How to Limit or Block YouTube Shorts for Kids

Yes—YouTube now has a parent-managed daily Shorts feed limit for supervised accounts, including an option to set the limit to zero. Older instructions that say parents cannot limit Shorts are out of date. The important distinction is which account is supervised and who sets the limit. YouTube's current family feature comparison.

A Shorts feed limit is also narrower than blocking YouTube. It controls scrolling in the Shorts feed; it should not be treated as a guarantee that every short video disappears from every YouTube surface.

Check the account before looking for a timer

Open YouTube on the device your child actually uses and check the signed-in account. Then check your own linked parent account.

In the United States, YouTube's supervised kid experience is designed for children under 13. Its setup options differ for a child's own account/device and viewing on a shared adult device. Use the instructions for your actual arrangement. Set up a supervised kid experience.

Teen supervision has a different boundary: it is linked with the teen's participation, and either the parent or teen can turn that YouTube supervision off. It is useful to agree on the arrangement together before treating it as a lasting restriction. YouTube teen supervision.

Set the parent-managed Shorts limit

For an eligible supervised account, use the YouTube app signed in to your linked parent account:

1. Tap You, then Settings.
2. Open Family Center.
3. Select your child's account.
4. Choose Time management.
5. Set the daily Shorts feed limit.

Choose zero if your intention is no Shorts feed scrolling. For a positive allowance, choose the time that fits your family agreement. YouTube's documentation says that reaching the parent-set limit stops scrolling in the Shorts feed for the rest of the day and that the limit resets each morning. Supervised child controls on iPhone and iPad.

The documented teen route also goes through the linked account's Family Center → Time management. Supervised teen controls on iPhone and iPad.

After saving, return to the child's device. Make sure it is still using the supervised account, then open the Shorts feed together. The visible outcome matters more than whether a setting appeared to save on your phone.

A personal timer and a parent limit are different

YouTube uses similar language for several tools:

The ordinary personal timer lives under You → Settings → Time management. YouTube explicitly describes the option to dismiss or ignore it. If your child can simply continue after a timer prompt, first check whether you set this personal timer instead of a limit in your linked parent account. YouTube's personal Shorts timer.

Turning off autoplay can also change the viewing experience, but it is not the same action as limiting the Shorts feed. Likewise, “Not interested” feedback is not a family access rule.

If the option is missing

Work through these checks before changing other settings:

• Are you in the parent's account? Family Center controls belong to the linked parent account. The child's personal settings may look similar.
• Is the intended child or teen actually linked? Check the account shown in Family Center, not just the name on the device.
• Are you using regular YouTube or YouTube Kids? Their menus and controls differ.
• Is the supervision setup complete and supported for this account? Follow the appropriate child or teen setup documentation.
• Does the setting appear in the current app? Check for an available app update, then revisit the official help page for the account you use.

If the documented option remains unavailable, record the device, app version, account type, and missing menu before contacting YouTube support. An update is a sensible check, not a promise that it will fix every account issue.

For now, you can choose a broader device restriction or use a different supervised viewing arrangement. Don't label a workaround “Shorts blocked” until you have checked what your child can actually open.

Check the places your child watches

Use this as a small family check, rather than a claim that one control covers the household:

1. On the child's usual device, confirm the account and try the Shorts feed.
2. Open an ordinary long-form video. Decide whether the remaining YouTube access matches your intention.
3. If your child uses YouTube in a browser, check that route separately.
4. If the family uses a TV or another tablet, inspect its account and available controls too.
5. Recheck after an account change or a change to supervision.

A device being in Apple Family Sharing does not automatically make the YouTube account supervised. And using the same device does not ensure that every person is watching through the same YouTube account.

If the real goal is to end all YouTube viewing after an allowance—or keep YouTube unavailable at certain times—use the broader YouTube limits guide for iPhone and iPad. It covers the regular app, YouTube Kids, and browser access.

Where OMO Kids fits

OMO Kids is designed to connect short educational quizzes with temporary access to selected entertainment apps. Its documented app-level access cycle can be relevant when a family wants learning before YouTube. It is not a substitute for YouTube's native Shorts-only control, and we do not describe OMO as removing Shorts while leaving the rest of the YouTube app open. OMO's feature description.

If you want to explore that broader routine, first read the OMO setup requirements: supported parent and child Apple devices, the child's own eligible Apple Account in the same Apple family, the correct Parent/Child roles in OMO, and Family Controls approval on the child's device.

For a family whose only goal is to stop Shorts feed scrolling, start by checking YouTube's native supervised limit.