How to Block YouTube on iPhone: 5 Practical Methods

Quick answer: To set a daily YouTube limit, go to Settings > Screen Time > App Limits > Add Limit, select YouTube, tap Next, and choose the time allowed. To close the browser loophole, also add youtube.com and m.youtube.com under Content & Privacy Restrictions > App Store, Media, Web, & Games > Web Content > Limit Adult Websites > Never Allow.

That setup limits both the app and the website. If you still need YouTube for tutorials, classes, music, or work, a scheduled limit or intentional-use pause may fit better than a permanent block.

Pick the right level of control

Method	Best for	Hard to bypass?
Screen Time App Limit	A daily YouTube budget	Moderate, especially with a separate passcode
Website restriction	Closing access through Safari and other browsers	Moderate
Downtime	Bedtime, school, work, or meal schedules	Moderate to strong with Block at Downtime
Focus mode	Hiding the visual trigger	No, YouTube remains searchable
Naze pause	Keeping useful access while reducing automatic opens	Intentionally flexible

No ordinary self-control setup is impossible to disable when you control the phone and know every passcode. The goal is to choose enough friction for the behavior you are trying to change.

Method 1: Set a daily YouTube App Limit

Apple’s App Limits let you choose how much time an app can be used each day.

Open Settings.
Tap Screen Time.
Turn on App & Website Activity if it is not already active.
Tap App Limits.
Tap Add Limit.
Open the relevant category and select YouTube.
Tap Next.
Choose the daily amount of time.
Use Customize Days if weekends should have a different limit.
Save the limit.

A one-minute limit is often used as a near-block, but it is still a limit rather than a true removal. Apple notes that Screen Time limits can be ignored by default. A Screen Time passcode and stronger block settings make the boundary more meaningful.

Best for: adults who want a clear daily budget, or parents using Screen Time for a child.

Limitation: this does not automatically stop someone from opening youtube.com in a browser.

Method 2: Block the YouTube website too

Deleting or limiting the app leaves an obvious workaround: Safari, Chrome, or another browser.

Apple lets you add specific URLs to a “Never Allow” list:

Open Settings.
Tap Screen Time.
Tap Content & Privacy Restrictions and turn it on.
Tap App Store, Media, Web, & Games.
Tap Web Content.
Select Limit Adult Websites.
Under Never Allow, tap Add Website.
Add youtube.com.
Add m.youtube.com as a separate entry.
Add youtu.be if shared short links are another route back in.

Despite the name of the setting, “Limit Adult Websites” is also where Apple provides the list for manually blocking a specific URL.

Best for: closing the browser workaround after limiting or deleting the YouTube app.

Limitation: the website list and the app limit are separate controls. Use both if you want both paths covered.

Method 3: Schedule YouTube-free hours with Downtime

Downtime is useful when the problem is tied to a time of day rather than a daily total. Common examples are bedtime, the school day, work hours, meals, or the first hour after waking.

To schedule it:

Open Settings > Screen Time.
Tap Downtime.
Turn on Scheduled.
Choose Every Day or Customize Days.
Set the start and end times.
Turn on Block at Downtime if you want restricted apps to remain unavailable instead of showing an ignorable reminder.
Check Always Allowed and make sure YouTube is not included.

During Downtime, calls, messages, and apps you allow can remain available. That makes it more practical than turning the whole phone off.

Best for: predictable YouTube habits, especially late-night watching.

Limitation: you need to review which apps are always allowed, and a person with the Screen Time passcode can change the schedule.

Method 4: Hide YouTube during a Focus

Focus mode can show only selected Home Screen pages. This removes the YouTube icon from view during Work, Study, Sleep, or another Focus.

The exact labels can vary by iOS version, but the basic flow is:

Create a clean Home Screen page without YouTube.
Open Settings > Focus.
Choose a Focus or create one.
Select the Home Screen pages that should be visible during that Focus.
Schedule the Focus by time, location, or app if useful.

This reduces the visual cue, but it does not block YouTube. You can still find the app through Spotlight or the App Library.

Best for: people whose hand opens YouTube because the icon is visible.

Limitation: it is concealment, not enforcement.

Method 5: Add a reason-and-duration pause with Naze

Sometimes YouTube is both useful and distracting. A hard block can get in the way of a class, repair guide, workout, saved talk, or music session.

Naze uses a different boundary. Before YouTube opens, you choose why you are opening it and how long you need.

A useful reason is concrete:

“Watch the 12-minute lesson saved in my playlist.”
“Find the repair step for the dishwasher.”
“Reply to a comment on my upload.”

“Just checking” is a sign that the open may not have a job.

This method does not make YouTube impossible to use. It makes the session explicit before recommendations and Shorts can redirect it.

Best for: keeping valuable YouTube access while reducing automatic opens.

Limitation: it is designed around conscious choice, not parental enforcement or an unbreakable ban.

Three setups that work for different goals

For your own daily use

Set a realistic App Limit.
Remove YouTube from the first Home Screen.
Use Naze to state the purpose and duration before each open.

This gives you a budget, less visual temptation, and a plan for the sessions you keep.

For bedtime

Schedule Downtime from your intended wind-down time until morning.
Turn on Block at Downtime.
Keep only genuinely necessary apps in Always Allowed.
Charge the phone outside arm’s reach if the passcode alone is not enough friction.

For a child’s iPhone

Manage Screen Time through Family Sharing when appropriate.
Use a passcode the child does not know.
Set an App Limit for YouTube.
Add YouTube domains to Never Allow.
Review YouTube Kids separately because it is a different app.
Set account and app-installation restrictions appropriate to the child’s age and your family rules.

Apple changes menu labels over time, so use the linked Apple guides if your version looks different.

What Restricted Mode does not do

YouTube’s Restricted Mode filters some potentially mature content. It does not block YouTube, set a time limit, or prevent Shorts and recommendations from being used for long periods.

Use Restricted Mode for content filtering. Use Screen Time or another access tool for time and availability.

Frequently asked questions

Can I block YouTube without deleting it?

Yes. Use a Screen Time App Limit or Downtime. Both keep the app installed while limiting when or how long it can be used.

Does deleting the YouTube app block the website?

No. You can still visit youtube.com in a browser. Add the YouTube domains to Screen Time’s Never Allow list if you want to close that route.

Can I block only YouTube Shorts on iPhone?

Apple’s native Screen Time tools limit the YouTube app or website as a whole. They do not provide a separate Shorts-only limit. A third-party browser extension may alter the web experience, but that does not reliably remove Shorts inside the iPhone app.

Can I keep YouTube Music?

YouTube and YouTube Music are separate apps, so an App Limit can target YouTube without selecting YouTube Music. Website-level blocking can be less precise because the services share Google infrastructure. Test the setup before relying on it.

Can a child bypass a YouTube block?

Any setup can have gaps if the child knows the passcode, can change account settings, installs another browser, or uses another device. Use Family Sharing, a private Screen Time passcode, app-installation rules, and age-appropriate conversations rather than relying on one switch.

What is the least restrictive option?

Hide the icon with Focus or use a Naze pause. Both keep access available. Focus removes the visual cue; Naze asks for the reason and duration before opening.