YouTube will allow you to stop short videos from playing, but only on mobile

You can stop scrolling: YouTube just gave away iOS and Android Users have the ability to rotate YouTube shorts Completely off.

Similar to short videos on YouTube Tik Tok and Instagram reels. Videos are designed to be quick bursts of content, but they may result in more screen time than you initially intended. YouTube is rolling out a solution, at least for those using the YouTube mobile app.

The YouTube Shorts timer lets you set the amount of time you want to spend watching YouTube Shorts. Or you can set the timer to zero to stop watching YouTube Shorts completely. Google has it Instructions for disabling shorts Or enable the timer in the YouTube app. You can limit the length of your short video viewing session to 15, 30, or 45 minutes, or to one or two hours. When the timer expires, you’ll see a message saying you’ve reached the time limit, but you can dismiss it. Google also says you can set reminders for bedtime and Breaks.

The ability to set the timer to zero minutes is not yet available to everyone. A Google spokesperson told CNET that the feature is first becoming available to parents linked to supervised accounts. It is still being rolled out to all other users.

As a parent, I’m relieved to know that parents now have more control over screen time Family link from Googlea parental control app and website for Google and YouTube. It also makes me wonder what other screen time controls could be on the horizon.

YouTube did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Modern Pew Research Center study Of teens who use TikTok, Snapchat, and Instagram They found that the time they spent in front of screens on these social media apps affected their sleep and productivity. Meanwhile, teens use these apps for entertainment and say the apps help their friendships — which may be important for teens. However, parental controls, app settings, and other timers, e.g Brickit can be beneficial if you are consistent and set schedules to get screen time without hindering your time to rest or complete other tasks.

Last month, a jury in California The parent companies of both YouTube and Instagram were found liable In a landmark civil case brought by a woman, she alleged that the apps were designed to cause addiction in children. Google, which owns YouTube, said the platform is a live streaming service, not a social networking site, and plans to appeal.

YouTube says parents can use the timer to control the amount of time teens spend watching short videos, including setting reminders for bedtime and rest periods. Heyp Parents can turn off short videos in the YouTube mobile app by setting the timer to 0 minutes.

This feature is only available for mobile phones, so Shorts cannot be disabled on desktops yet. TikTok has been introduced New time management features Last year, including a journal of positive affirmations and tasks to earn badges to reduce screen time.