It’s common to open a short video with the intention of just watching it, only to realize an hour later that you’re still using the app. YouTube is adding a new timer feature to help users manage this behavior. It’s a move that reflects both growing public pressure on technology platforms and the company’s interest in fostering long-term engagement over the risk of user burnout.
Users can set a daily viewing time limit for short videos through the app settings. When the limit is reached, a pop-up will appear informing you that Shorts Feed scrolling has been paused, but you can close the pop-up.
Earlier this year, YouTube confirmed that it was considering a time limit feature for short video usage after Android Authority discovered the feature was in development in one of its Android APKs (app files).
YouTube says this restriction is not currently integrated into Parental Controls. This means that parents can’t set specific limits on how much their child scrolls through the Shorts feed. However, the company says that next year it will introduce parental controls that will prevent children from ignoring the prompts.
YouTube has previously rolled out digital wellbeing features such as “break” and “bedtime” reminders to curb users’ doomscrolling habits.
For example, “Take a Break” allows users to set reminders to appear every 15, 30, 60, 90, or 180 minutes, at which point the video will pause. Users can then choose to ignore the reminder and continue watching, or close the app.
Similarly, the Bedtime Reminder feature allows users to set a specific time frame (start and end time) during which they are reminded to stop watching and go to bed. When it’s time for bed, YouTube will display a notification reminding you to stop watching.
tech crunch event
san francisco
|
October 27-29, 2025
While such features help demonstrate corporate responsibility, their optional nature does not actually reduce engagement, allowing YouTube to address concerns about addictive design while maintaining its core business model.
According to a recent report from Bloomberg Law, there are currently nearly 2,000 lawsuits pending against social media companies in the United States, with families, school districts, and state attorneys general alleging that the platforms intentionally engineer addictive features that harm children’s mental health.
