Press the menu button on your remote. On most remotes this is labeled with three dots, three lines, or "Options." A small menu will pop up with choices like "Not interested," "Don't recommend channel," or "Remove from home." Select "Not interested." YouTube will hide that Short and similar ones from your home feed. Repeat this step each time a Short appears that you do not want to see. The more you mark as not interested, the fewer Shorts YouTube will show you.
Adjusting Shorts visibility through your YouTube account settings
If you want to reduce Shorts across all your devices at once, you can change your account preferences on a computer or phone, and those changes will carry over to your TV app. Sign into your YouTube account on a web browser or the YouTube app on your phone.
Go to Settings (the gear icon in the top right corner). Select "Preferences" and look for options related to content recommendations or home feed. YouTube does not have a master "turn off Shorts" switch here, but you can adjust your recommendation settings to be more selective. Some accounts also show a "Shorts" toggle under Preferences — if yours does, you can turn it off. After you make changes, sign out of YouTube on your TV app and sign back in. Your account settings will sync, and your home feed should reflect your new preferences.
Why YouTube Shorts keep appearing even after you hide them
YouTube treats Shorts as a content format, not a separate channel. When you mark a Short as not interested, you are telling YouTube not to recommend that specific creator or topic — not to stop showing Shorts altogether. YouTube may still surface Shorts from creators you follow or topics you have watched before, because the algorithm assumes you are interested in that content.
Additionally, YouTube regularly updates its recommendation system and may reintroduce Shorts to your home feed if your viewing habits change or if you watch a video related to a Short's topic. This is by design: YouTube wants to keep Shorts visible because they drive engagement and advertising revenue. The "not interested" option is a preference signal, not a permanent block.
Clearing your watch history to reduce Shorts recommendations
If Shorts recommendations feel overwhelming, clearing your YouTube watch history can help reset what the algorithm thinks you want to see. On your phone or computer, go to YouTube Settings, select "Privacy," and choose "Clear all watch history." This removes the data YouTube uses to recommend Shorts and other videos to you.
Be aware that clearing your history also removes your personalized recommendations for regular videos, so your home feed will look much more generic for a while. YouTube will rebuild your recommendations as you watch new content. On your TV, sign out of your account after clearing history on your phone or computer, then sign back in. Your TV app will sync to your cleared history.
Using parental controls if Shorts are for a child's account
If the TV is used by children and you want to restrict their access to Shorts, YouTube has parental control options. On a computer, go to YouTube Settings and select "Family." You can create a supervised account for a child and set content restrictions. These controls limit what videos and Shorts appear, though they do not eliminate Shorts entirely.
Supervised accounts are designed for children under 13 and require a parent or guardian to manage the settings. Once you set up a supervised account, sign into it on your TV app. The restrictions you set on the parent account will explore to what appears on the TV.
Switching to YouTube TV if you want a Shorts-free experience
YouTube TV (the paid live TV service) is different from the regular YouTube app on your TV. YouTube TV focuses on live channels and on-demand shows and does not prominently feature Shorts on its home screen the way the regular YouTube app does. If you subscribe to YouTube TV, you can use that app instead of the regular YouTube app for a viewing experience with fewer Shorts.
YouTube TV requires a paid subscription, typically around $70 per month depending on your location and which add-ons you choose. It includes live broadcast channels, cloud DVR, and the ability to watch on multiple screens at once. If you already have YouTube TV, you can straightforward open that app on your TV instead of the regular YouTube app to avoid Shorts.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I completely turn off YouTube Shorts on my TV?
No. YouTube does not offer a master switch to disable Shorts entirely. You can hide them from your home feed by marking them "Not interested," but YouTube may still show Shorts in search results or from channels you follow. The "not interested" option is the closest you can get to removing them.
Will marking Shorts as "not interested" stop them from appearing forever?
Not necessarily. Marking them as not interested tells YouTube to show you fewer similar Shorts, but the algorithm may reintroduce them if your viewing habits change or if you watch related content. Think of it as a preference signal, not a permanent block.
Do the Shorts settings on my phone affect what shows on my TV?
Yes, if you are signed into the same YouTube account on both devices. Changes you make to your account settings on your phone will sync to your TV app once you sign out and back in. However, marking individual videos as "not interested" on your phone does not automatically hide them on your TV — you may need to do that separately on the TV app.
What if I want to watch Shorts again after hiding them?
You can always search for Shorts by creator name or topic, or visit the YouTube Shorts shelf directly if it appears in your app menu. Hiding Shorts from your home feed does not prevent you from finding them if you choose to. You can also undo your preferences by going back to Settings and adjusting your recommendation choices.
Does YouTube TV have Shorts?
YouTube TV (the paid live TV service) does not prominently feature Shorts the way the regular YouTube app does. If you subscribe to YouTube TV, you can use that app on your TV for a more traditional TV-watching experience with fewer Shorts interruptions.