YouTube has launched a long-awaited feature that gives users control over their endless scrolling through YouTube Shorts videos. However, the company has placed this option deep within the settings, almost as if it doesn’t want anyone to find it.
According to a new support page from Google, mobile users can now set a time limit for watching short videos. The feature can be accessed via the following path within the app: Settings > Time management > Shorts feed limit.
The available options range from several hours down to zero minutes. Once zero is selected, the shorts feed is effectively blocked, a step described in press reports as the first official way to completely disable the feature, although YouTube prefers not to call it that.
The unspoken surprise: There’s an important technical detail that might affect the feature’s effectiveness for some users. When the time limit is reached, YouTube will display a notification informing you that the feed is “paused.” However, adult users can ignore the alert and continue scrolling as if nothing happened, making the feature more of a suggestion than a deterrent.
For parent-managed accounts, the timer cannot be ignored, effectively cutting off access for teens once the timer expires. It’s worth noting that this feature is currently only available for mobile apps; desktop users still need browser extensions to use Shorts.
Why is YouTube keeping this update a secret?
Since launching Shorts in 2020, YouTube has invested billions of dollars in the format, from increasing video length to three minutes to implementing AI-powered tools. The “infinite scrolling” design is what makes these videos so addictive.
Tech experts believe that adding a “zero-minute” option to the timer is Google’s way of appeasing organizations that advocate for “digital wellbeing,” without actually encouraging users to leave the platform.
