How to block YouTube, or make it safer, on every device

YouTube is homework help, music and endless Shorts all in one app. You have three good options, from gentle to strict.

Updated November 11, 2026·2 min read

Short answer

Sheepdog Filter turns on YouTube Restricted Mode for kids by default, on every device. You can also block YouTube at bedtime and during homework, or switch it off completely. One honest limit: no network filter can block only Shorts, because Shorts come from the same servers as every other YouTube video.

Option 1: Restricted Mode everywhere (gentle)

Restricted Mode hides videos YouTube has flagged as mature and hides comments. Sheepdog Filter switches it on for kids automatically, in the YouTube app and the website, on every device. It's not perfect, but it's a big improvement and needs no logins.

Option 2: Block it at certain times (balanced)

Leave YouTube allowed but:

  • add a bedtime so it stops at night,
  • use Homework mode to pause YouTube, games and social until a set time,
  • and use Allow for a bit when a school video needs watching during homework.

Option 3: Block it completely (strict)

Block YouTube with Sheepdog Filter

  1. Open your dashboard and choose your child (or Home Wi‑Fi for every device in the house).
  2. Go to the Blocking tab and open Video and streaming.
  3. Switch YouTube off. It stops loading in the app and the browser within a minute, on every device set up for that child.

Want it only at certain times? Leave it on and add a schedule (for example school nights), or use Homework mode to pause it until a time you pick. Want to make an exception? Tap Allow for a bit and choose 30 minutes, an hour or the rest of the day; it switches back by itself.

What about YouTube Shorts?

Shorts are served from exactly the same servers as every other YouTube video, so no DNS filter, router or network tool can block Shorts alone. If Shorts are the problem, your options are:

  • block YouTube at the times Shorts cause trouble (evenings, homework),
  • use a supervised YouTube account through Google Family Link, which lets you choose a content level,
  • or use the YouTube Kids app for younger children.

YouTube Kids

For under-8s, YouTube Kids with a profile set to the right age is a better starting point than YouTube with Restricted Mode.

Sheepdog Filter

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Questions parents ask

Can I block YouTube Shorts but keep YouTube?

Not with a network filter. Shorts come from the same servers as all YouTube videos. Supervised YouTube accounts (via Family Link) and time-based blocking are the practical options.

Does Restricted Mode work in the YouTube app?

Yes. Sheepdog Filter points YouTube at Google's Restricted Mode servers, which the YouTube app and website both respect.

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