YouTube is one of the most popular platforms for entertainment, education, and inspiration. But not every video or channel aligns with your interests or values. Whether you’re tired of seeing clickbait, content you dislike, or simply want to improve your viewing experience, you may be wondering: Can you block or hide YouTube channels?
As a tech expert, I’ve worked with countless users who want better control over what they see on YouTube. While YouTube doesn’t make it obvious, there are multiple ways to reduce or stop unwanted channels from appearing in your recommendations, search results, or even in YouTube Kids.
This guide walks you through practical, safe, and easy-to-understand methods to block or hide YouTube channels across devices—without requiring third-party tools or advanced settings. It’s written to be accessible for all ages and skill levels.
Why Would You Want to Block or Hide a YouTube Channel?
There are several valid reasons to block or hide specific channels:
- You keep seeing irrelevant content in your recommendations.
- You want to filter out low-quality or inappropriate videos.
- You’re trying to create a kid-safe YouTube environment.
- You simply don’t want to support or engage with a particular creator.
YouTube doesn’t offer a direct “block this channel completely” button (unless you’re using YouTube Kids), but with the right tools and techniques, you can significantly limit exposure to unwanted content.
Can You Really Block a YouTube Channel?
Let’s clear this up first: on regular YouTube, you cannot “block” a channel entirely from showing up everywhere. However, you can:
- Hide content from showing in your home feed and recommendations.
- Block channels from commenting on your videos.
- Restrict channels from showing up in YouTube Kids.
- Report or manage channel visibility using browser extensions (with caution).
Let’s explore each of these methods in detail.
Method 1: Hide a YouTube Channel from Your Recommendations
This is the simplest and most effective method if your goal is to clean up your feed.
On Desktop or Mobile:
- Go to the YouTube homepage or your recommended videos.
- Find a video from the channel you want to hide.
- Tap the three vertical dots (next to the video title).
- Select “Don’t recommend channel.”
This tells YouTube you’re not interested in content from that creator. Over time, the algorithm adapts and stops pushing those videos into your feed.
✅ Good for: Stopping channels from appearing in home or up next recommendations.
Method 2: Block a YouTube Channel from Commenting on Your Videos
If a particular channel is harassing you or leaving spammy comments, you can block it from interacting with your content.
Steps:
- Visit the channel’s profile page.
- Click the About tab (on desktop).
- Click the flag icon and select “Block user.”
Alternatively, on mobile:
- Tap the channel icon in a comment > View channel > tap the three-dot menu > Block user.
Once blocked, that user cannot comment on your videos.
✅ Good for: Creators who want to control comment spam or negative engagement.
Method 3: Use “Not Interested” to Fine-Tune Your Feed
Sometimes, you don’t want to block a full channel—just certain topics or video types. You can use YouTube’s “Not interested” tool to help train the algorithm.
How to Use It:
- On the home screen or any video feed, tap the three-dot menu next to a video.
- Select “Not interested.”
- (Optional) Click “Tell us why” and choose an option like “I’ve already watched this” or “I don’t like the video.”
This helps refine your preferences and reduce content clutter from both channels and topics you don’t want to see.
Method 4: Block Channels in YouTube Kids
If you’re a parent, YouTube Kids offers more control.
To block a channel in YouTube Kids:
- Tap the lock icon in the bottom corner of the app.
- Enter your passcode.
- Find the video or channel you want to block.
- Tap the three-dot menu > Block this channel.
YouTube Kids ensures that blocked channels won’t show up again on that child’s profile.
✅ Good for: Parents managing content for young children.
Method 5: Use Restricted Mode (Partial Filtering)
Restricted Mode is a setting that limits mature or potentially inappropriate content. It doesn’t block specific channels, but it filters broader categories of content, which may include channels you want to avoid.
How to enable it:
- Scroll to the bottom of the YouTube home page.
- Click on “Restricted Mode”.
- Toggle it on.
You can also enable this in the YouTube mobile app under Settings > General.
Note: Restricted Mode isn’t foolproof, but it’s an extra layer of content control.
Bonus Method: Use Browser Extensions (with Caution)
If you’re using YouTube on desktop, some browser extensions let you filter or block channels entirely.
Example tools:
- Video Blocker (Chrome Extension) – lets you block videos from certain channels.
- uBlock Origin – with custom filters, can hide specific content or keywords.
⚠️ Use only well-reviewed, reputable extensions. Avoid those asking for excessive permissions or collecting your data.
✅ Good for: Tech-savvy users who want fine-tuned control over their browsing experience.
What Happens When You Block or Hide a Channel?
| Action | Effect |
|---|---|
| “Don’t recommend channel” | Hides it from recommendations, but videos may still appear in search |
| “Block user” | Prevents them from commenting on your videos |
| “Not interested” | Trains algorithm to show less of that content type |
| Blocking on YouTube Kids | Fully hides that channel from child profiles |
| Browser extensions | May block all traces of a channel (desktop only) |
Tips to Keep Your YouTube Feed Clean Long-Term
- Regularly mark unwanted videos as “Not interested.”
- Watch more of the content you like—YouTube learns from your watch history.
- Clear watch history to reset your algorithm (Settings > History > Clear).
- Use YouTube Kids for younger users or sensitive viewers.
- Combine restricted mode + “Don’t recommend” for stronger filtering.
Conclusion
While YouTube doesn’t give users a “one-click block” option for channels on its main platform, it does offer several tools that, when combined, give you meaningful control over what appears in your feed.
From blocking channels in YouTube Kids, to disabling recommendations, to filtering content using the Accessibility options and browser extensions, you can create a more personalized and distraction-free YouTube experience.
