The YouTube Shorts feed limit is a built-in timer in the YouTube app that reminds you when you've spent your chosen amount of time scrolling Shorts. You set it in the app under You, Settings, Time management, Shorts feed limit, and YouTube even lets you set the limit to zero.
If you've ever opened YouTube to watch one tutorial and surfaced forty minutes later from the Shorts feed, this is the setting built for you. It's free, it takes under a minute, and it lives in a menu most people never open. Here's exactly where to find it, what it does when the timer runs out, and the one thing it won't do.
How to set a Shorts feed limit, step by step
YouTube's help page gives these steps for the YouTube app:
- Sign in to the YouTube app.
- Tap the You tab, then tap Settings.
- Tap Time management.
- Tap Shorts feed limit. You'll see a list of time limits, including the option to set your Shorts feed limit to zero.
- Select your time limit.
That's it. There's no separate switch to turn on first: choosing a limit is what switches it on.
What happens when you hit the limit
When the time you set is reached in the Shorts feed, a message appears to remind you. YouTube says you're then given the option to dismiss or ignore your set limit.
Here's the important bit. The feed limit is a nudge, not a lock. It interrupts the scroll and makes you decide, but it doesn't stop you carrying on if you tap past it. If you want a harder stop, the zero setting is the strongest option YouTube offers, because the reminder arrives the moment you open the feed.
| Setting | Where it lives | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Shorts feed limit | You, Settings, Time management | Reminds you when your chosen time in the Shorts feed is used up; you can dismiss or ignore it |
| Take a break reminder | Settings, General | Pauses the video you're watching at the frequency you choose until you dismiss it or resume |
| Autoplay | Settings, Autoplay (or the switch on the player) | Controls whether another related video plays automatically after a video ends |
Why a Shorts limit is different from a general screen time limit
YouTube Help describes Shorts as short-form vertical videos of 3 minutes or less that you watch as a never-ending stream in the Shorts feed. That design is why a general reminder often misses: each Short ends quickly, so there's never a natural stopping point. The Shorts feed limit counts time inside that feed specifically, which is where most of the lost minutes go.
It's also why turning Shorts off completely is a different job. If you'd rather not see Shorts on your home page at all, my guide on turning off YouTube Shorts covers what's possible and what isn't.
Pair it with the take a break reminder
The take a break reminder is the older sibling of the Shorts limit, and the two work well together. Here's what YouTube's help page says about it:
- It pauses your video until you dismiss the reminder or resume playing.
- It's available on versions 13.17 and later of the YouTube app on mobile devices.
- For users aged 13 to 17 it's on by default; for users 18 or over it's off by default.
- You turn it on under your profile picture, Settings, General, then the switch next to Remind me to take a break, and choose a reminder frequency.
- You can also set it by tapping your profile picture, then Time Watched.
There's a catch worth knowing. YouTube says the take a break timer resets if you close the app, sign out, switch devices or pause a video for more than 30 minutes, and it doesn't run while you're watching offline videos or casting from your phone. So if you hop between your phone and a tablet, the reminder may never reach its trigger.
If evenings are your weak spot, the YouTube bedtime reminder is the third tool in the same family.
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What Autoplay has to do with it
Autoplay is a separate setting for regular videos. When it's on, another related video plays automatically after a video ends. YouTube's help page adds two limits of its own: on a mobile network Autoplay stops automatically if you've been inactive for 30 minutes, and on Wi-Fi it stops after 4 hours. You can also have different Autoplay settings on different devices, such as on for your phone and off for your computer.
If long videos are what keep you up rather than Shorts, switching Autoplay off is the more useful move. My walkthrough on turning off autoplay on YouTube has the steps for every device.
Can parents use the Shorts feed limit for a child?
The steps on YouTube's help page are written for the person signed in to the app, so the limit belongs to that account and that app. For teens, YouTube already sets the take a break reminder to on by default for ages 13 to 17, which gives you a starting point before you add a Shorts limit of your own on their device.
My verdict
If Shorts are eating time you meant to spend elsewhere, set the feed limit today. Pick a number you'd be happy to stick to, or choose zero if you want the feed to ask you a question every time you open it. Just go in knowing it's a reminder you can wave away, not a parental lock, so it works best when you've already decided you want to stop. Pair it with the take a break reminder and you've covered both the swipe-swipe-swipe habit and the long-video rabbit hole.
Frequently asked questions
Where is the Shorts feed limit on YouTube?
In the YouTube app, tap the You tab, then Settings, then Time management, then Shorts feed limit, and choose your time limit.
Can you set the YouTube Shorts limit to zero?
Yes. YouTube's help page says the list of time limits includes the option to set your Shorts feed limit to zero.
Does the Shorts feed limit block Shorts?
No. When your limit is reached a reminder message appears, and YouTube says you can dismiss or ignore your set limit.
Is the take a break reminder the same as the Shorts feed limit?
No. The take a break reminder pauses whatever video you're watching at a frequency you choose, while the Shorts feed limit counts time in the Shorts feed.
How long are YouTube Shorts?
YouTube Help describes Shorts as short-form vertical videos of 3 minutes or less.
