Disable Shorts for YouTube is a Safari extension that removes short-form video content from the YouTube interface on iOS and macOS.
Product velocity
Maintenance
Daily rank 🇺🇸
#48
▼8Social Networking · paid
Sentiment
3.9
170.1M reviews
Nemesis
1Blocker: Ad Blocker
The App DNA
What makes this app unique?
Users hire this tool to eliminate algorithmic engagement loops that disrupt deep work or study sessions, reclaiming time lost to endless scrolling.
For Students, professionals, and content creators seeking to eliminate algorithmic distractions and reclaim time spent on YouTube.
What does it look like?
Key features
Provides three distinct methods to handle Shorts: hiding the UI, removing content, or redirecting to standard video player format.
Allows users to toggle Shorts visibility specifically on the homepage, search results, sidebar, and navigation menu.
Operates entirely within the browser without external tracking or third-party data collection.
How much does it cost?
Paid model anchored at $1.99, targeting users willing to pay for permanent removal of platform-native ad-inventory surfaces.
Velocity
Maintenance developmentUX improvementsperformanceShow more...
The app exhibits a maintenance-level cadence, with only two releases identified over the last five months, averaging approximately 0.09 releases per week. Development appears focused on minor administrative updates and generic in-product messaging rather than substantive feature expansion. The release history indicates a lack of consistent momentum, with significant gaps between updates. The project is currently in a maintenance phase with no evidence of active live-ops or major feature development.
Who built it?
Yaroslav Mykhailov
12 apps tracked · Social Networking
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Photo Sweeper AI Pro
Currency Converter! CalculatorUser Sentiment
What do users think recently?
Fresh user feedback skews mixed. Users appreciate core video streaming service provides high utility for casual entertainment and time-passing sessions, but report excessive ad frequency and length disrupt the viewing experience for non-premium users.
How are ratings & reviews evolving?
What users say, by theme
- Core video streaming service provides high utility for casual entertainment and time-passing sessions
- Excessive ad frequency and length disrupt the viewing experience for non-premium users
100 of 201 recent reviews analyzed · high confidence · Mixed overall
Read the full review analysisUnlock 1 user request, each backed by review evidence.
Access the full report for freeCompetition
Competitive landscape for Disable Shorts for YouTube
How's the Social Networking market?
The app currently ranks #54 Paid in its category, struggling to maintain visibility against established utilities. Its $1.99 price point faces significant pressure from free, multi-functional ad blockers that offer similar cosmetic filtering.
Read the market outlookThe rivals identified
By 1Blocker LLC
A high-authority utility that offers custom element blocking capable of removing YouTube Shorts via CSS/JS injection.
- Broad-spectrum content blocking beyond YouTube, including trackers and ads across all Safari sites.
- Significantly larger user base with over 22,000 ratings.
- Classified under Utilities, appealing to a privacy-first audience rather than just focus-oriented users.
one sec | screen time + focusContender
ScreenZen- Screen Time ControlContender
AdGuard Ad Blocker for SafariContenderUnlock the head-to-head verdict: where this rival wins, and where it loses.
Access the full report for freeThe Analyst's Read
Key takeaways for Disable Shorts for YouTube
Where is it heading?
The market for distraction-blocking tools is consolidating around multi-functional utilities that offer both ad-blocking and screen-time management. This app remains exposed due to its single-feature focus and the technical fragility of its removal method, so long-term viability requires moving toward a broader productivity suite.
- YouTube's frequent interface updates break CSS-based removal tools, which forces constant maintenance and erodes user trust in the app's reliability.
- The shift toward general-purpose ad blockers bundling Shorts-removal features forces this app into a defensive posture against free, high-authority market incumbents.
The SWOT
- Privacy-first local storage avoids third-party data friction
- Granular UI toggles allow specific distraction-free environments
- One-time purchase model avoids subscription fatigue
- B2B partnerships with educational institutions for distraction-free learning
- Integration with Screen Time APIs for holistic metrics
Next best moves
Ship a one-tap setup wizard because current configuration complexity is the #1 barrier against 1Blocker → increase conversion rate
+ 2 more prioritized movesThe counter-intuitive read
The app's biggest risk is not its $1.
Read the full takeFeature gaps
Broad-spectrum web ad blocking (available in 1Blocker but absent here) +2
Since the last report: The app lowered its price point and pivoted its product roadmap toward UX simplification to defend against free, high-authority ad blockers.
Bottom line
The app provides a clean, privacy-focused solution for Shorts removal, but its single-purpose nature is vulnerable to general-purpose blockers, so the PM must prioritize a frictionless setup to defend against free, high-authority competitors.
Unlock 3 critical frictions, 3 market threats, 2 more prioritized moves and the analyst’s take.
Access the full report for freeFAQ
Is this app worth paying for if I already use an ad blocker?
Does this app work on the YouTube app or only in Safari?
Is this app safe for kids to use?
What is a free alternative to this app?
Report last updated