How to stop watching YouTube Shorts for hours

Quick answer

Shorts are like chips. Nobody eats one. You swipe for 'a minute' and an hour's gone, and you can't name a single thing you watched.

What 125x is: 125x is a web app at 125x.app. You connect your YouTube subscriptions, and it gives you a feed of the latest videos from the channels you follow, each with a summary: a verdict, the 5 key takeaways, and the spoiler, plus Actionable and Lessons tabs with more tips. You read that and decide what's actually worth opening.

Open 125x

Why Shorts are so hard to quit

Each one is short, so stopping never feels urgent. There's no end to the feed.

And every swipe is a little lottery ticket. That combo is built to keep you going.

Ways to hide or limit Shorts

On a computer: browser extensions can hide the Shorts shelf, the Shorts tab and Shorts in search.
Show fewer Shorts: use the menu on a Shorts shelf to tell YouTube you want fewer. It cuts them back without removing them.
Watch history off: people say the Shorts feed goes nearly empty.
App blockers on your phone can block Shorts specifically.
Delete the app and use YouTube in a browser, where Shorts are easier to avoid.

Our own tips

Put a sticky note on your phone case: 'What did I come here for?'
When you catch yourself swiping, stand up. Changing position breaks the loop.
Keep a short list of longer videos you actually want, so you have something better to choose.

How 125x fits

125x has no Shorts feed. It's the videos from channels you chose, each with a summary and a verdict.

FAQ: questions people ask

Can you turn off YouTube Shorts?

YouTube lets you show fewer Shorts, and browser extensions or app blockers can hide them more fully.

Why are YouTube Shorts so addictive?

They're short, endless, and every swipe might be something great, so there's never a natural stopping point.

Does turning off watch history remove Shorts?

Many people report the Shorts feed goes nearly empty with watch history off.