That’s useful!
By Alex Perry on April 16, 2026
YouTube is allowing users to disable uninterrupted scrolling in its mobile app. The video platform has introduced a new feature on its iOS and Android apps, enabling users to set a very strict daily limit for viewing the Shorts feed, as reported by The Verge. Users can now set this limit to zero minutes, effectively removing the Shorts feed from the app. While individual Shorts can still be accessed on a user’s account page, attempting to access the Shorts tab will display a message indicating you’ve reached your daily limit, preventing further viewing.
YouTube initially launched a Shorts feed time limit feature a few months prior, with the shortest limit set at 15 minutes. After reaching this time limit, the app would stop users from watching Shorts for the day. This initial option is still available and can be set by adults for themselves or by parents for their children, now alongside the zero minutes option.
The Shorts feature has been quite successful for YouTube, positioning itself as a competitor to TikTok. However, it has also become a platform for endless scrolling, influenced by AI and frivolous content. Allowing users to self-regulate this feature seems necessary.
Alex Perry is a tech reporter at Mashable who covers video games and consumer tech. He has spent the last decade reviewing various tech products and shows no signs of stopping. Alex is a Pisces, cat lover, and Kansas City sports fan, and can be found on Bluesky at yelix.bsky.social.