How-To Guide
操作指南
How to Block YouTube Shorts on Android Without Blocking YouTube
如何在 Android 上屏蔽 YouTube Shorts 而不屏蔽 YouTube
The Problem: Blocking Shorts Usually Means Blocking All of YouTube
You want to block the infinite scroll of YouTube Shorts but you still need YouTube for tutorials, lectures, or music. Most solutions force you to choose one or the other:
- Digital Wellbeing blocks the entire YouTube app — useless if you need it for work
- Browser extensions don't work on the YouTube Android app
- Parental control apps treat YouTube as one monolithic block
- Grayscale mode makes the whole phone miserable
FocusFlow solves this with a content-specific blocker that detects when you've navigated into Shorts — and blocks only that section — leaving the rest of YouTube intact.
How FocusFlow's YouTube Shorts Blocker Works
FocusFlow uses Android's Accessibility Service to monitor which screen within YouTube is currently displayed. When it detects the Shorts tab or an autoplay Shorts feed, it immediately:
- Dims the screen to near-zero brightness
- Overlays a full-screen "Blocked" message
- Vibrates and plays an aversive sound (configurable)
- Logs the attempt in your Temptation Log with a timestamp
Navigation back to regular YouTube (search, subscriptions, watch history, a specific video) is unaffected. The blocker triggers only on the Shorts surface.
Step-by-Step Setup
Step 1
Download and Install FocusFlow
Download the APK from GitHub Releases. You'll need to allow installation from unknown sources (Settings → Security → Install unknown apps). FocusFlow is not on the Play Store yet — the APK is the official version.
Step 2
Grant Accessibility Service Permission
Open FocusFlow → tap Setup → tap Accessibility Service. This opens Android settings. Find FocusFlow in the list and enable it. This is the permission that lets FocusFlow detect Shorts.
Step 3
Grant Usage Stats Permission
Back in FocusFlow Setup, tap Usage Stats Access. Enable it for FocusFlow. This lets the app know which app is in the foreground.
Step 4
Open Content Blocking
From the main dashboard, tap Content Blocking (separate from App Blocking). You'll see a list of content-specific blockers.
Step 5
Enable YouTube Shorts Blocker
Toggle on YouTube Shorts Blocker. You can leave this active permanently, or tie it to focus sessions using the Scheduled Greyout feature.
Step 6
Optional: Set a Scheduled Greyout Window
If you only want Shorts blocked during work hours, go to Scheduled Greyout, add a time window (e.g., Mon–Fri 09:00–18:00), and select YouTube Shorts Blocker as the target. Outside those hours, Shorts is accessible normally.
Why Not Just Use YouTube's Built-In Controls?
YouTube offers a "Take a break" reminder and a daily usage limit, but neither actually prevents you from opening Shorts. The reminders are easy to dismiss. The time limit shows a dialog — with a clearly visible "Dismiss" button. These are soft blockers that work on motivated people who don't actually need them. FocusFlow's Accessibility Service enforcement doesn't show a dismissible dialog — it locks you out.
Does This Work on Samsung, Xiaomi, OnePlus, and Other OEMs?
Yes. FocusFlow has been tested on 30+ Android OEM brands including Samsung One UI, Xiaomi MIUI, OnePlus OxygenOS, Realme, Oppo ColorOS, Motorola, and stock Android. OEM-specific battery optimization settings may need to be disabled for FocusFlow — the app will prompt you during setup.
Does Blocking Shorts Affect YouTube Premium?
No. YouTube Premium features (ad-free playback, background play, downloads) are unaffected. The blocker targets the Shorts surface only, not the YouTube app as a whole.
Block YouTube Shorts Now — Free
FocusFlow is free, open source, and requires no root. Download the APK and have the Shorts blocker running in under 5 minutes.
⬇ GitHub APK →
问题：屏蔽 Shorts 通常意味着屏蔽整个 YouTube
您想屏蔽 YouTube Shorts 的无限滚动，但仍然需要 YouTube 来观看教程、讲座或音乐。大多数解决方案迫使您二选一：
- 数字健康屏蔽整个 YouTube 应用——如果您工作需要用到它则毫无用处
- 浏览器扩展在 YouTube Android 应用上无效
- 家长控制应用将 YouTube 视为一个整体块进行屏蔽
- 灰度模式让整个手机都变得难以使用
FocusFlow 通过内容特定屏蔽器解决了这个问题，它能检测您何时进入了 Shorts——并且只屏蔽该部分——让 YouTube 其余部分保持完整。
FocusFlow 的 YouTube Shorts 屏蔽器如何工作
FocusFlow 使用 Android 的无障碍服务来监控 YouTube 当前显示的屏幕。当它检测到 Shorts 标签或自动播放 Shorts 信息流时，它会立即：
- 将屏幕调暗至接近零的亮度
- 显示全屏"已屏蔽"消息
- 振动并播放厌恶声音（可配置）
- 在您的诱惑日志中记录此次尝试并附上时间戳
返回普通 YouTube（搜索、订阅、观看历史、特定视频）不受影响。屏蔽器仅在 Shorts 界面触发。
逐步设置
第 1 步
下载并安装 FocusFlow
从 GitHub Releases 下载 APK。您需要允许从未知来源安装（设置 → 安全 → 安装未知应用）。FocusFlow 目前不在 Play 商店——APK 是官方版本。
第 2 步
授予无障碍服务权限
打开 FocusFlow → 点击设置 → 点击无障碍服务。这将打开 Android 设置。在列表中找到 FocusFlow 并启用它。这是让 FocusFlow 检测 Shorts 的权限。
第 3 步
授予使用情况统计权限
返回 FocusFlow 设置，点击使用情况访问。为 FocusFlow 启用它。这让应用知道哪个应用在前台运行。
第 4 步
打开内容屏蔽
从主仪表板点击内容屏蔽（与应用屏蔽分开）。您将看到内容特定屏蔽器列表。
第 5 步
启用 YouTube Shorts 屏蔽器
开启 YouTube Shorts 屏蔽器。您可以将其永久保持活跃，或使用计划灰显功能将其与专注会话绑定。
第 6 步
可选：设置计划灰显窗口
如果您只想在工作时间屏蔽 Shorts，请前往计划灰显，添加时间窗口（例如，周一至周五 09:00–18:00），并选择 YouTube Shorts 屏蔽器作为目标。在这些时间之外，Shorts 正常可访问。
为什么不直接使用 YouTube 的内置控制？
YouTube 提供"休息一下"提醒和每日使用限制，但两者都无法真正阻止您打开 Shorts。提醒很容易被忽略。时间限制会显示一个对话框——带有清晰可见的"忽略"按钮。这些是软屏蔽器，对实际上不需要它们的有动力的人有效。FocusFlow 的无障碍服务执行不会显示可忽略的对话框——它会将您锁定在外面。
这在三星、小米、一加和其他 OEM 上有效吗？
是的。FocusFlow 已在 30 多个 Android OEM 品牌上测试，包括三星 One UI、小米 MIUI、一加 OxygenOS、Realme、OPPO ColorOS、摩托罗拉和原生 Android。可能需要为 FocusFlow 禁用 OEM 特定的电池优化设置——应用会在设置过程中提示您。
屏蔽 Shorts 会影响 YouTube Premium 吗？
不会。YouTube Premium 功能（无广告播放、后台播放、下载）不受影响。屏蔽器仅针对 Shorts 界面，而非整个 YouTube 应用。