How to Stop Wasting Time on YouTube 1

How to Stop Wasting Time on YouTube

YouTube is undoubtedly one of the best websites to kill time and consume different categories of content. However, with an abundance of content, he often loses track of himself and spends too much time watching YouTube videos. If you are one of them, this is for you. Here’s how you can stop wasting time on YouTube.

Stop Wasting Time on YouTube

We’ve included a browser extension, settings you can change in the YouTube app, app timers, and a few tips based on our usage. If you find yourself frequently spending hours watching everything the YouTube algorithm has to offer, read on to find out how you can take control of your YouTube viewing habits and spend less time on the platform.

1. Using the YouTube Rabbit Hole Extension

One of the useful Google Chrome extensions I use to reduce distractions on YouTube is YouTube Rabbit Hole. You can do Use this browser extension to hide YouTube’s homepage, sidebar, comments section, trending section and even subscriptions. There are handy toggles you can use to customize the homepage to your preference.

After enabling the features you need, the extension will automatically place bunnies instead of video suggestions. In this way, you can watch what you want to watch instead of watching random YouTube video suggestions. If you want to take control of your YouTube watching habits, I highly recommend you take a look at this extension.

Download YouTube Rabbit Hole (Free)

2. Using Break and Bedtime Reminders

In May 2018, YouTube added a break reminder feature to its mobile apps to help users take a break. Similarly, the company introduced bedtime reminders last May to encourage users to go to bed. However, not all users are aware of them and set these much-needed features.

To set a break reminder, open YouTube and navigate to: Settings -> General -> Remind me to take a break. This the frequency of the reminder can vary from every 5 minutes to every 23 hours and 55 minutes. You can choose the most convenient time for you. If you ask me, I recommend setting a reminder every 30 minutes.

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As for bedtime reminders, you’ll find the option to set it up from: Settings -> General -> Remind me when it’s time to sleep. you can here set the start and end time of your sleep hours or any time you don’t want to spend watching videos. You also have the option to be reminded after completing the current video; this will take effect as long as you are not playing extended 10 hour versions of songs or memes. While these features won’t keep you from YouTube, you can use them as a beacon to turn them off.

Break and Bedtime Reminders

3. Using App Timers

If you are at a point where you need the extra push to disconnect from YouTube, you can count on one of the app timers to keep you out of YouTube when you have exhausted your daily usage limit. You can use Android’s Digital health feature or iPhone’s screen time feature to achieve this. A third-party app that does this task well is Freedom. You’ll find more app scheduler apps and websites in our coverage of focus apps.

On Android phones, open Settings -> Digital Balance and parental controlsand tap on Control Panel. Find YouTube from the list of apps and press it. Once you reach the dedicated page for YouTube, select ‘app scheduler’ and set the amount of time you want to spend watching YouTube in a day.

app scheduler for youtube

4. Practical Tips Without Third-Party Apps

Apart from all these, here are the methods I follow in order not to waste too much time on YouTube. First, you should review your content consumption habits. good place to start unsubscribe from channels that you no longer find interesting or valuable enough to pass the time.

Another way to reduce YouTube usage is eliminate triggers. While it may seem like a harmless notification of a new video from one of the channels you’re watching, you can spend hours if you’re not careful. To avoid this, you should reevaluate your subscriptions and ask yourself if the content in question deserves your immediate attention. Sure, there will be a few channels you can’t wait to watch the moment a new video drops, but the goal is to prioritize content that interests you and reduce/stop watching other videos. As an extreme measure, You can also choose to completely disable notifications for the YouTube app..

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If the platform continues to recommend videos you’re not interested in and you don’t want to use the YouTube rabbit hole extension, You can click ‘I’m not interested’ or ‘Don’t recommend the channel’ to uninstall them both on PC and mobile. While this is aimed at organizing your recommendation feed, you can use this to your advantage by clicking ‘I’m not interested’ on addictive content and videos that don’t necessarily add value.

remove suggestions youtube

Reduce YouTube Usage and Stay Productive

Here are the ways we found to prevent you from wasting your time on YouTube. Are you following anything else not mentioned here? Don’t forget to let us know in the comments. Check out our article on great YouTube tips and tricks to get the most out of your time watching YouTube.

Moyens I/O Staff has motivated you, giving you tips on technology, personal development, lifestyle and strategies that will help you.