You do not open YouTube to lose an hour. You open it to look up how to fix a tap, or to watch a lecture. Then the Shorts shelf shows up, one swipe turns into forty, and the lecture is still unwatched.
The usual advice is to delete the app. That works about as well as throwing away your kitchen because of the biscuits: you also lose search, subscriptions, direct messages and the things you actually needed. Most people reinstall within a day.
There is a narrower option. Keep the app, lose only the part that pulls you in. NowFocus calls this partial blocking, and it is available on Android today as an experimental feature.
What you can switch off
Partial blocking has seven switches. Each one targets one surface inside an app and leaves the rest alone:
- YouTube Shorts: backs out of the Shorts player and the Shorts tab.
- YouTube Home feed: hides the recommended videos on the Home tab, so search and subscriptions still work.
- YouTube up next / related: hides the list under a playing video, so the video you came for does not turn into five more.
- Facebook Reels: backs out of the Reels tab and viewer.
- Instagram Reels and Explore: backs out of the Reels tab, the viewer and the Explore tab. The rest of the app stays open.
- X “For you”: hides the For you timeline. Following stays open.
- TikTok: hides the main feed and Explore, backs out of full-screen videos, and leaves Inbox and Me open.
How to set it up
- Open a focus profile (or the Commitment Shield setup) and switch on the rules you want.
- Make sure NowFocus is enabled in Android’s Accessibility settings. The app warns you if it is not.
- Start a session. Covered lists show “Recommendations are off while you focus”.
The rules run only while a session, or a Commitment Shield that contains the rule, is running. Outside of that, the apps behave normally. If you want the rule to hold even on a bad night, put it behind the 14-day Commitment Shield instead of a session.
Why this beats an all-or-nothing block
Full app blocks fail for a boring reason: they punish the legitimate use. If YouTube is blocked, you cannot watch the tutorial, so you end the session, and now the whole protection is gone. A rule that only removes the slot machine gets exited far less often, because there is less to resent.
It also matches how the urge works. The pull is rarely the app. It is the infinite, algorithm-ordered surface inside it. Removing the surface and keeping the tool is a smaller ask of your willpower, which is the whole idea behind why we build friction instead of relying on discipline.
It is experimental, and here is what that means
These rules recognise each app’s screens by their internal layout. We have checked them on one phone against the current versions of those apps. Apps change their layout without warning, so a rule can stop working after an update, and we would rather you know that now. They also depend on Android’s Accessibility service, so they are a self-control aid, not a lock.
What about Windows and Mac?
The desktop apps are earlier. They do not cover parts of an app. Instead they read the browser address bar and close the tab when it lands on a Shorts or Reels page. That is still in early access and we have not yet verified it on real machines, so treat it as a preview.
One tip we have not tested well: if a profile blocks youtube.com as a whole site, that may override the YouTube rules, so try partial blocking on a profile that does not.
Frequently asked questions
Can I block YouTube Shorts without blocking YouTube?
Yes, on Android. The YouTube Shorts rule backs out of the Shorts player and tab while search, subscriptions and regular videos stay open. It runs while a focus session or Commitment Shield with the rule is active. The feature is experimental.
Does partial blocking work on iPhone?
No. NowFocus is available for Android now, with Windows and macOS builds in early access. There is no iPhone release.
Why might a rule stop working?
Partial blocking recognises screens by an app’s internal layout. NowFocus checked the rules on one phone against the current app versions, and an app update can change that layout, which can break a rule until it is fixed.
Keep the app, lose the feed
Partial blocking is in the Android build. Switch on the rules you want and start a session.