YouTube Introduces Daily Timer To 'Shorts': How Will It Help Curb Doomscrolling?

YouTube is introducing a new timer to 'Shorts' to help users keep their viewing in check and tackle the habit of 'doomscrolling'. Within the app’s settings, users can choose how much time they want to spend watching Shorts each day. When that limit is reached, a reminder appears on screen to pause the feed, but it can still be dismissed if you decide to keep scrolling.

“Users can set and adjust a daily limit for how long they can scroll on the Shorts feed by going to Settings. Once the set time limit has been reached, they will receive a dismissible prompt that scrolling on the Shorts feed is paused for the day,” YouTube said while announcing the rollout of the new feature.

Earlier this year, following a discovery by Android Authority in an Android app build, YouTube acknowledged that it was testing a feature designed to let users set viewing limits for Shorts, as per a TechCrunch report. 

The report added that this new feature reflects both the increasing public demand on tech companies to act responsibly and YouTube’s aim to encourage sustained user engagement without causing burnout.

The company also plans to introduce parental controls later this year, which will prevent children from dismissing these time limit notifications.

“Shorts are a core part of the YouTube experience. Setting a scrolling time limit on the Shorts feed allows for this exploration while helping users be more deliberate about their viewing habits and manage their time effectively,” YouTube said in its community forum.

YouTube noted that the time limit feature comes in addition to other features, such as “take a break” and “bedtime” reminders.

Users can activate the “Take a Break” reminder to prompt a pause in their video viewing after intervals of 15, 30, 60, 90, or 180 minutes. When the reminder appears, the video will automatically pause, and users can either dismiss the alert to continue watching or exit the app.

YouTube’s bedtime reminder allows users to set a time range during which they want to be prompted to stop watching and head to bed. When this time arrives, the app sends a notification encouraging them to end their viewing session.