How to Block YouTube on iPhone (App, Website and Shorts)

To block YouTube on iPhone, block the app and the website together. Use Screen Time App Limits (or Downtime) for the YouTube app, then add youtube.com to your blocked websites so you cannot just open it in Safari. That is free, but the block is one passcode away. If you are blocking YouTube to protect your own focus, an app blocker like BlockMind does both in one place, runs on a schedule, and makes turning the block off slow enough for the urge to pass.

Last updated October 23, 2026

BlockMind

Quick answer

Goal	Best method
Limit YouTube to 30 minutes a day	Screen Time App Limit, or a BlockMind daily usage limit
Block YouTube during work or study	BlockMind schedule, or Screen Time Downtime
Stop opening youtube.com in a browser	Add youtube.com to blocked websites
Cut down on Shorts	Limit or schedule the whole app; Shorts cannot be blocked separately in Screen Time
Make the block hard to undo	BlockMind turn-off cooldown and Strict Mode

Method 1: Limit the YouTube app with Screen Time

Menu names can change slightly between iOS versions, but the steps look like this:

Open Settings > Screen Time and turn it on.
Tap App Limits > Add Limit.
Find YouTube (usually under Entertainment), select it and tap Next.
Set a daily time, such as 30 minutes, and turn on Block at End of Limit.
Set a Screen Time passcode, ideally one someone else picks.

For a full block during certain hours, use Downtime instead and leave YouTube off your Always Allowed list. Our guide to how to limit screen time on iPhone covers App Limits and Downtime in more detail.

Method 2: Block youtube.com in browsers

Blocking the app leaves a backdoor: Safari. Close it:

Go to Settings > Screen Time > Content & Privacy Restrictions and turn it on.
Open App Store, Media, Web & Games > Web Content.
Choose the option that limits websites, then add youtube.com and m.youtube.com under Never Allow.
Open YouTube in each browser you use to confirm it is blocked.

See how to block websites on iPhone for the full walkthrough.

What about YouTube Shorts?

Shorts lives inside the YouTube app, so Screen Time cannot block it on its own. Practical options:

Limit the whole app with a short daily limit, so endless Shorts uses up the time fast.
Block YouTube during focus hours and allow it at a set time, when you can watch something on purpose.
Use YouTube's own settings. The app has time reminders such as "Remind me to take a break" and bedtime reminders in its settings; they are easy to dismiss, but they help as a nudge.
Watch on a computer if you mainly use YouTube for long videos and tutorials.

If Shorts is the main problem, the short-video habit is similar to TikTok; how to block TikTok on iPhone has more ideas.

Where the free method falls short

Screen Time is good for parents setting limits on a child's phone. For blocking YouTube on your own phone, it has weak spots:

You know the passcode. "Ignore Limit" or a quick passcode entry ends the block in seconds.
App and website are separate settings, so it is easy to block one and forget the other.
No delay. The urge to watch "one video" is strongest for a few minutes, and Screen Time lets you act on it immediately.

Method 3: Block YouTube with BlockMind

BlockMind uses Apple's Screen Time framework, so it works on iPhone without a VPN, but it adds the friction that stops you undoing your own block:

Block the YouTube app and youtube.com together, along with any other distracting websites and apps.
Block right now, on a schedule, or after a daily usage limit, for example blocked 9:00 to 17:00 and 30 minutes a day after that.
Turn-off cooldown: switching protection off starts a wait from 15 minutes up to 24 hours.
Strict Mode locks your blocking settings for a period you choose, ideal for exam weeks or deadline days. More in iPhone app blocker with Strict Mode.
Deletion protection stops the app being deleted on impulse.
A block screen with a message from your future self, so opening YouTube shows you why you blocked it.
A streak and a house that grows as you keep your blocks, which makes the next focused day easier to start.

A simple YouTube plan that sticks

Decide when YouTube is allowed, for example after 19:00.
Block the app and youtube.com outside that window with a schedule.
Add a daily limit for the allowed window so one video does not become three hours.
Extend the block past bedtime; how to stop doomscrolling at night explains why.
Turn on Strict Mode for your most important days.

Related guides

Bottom line

Blocking YouTube on iPhone means blocking the app and the website, and making the block hard enough to undo that it survives a bored moment. Screen Time can do the first part for free. BlockMind does all of it: app and website together, schedules and daily limits, a turn-off cooldown and Strict Mode. Get BlockMind on the App Store and choose when YouTube fits into your day.

FAQ

How do I block YouTube on my iPhone?

Use Screen Time App Limits for the YouTube app and add youtube.com to the blocked websites list so it cannot be opened in a browser. An app blocker like BlockMind can block both together on a schedule.

Can I block YouTube Shorts but keep YouTube?

iPhone Screen Time cannot block Shorts on its own, because Shorts is part of the YouTube app. Options are a daily time limit on the whole app, blocking YouTube during focus hours, or using the YouTube app's own time reminders.

Why can I still open YouTube in Safari after blocking the app?

Blocking the app does not block the website. Add youtube.com to your blocked websites in Screen Time or in BlockMind, and test in every browser you use.

How do I stop myself from unblocking YouTube?

Add friction. In BlockMind, turning protection off starts a cooldown of 15 minutes up to 24 hours, and Strict Mode locks the settings for a period you choose.

Can I allow YouTube only at certain times?

Yes. Use Downtime in Screen Time, or a BlockMind schedule that blocks YouTube during work or study hours and allows it in the evening.