YouTube is introducing a new feature to help users manage their time spent watching Shorts, with the latest app beta indicating a dedicated daily timer is on the horizon.
The new feature, discovered in the code of YouTube app beta version 20.15.32, allows users to set a daily timer for watching Shorts, pausing the infinite scrolling functionality once the user-defined daily limit is reached. According to the code strings, the timer setting will be titled “Pause scrolling after,” with a summary explaining that “Scrolling is paused after” a specified number of minutes or hours, “but you may still see individual Shorts.”
This means that while the timer will pause infinite scrolling through Shorts, users will still be able to view individual Shorts that appear outside the Shorts feed, such as in the Home feed or search results. The code confirms that YouTube won’t block Shorts watching entirely, allowing users to still view individual Shorts that appear elsewhere on the platform.
YouTube Shorts has become extremely popular, generating over 70 billion daily views, according to Google. The platform has aggressively pushed Shorts, rolling out easy-to-use tools that make creating content effortless. However, short-form video platforms are associated with issues like distraction, poor time management, and reduced learning capacity due to the addictive nature of “doomscrolling.”
The introduction of this feature suggests that Google is recognizing the potential negative impacts of excessive Shorts consumption and is working to help users manage their time spent watching YouTube Shorts. An APK teardown of the YouTube app has revealed that Google is actively testing the functionality, with the latest beta including fresh strings detailing a dedicated daily timer for Shorts scrolling, separate from the existing “Take a break” reminder that applies to general video watching.
While it’s unclear when this feature will roll out widely, its presence in the beta version indicates that YouTube is committed to helping users manage their time spent watching Shorts. The new feature is part of a broader effort by Google to address the potential negative impacts of excessive Shorts consumption.
