You Can Now Limit the Number of YouTube Shorts Views Per Day.
If you’ve ever had to drink an extra cup of coffee the next day to compensate for endlessly scrolling through TikTok videos or short videos on YouTube, we have something in common. To prevent scrolling until the early hours of the morning, YouTube has introduced a limit on the number of short videos a user can watch per day, but it’s a little less strict than other apps.
Still, it’s better than nothing. After the update, you’ll be able to set a limit in your settings, though YouTube hasn’t yet specified how. I assume it’ll be in the “General” tab (I don’t have this feature yet), but I’ve reached out to YouTube for clarification and will update as soon as I hear back. The new limit settings are rolling out to iOS and Android today; they’re similar to the system already in place on TikTok and Instagram , though TikTok is the only one of the three platforms that allows users to set limits on the web.
As for how the new limits will work, YouTube states that they’re based on time spent scrolling, not the number of short videos watched. Once you reach the set limit, you’ll see a notification that scrolling is paused for the rest of the day. If you’re feeling cheeky, you can dismiss it and continue. Meanwhile, TikTok at least requires a password to cancel the time limit, and Instagram requires access to settings.
In this sense, it’s a bit like the existing “Take a Break” feature, which will send you reminders to leave YouTube at set intervals. I suppose they’re hoping the shame will be enough to deter you from your darker urges? Honestly, if the “Take a Break” reminders on the Nintendo Wii weren’t enough for me back then, I’m not sure they’ll work now. However, for young scrollers, there’s another option. Google also says it plans to add this feature to parental controls in the future, allowing parents to set a short video limit for their children and make it permanent, so once they pause scrolling for the day, they won’t be able to undo it.
Personally, I think Google should probably start with parental controls. I don’t understand the delay required to receive a short video restriction notification that can’t be dismissed, but I don’t think I work in app development. Perhaps a second step before dismissing the notification, like TikTok, would be helpful.
In any case, a time limit for short videos can be a useful self-control tool if you’re the kind of person who takes these notifications seriously. I wish the site would do something about those three-hour video essays I constantly watch.