How to Remove YouTube Shorts From Safari

Let’s face it, YouTube’s invasion of short-form content with “Shorts” feels like a party you weren’t invited to. While some may enjoy the TikTok-inspired bite-sized videos, for others, it’s an unwelcome disruption to their carefully curated YouTube diet. If you’re among the latter, this guide is your escape plan. We’ll explore what YouTube Shorts are, why you might want to exile them from your Safari experience, and then dive into the practical steps to make it happen, whether you’re on your Mac or iPhone/iPad.

What are YouTube Shorts?

Launched in 2020, YouTube Shorts are vertical, mobile-first videos capped at a minute. Featuring familiar faces and new creators, they cover a spectrum of content, from comedy skits and pranks to DIY hacks and educational snippets. While visually striking and often addictive, their presence can disrupt the traditional landscape of longer-form videos, the very reason many flock to YouTube.

While YouTube Shorts offer a fresh and dynamic content format, they might not be everyone’s cup of tea. Here are some reasons why users might want to remove YouTube Shorts from their Safari browsing experience:

• Distraction-Free Browsing: Shorts are designed to be engaging and can lead to endless scrolling, which might distract users from their primary tasks.
• Preference for Traditional Content: Some users prefer longer, more in-depth videos that provide comprehensive information or entertainment.
• Data Usage Concerns: Streaming short videos repeatedly can consume a significant amount of data, which might be a concern for users with limited data plans.
• Avoiding Trend-Based Content: Shorts often promote trending content, which might not align with the interests of all users.

Understanding these reasons sets the stage for a more informed approach to removing YouTube Shorts from Safari.

Removing YouTube Shorts from Safari involves a few steps that manipulate how the website is displayed on your browser. Since there’s no official feature to disable Shorts, these workarounds can help achieve a similar result.

Method 1: Using a Content Blocker

Content blockers are extensions that allow users to filter out specific content types from websites. Here’s how you can use a content blocker to remove YouTube Shorts:

1. Find a Reliable Content Blocker: Search for a content blocker that’s compatible with Safari and supports custom rules.
2. Install the Content Blocker: Download and install the content blocker from the App Store.
3. Configure the Blocker: Open the content blocker’s settings and add a custom rule to block the URL path associated with YouTube Shorts. Typically, this would involve blocking paths containing ‘/shorts/’.

Method 2: Lean on Extensions

This section is dedicated to guiding you through the process of using browser extensions specifically designed for Safari to hide YouTube Shorts. These Shorts, while popular, can sometimes clutter your browsing experience or distract from your intended content. Thankfully, there are a couple of great Safari Extensions that will help you avoid fiddling around with content blockers or some of the other methods in this guide.

• Eat the Shorts: This lightweight extension offers a one-click solution to banish Shorts from your homepage, subscriptions, channel pages, and search results. It’s simple, effective, and privacy-focused.
• Shorts Blocker for YouTube: This extension provides greater control, letting you choose where you want to block Shorts (homepage, subscriptions, search, etc.). It also offers an optional “Replace Shorts with longer videos” feature, turning wasted scroll time into productive viewing.

For users with some technical know-how, injecting custom CSS into web pages can hide elements you don’t want to see, like YouTube Shorts.

1. Install a CSS Injection Extension: Find and install an extension for Safari that allows you to inject custom CSS into websites.
2. Identify the CSS Selector for Shorts: Inspect the YouTube page to find the CSS selector that corresponds to the Shorts section. This might require some knowledge of HTML and CSS.
3. Inject the Custom CSS: Use the extension to inject CSS that hides the Shorts section. For example, if the selector is .shorts-section, you could inject the following CSS: .shorts-section { display: none; }.

Advanced users can write or install user scripts that modify how YouTube works and looks in Safari.

1. Install a User Script Manager: Find and install a user script manager extension for Safari.
2. Find or Write a Script: Look for a script that hides YouTube Shorts, or write your own if you’re familiar with JavaScript.
3. Install and Enable the Script: Add the script to your user script manager and ensure it’s enabled when visiting YouTube.

YouTube Shorts represent a significant shift in the type of content available on the platform, catering to the growing demand for quick, engaging content. However, not every user finds this format suitable for their viewing habits. Whether it’s to minimize distractions, save data, or simply preference for traditional content, the need to remove YouTube Shorts is valid and understandable.

By employing methods like using a content blocker, injecting custom CSS, switching to a different YouTube interface, or using browser scripting, users can tailor their browsing experience on Safari to better suit their preferences. While these methods may require some initial setup and technical understanding, the result is a more personalized and enjoyable browsing experience.

Remember, the digital world is all about personalization and using the tools at your disposal to shape it to your needs. Removing YouTube Shorts from Safari is just one example of how you can take control of your online content consumption. Whether you’re a casual user or a tech enthusiast, the power to customize is in your hands.