How to block YouTube Shorts for kids
Three ways to take Shorts away on a computer, what each one covers, and how to stop a kid from switching it back on.
Last updated 3 October 2026
Shorts are built to keep the next one coming. On a family computer there are three realistic ways to take them away: YouTube's own setting for supervised teens, a browser extension, or both. Which fits depends on your kid's age, whether they sign in, and how determined they are.
1. YouTube's own Shorts limit (supervised teen accounts)
Since early 2026, a parent can set the Shorts feed limit to zero for a supervised teen account in YouTube's Family Center, alongside bedtime and break reminders (YouTube blog, CNN). It's free and follows the account to every device. It only applies while your kid is signed in to that supervised account, so a signed-out browser or a shared family login still shows Shorts.
2. A Chrome extension on the computer
An extension works on the browser rather than the account, so it covers signed-out use and kids of any age. The catch is that anyone can remove an extension in two clicks, open a private window, or start a new Chrome profile without it. A useful one needs a PIN for its own settings and a way to stop removal.
Steadywatch is the one we make: it hides Shorts across YouTube (home, search, subscriptions, the sidebar and channel tabs), turns Shorts links into normal videos or a calm “Shorts are off here” page, and puts every setting behind your PIN. That part is free.
3. Stop it being switched off
Chrome has an official setting that schools and companies use to keep an extension installed and switched on (the ExtensionInstallForcelist policy). Steadywatch's Lock it in (Pro) builds that for you: a profile to open on a Mac, a policy file for Windows, or Family Link steps on a Chromebook. The same file can turn off private windows, guest mode and new profiles. Two things to know:
- Your kid's computer account should be a standard user, not an admin, or they can remove the policy.
- It works in Chrome. Another installed browser needs its own controls, such as Screen Time or Family Link app limits.
Which to use
| Steadywatch | YouTube Family Center | |
|---|---|---|
| Works signed out or on a shared login | Yes | No, only on the supervised account |
| Ages | Any | Supervised teen accounts |
| Shorts links opened from chats or other sites | Normal video or blocked, your choice | The limit is for the Shorts feed |
| Phones, tablets, TVs | No, Chrome on a computer only | Yes, wherever the account signs in |
| Stop it being removed | Lock it in (Pro), via Chrome policy | Google account supervision |
| Price | Free; Pro is a one-time purchase | Free |
They work well together: Family Center on your teen's account for phones and the TV, and Steadywatch on the family computer for everything signed out. Steadywatch doesn't touch YouTube Kids, which is a separate app.
YouTube is a trademark of Google LLC. Steadywatch isn't made or endorsed by YouTube or Google.
Take Shorts off YouTube, and keep them off.
A Chrome extension for parents. It removes YouTube Shorts from your kid's browser and locks the settings behind your PIN, so switching it off isn't one click away.