What Are YouTube Shorts and How to Find What You Actually Want

YouTube Shorts are brief vertical videos. Here's what they are, how they differ from regular videos, and how to stop them from taking over your feed.

In this guide (5 steps):

1.Recognize a YouTube Short
2.Tell YouTube You're Not Interested
3.Search for Long-Form Videos Only
4.Browse the Shorts Tab If You Want Them
5.Adjust Recommendations Over Time

Recognize a YouTube Short

~19s

YouTube Shorts appear in your feed with a small "Shorts" label and a film reel icon. They are vertical format (tall, not wide). When you tap one, you enter a vertical swipe mode where you can scroll up for the next Short — like TikTok. Tap the X or the back button to exit Shorts mode.

Tell YouTube You're Not Interested

~15s

If a Short appears in your feed and you do not want similar content, tap and hold the Short thumbnail (or tap the three dots next to it). Tap "Not interested" or "Don't recommend this channel." This feedback reduces similar Shorts in your recommendations.

Search for Long-Form Videos Only

~18s

When searching YouTube for a topic, after the results load, tap the "Filter" button (a slider icon). Under "Type," select "Video." This filters out Shorts from your search results and shows only regular-length videos.

Quick Tip

Adding "tutorial" or "full guide" to your search terms also tends to surface longer instructional videos rather than Shorts.

Browse the Shorts Tab If You Want Them

~19s

If you want to browse Shorts on purpose, tap the Shorts icon in the bottom navigation bar (the circle with a play button, or a film reel icon). Swipe up to go to the next Short, swipe down to go back. Tap the title or channel name to visit the creator's full channel.

Adjust Recommendations Over Time

~23s

YouTube's recommendation algorithm learns from what you watch and engage with. Watch more of the long-form content you enjoy, subscribe to channels you like, and click "Not interested" on content you do not want. Over several weeks, your feed should shift toward your preferred content style.

Quick Tip

Clearing your watch history (AccountSettingsClear watch history) resets your recommendations if they have drifted far from what you actually want.

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YouTube Shorts are short videos — usually under 60 seconds — filmed vertically on a smartphone, similar to TikTok or Instagram Reels. YouTube began pushing Shorts prominently in 2022 and they now appear throughout the YouTube app alongside regular longer videos.

If you have noticed a lot of quick, vertical-format clips appearing in your YouTube feed when you are looking for longer tutorials or music videos, those are Shorts. Many YouTube users who prefer traditional content find the Shorts recommendations intrusive.

The good news: there are settings and techniques to minimize how often Shorts appear in your feed, and ways to navigate directly to regular long-form videos when you want them.

Shorts are found under the "Shorts" tab in the YouTube app navigation bar — a short horizontal film reel icon. If you want to browse only Shorts, go to that tab. If you want to avoid them, avoid tapping that tab and watch or search for regular content from the Home or Search screens.

If you enjoy Shorts, they are a way to quickly discover new channels, get news summaries, learn quick tips, or watch entertainment in very small doses. Many channels you already follow post Shorts as well as longer videos — the Short might preview a longer video or stand alone as a brief piece of content.

YouTube does not currently offer an official "disable all Shorts" option in the app. However, using "Not interested" feedback, watching more of the content you do want, and subscribing to specific channels all shape your recommendations over time.

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