How to Remove Shorts from YouTube in 2024: The Ultimate Guide

Hey there! Have YouTube Shorts been getting on your nerves lately? I totally get it. While some folks love these quick videos, you may find them distracting or just want to return to regular long-form YouTube.

Well, I‘ve got good news for you. In this ultimate guide, I‘ll be sharing the best methods to remove Shorts from your YouTube experience in 2024 and beyond.

Here‘s what we‘ll cover:

• What YouTube Shorts are and why you might want to eliminate them
• How to use YouTube on a browser to avoid Shorts
• Disabling Shorts in the YouTube app settings
• Downgrading to an older version of the YouTube app
• Tapping "Not Interested" on individual Shorts
• Using third-party apps to block Shorts
• Steps to delete your own Shorts
• Key takeaways on removing Shorts

Let‘s get started!

What Are YouTube Shorts and Why Remove Them?

YouTube Shorts are 15 to 60 second long vertical videos that let creators make fun and expressive mini-clips using tools like audio, effects, timers, and more.

Shorts exploded in popularity after launching in 2020. By mid-2022, YouTube reported that over 1.5 billion people log in to watch Shorts every month. That‘s almost half of YouTube‘s entire user base flocking to this new format!

But while Shorts are hugely popular overall, they aren‘t for everyone. Here are some top reasons you might want to remove or limit Shorts from your YouTube experience:

You Find Them Distracting

The flashy, eye-catching nature of Shorts is designed to draw you in. But their constant noise and stimulation can disrupt your viewing experience.

You may want to focus on longer videos without constant Shorts popping up or auto-playing as you scroll through YouTube.

You Prefer Long-Form Content

If you like watching videos that are 10+ minutes long, Shorts may disrupt your preferred viewing habit on YouTube.

Their constant presence means less visibility for the long-form content you love. Hiding Shorts brings that back into focus.

You Don‘t Like the Content

Comedy, pranks, stunts, dance trends – the content in a lot of top Shorts may not appeal to your interests. Removing Shorts helps cut out the noise.

You Want to Limit Mindless Scrolling

The addictive nature of Shorts makes it easy to keep auto-playing video after video for hours. For many, this mindless viewing behavior is unhealthy.

Eliminating Shorts removes a source of endless scrolling and distraction from your YouTube habits.

You Find Them Repetitive

Once a particular Short goes viral, you‘ll see countless copies and iterations of it flood your recommendations. This repetitive content gets tiring fast.

Removing Shorts brings back more variety into the videos YouTube suggests for you.

You‘re Concerned Over Privacy

Shorts autoplay as you scroll YouTube. You may want more control over what videos appear and play on your feed, rather than have content forced on you.

Now that you know why removing Shorts appeals to many users, let‘s explore the best methods to eliminate this format from YouTube in 2024.

Method 1: Use YouTube on a Browser

The simplest way to ditch Shorts is to avoid the YouTube mobile app entirely. Instead, access YouTube on a web browser – whether on your computer or even your phone.

The YouTube website does not have the mobile Shorts experience. You‘ll only see regular long-form videos. It‘s an easy shortcut to get rid of Shorts.

Step-by-Step Guide

1. On your computer, simply open your web browser and go to YouTube.com.
2. On your smartphone, open your browser and visit YouTube.com. For quick access, bookmark this on your home screen.
3. Use YouTube like normal – minus annoying Shorts!

Key Benefits

• Completely eliminates Shorts from your YouTube experience.
• Works equally well whether you‘re on a desktop or mobile.
• Don‘t need to change any settings or app configurations.

Potential Drawbacks

• You lose access to some convenient mobile-only YouTube features like offline downloads.
• Using a browser is slightly less user-friendly than the sleek YouTube app.

Overall, if you watch most YouTube from a computer or don‘t mind browser access on mobile, this is the quickest and simplest fix to remove Shorts entirely.

Method 2: Disable Shorts in App Settings

The official YouTube mobile app includes a setting to turn off Shorts and stop seeing them in your feed or recommendations.

Here are the steps to disable Shorts on iOS or Android devices:

On iOS:

1. Open the YouTube app and tap your profile picture in the top right.
2. Select Settings from the menu.
3. Go to General and find the "Shorts" option.
4. Toggle the switch off to disable Shorts.

On Android:

1. Open YouTube and tap your profile picture.
2. Tap Settings and select General.
3. Find "Shorts" and turn the toggle off.

4. Close and re-open the YouTube app. Shorts should now be disabled!

Key Benefits

• Easily and completely turn off Shorts in the app settings.
• You still get access to other convenient mobile YouTube features.
• It‘s a simple settings change – no need to mess with downloads or reverts.

Potential Drawbacks

• This setting is not yet globally available. It may not show up in your country.
• Occasional shorts may still slip through, though they will be rare.

The app settings method is ideal – if YouTube has enabled the "Shorts" toggle for your region. Check your General settings to see if you can disable Shorts. If not, try one of the other methods next.

Method 3: Use an Old Version of the YouTube App

Shorts first launched on YouTube in 2020. So consider downgrading to an older version of the app from before the Shorts era.

On iOS, you can install an outdated IPA file. On Android, use an old APK. While more complex, old YouTube versions guarantee no Shorts.

How to Revert to an Old YouTube App Version

On iOS:

1. Find a trusted site offering old YouTube IPA files for download. Some options are AppDB, iOS Haven, or iPhoneCake.
2. Download the IPA for a YouTube version from 2020 or earlier.
3. Use a signing service like AppDB or Signulous to install the IPA on your device.
4. Disable auto-updates for YouTube so it doesn‘t get upgraded back to the Shorts version.

On Android:

1. Find an APK download site offering old YouTube APK files, like APKMirror.
2. Download the APK for a 2020 or earlier YouTube version.
3. Enable "Unknown sources" in Android settings to allow sideloading.
4. Install the old APK file on your device.
5. Turn off auto-updates for the YouTube app.

Here‘s a preview of an old 2020 YouTube version without Shorts:

Key Benefits

• Guaranteed to completely remove Shorts from the app.
• Enjoy the classic long-form YouTube experience.

Potential Drawbacks

• Downgrading an app takes more time and tech skills.
• You lose some newer YouTube features.
• Must carefully avoid app updates to stay on the old version.

Reverting to an older YouTube app takes more effort but is one of the only foolproof ways to get rid of Shorts entirely in the app.

Method 4: Tap "Not Interested" on Shorts

This handy trick lets you prune your YouTube feed of unwanted Shorts without fully disabling the feature altogether.

Here‘s how it works:

1. When a Short you don‘t like appears, tap the three-dot menu next to it.
2. Select "Not Interested" to remove that specific short from your recommendations.
3. Confirm removing that Short from your feed.

By tapping "Not Interested" on irrelevant Shorts as you come across them, YouTube will adapt and recommend you fewer of those types going forward.

When to Use This Method

I recommend using the "Not Interested" tactic in these cases:

• You want to customize your Shorts feed with relevant content.
• There are some Shorts you enjoy and don‘t want to disable completely.
• You want to gradually improve recommendations vs. drastic measures.

Key Benefits

• Lets you prune your Shorts feed of unwanted videos.
• Keep enjoying certain Shorts you like.

Potential Drawbacks

• Time-consuming to do this for every irrelevant Short.
• Won‘t completely eliminate Shorts from your YouTube.

Think of this method as "pruning" your Shorts experience vs. removing it wholesale. Tap "Not Interested" periodically to shape your recommendations.

Method 5: Install a Third-Party App

If you want maximum control, consider installing a specialized third-party YouTube app. Many modded YouTube apps can disable Shorts.

However, caution is required – only install apps from trusted sources and be aware of potential risks.

Here are some top options:

YouTube Vanced (Android)

This popular modded app completely blocks all Shorts from the YouTube experience. It also has other handy features like background play.

You can currently only install Vanced by finding the APK file from a safe source like XDA Developers forum. Be wary of fake links.

uYou+ (iOS)

This alternative YouTube app for iPhone lets you disable the entire Shorts tab in settings. You can also turn off autoplay and recommendations.

uYou+ is available on signing services like Signulous or AppDB that let you install unsigned IPAs.

YouTube++ (iOS)

YouTube++ is another alternative app that offers a dedicated setting to "Disable Shorts" within the app.

This hides shorts and stops autoplaying them. YouTube++ can be installed through signing services.

Key Benefits

• Get full control to completely block Shorts.
• Additional ways to customize your YouTube experience.

Potential Drawbacks

• Requires trusting and vetting third-party app sources.
• Risks around privacy, data collection, and account security.

While tempting, I only recommend exploring reputable alternative YouTube apps at your own discretion. Do your research to evaluate potential risks.

How to Delete Your Own YouTube Shorts

If you have Shorts published on your own YouTube channel that you now want removed, you can easily delete them:

1. In the YouTube app, tap on your profile picture > YouTube Studio.
2. Select Content from the left menu bar.
3. Choose the Shorts tab.
4. Tap the three-dot menu next to a Short and press Delete to remove it.

Repeat these steps for any other Shorts you want deleted from your channel.

Note this only removes your Short – not versions that others have shared or downloaded.

Key Takeaways: Removing YouTube Shorts in 2024

I hope this guide has given you plenty of helpful tips to eliminate Shorts from YouTube if you find them distracting or are craving more long-form videos.

Here are some key pointers to remember:

• Access YouTube in a mobile or desktop browser to avoid Shorts completely.
• Turn off the "Shorts" toggle in YouTube app settings where available.
• Downgrade to an older version of the YouTube app from before Shorts.
• Use "Not Interested" to prune unwanted Shorts from your feed.
• Explore reputable third-party apps, but be mindful of risks.
• Delete your own published Shorts easily in YouTube Studio.

While Shorts are insanely popular overall, they aren‘t for everyone. With these pro tips, you can enjoy YouTube without the Shorts overload in 2024 and beyond.

Have any other questions on removing Shorts or customizing your YouTube experience? Let me know in the comments!