YouTube is planning to offer a new feature which will allow users to set a daily timer to limit how long they spend on Shorts.
YouTube on Friday, April 11, 2025, was spotted providing a beta version of the feature on the platform.
The platform is reportedly developing a feature to help users stop the endless scrolling through Shorts.
Speaking to TechCrunch, a YouTube spokesperson stated that this feature is not currently being publicly tested, it is “exploring this for the future.”
The code indicates the daily timer allows users to set a specific number of hours.
Once the allotted time runs out, Shorts will pause, making it unavailable for the remainder of the day.
However, there is also mention of viewers still being able to see “individual Shorts,” meaning it does not block access to all short videos entirely.
It is worth noting that YouTube already has a “Take a Break” reminder that users can enable for regular-length videos on the platform.
YouTube’s exploration into the anti-doom-scrolling area follows a growing trend among users who are downloading apps dedicated to limiting their screen time.
This new Shorts timer feature appears to be designed for pausing infinite scrolling through Shorts once a user-defined daily limit is reached.
To note, it is yet to be officially announced when this feature will roll out widely, but its presence in the beta version suggests that YouTube is actively testing the functionality.
