ZDNET Author Changes 12 YouTube Settings to Curb Shorts, Autoplay and Tracking
Updated
Updated · ZDNet · Jul 14
ZDNET Author Changes 12 YouTube Settings to Curb Shorts, Autoplay and Tracking
1 articles · Updated · ZDNet · Jul 14
Summary
Twelve YouTube settings changes—spanning Shorts, autoplay, previews, notifications and history—can make the platform less intrusive and easier to use, according to a ZDNET walkthrough.
The biggest privacy moves are auto-deleting YouTube history after 4, 18 or 36 months, using Incognito for off-record viewing, turning off personalized ads, and making subscriptions and playlists private.
Usability tweaks center on limiting Shorts, disabling autoplay and feed previews, setting mobile video quality to Data saver or higher quality, speeding playback, enabling subtitles, and using sleep timers.
Some limits remain: Shorts cannot be fully disabled, Incognito does not hide activity from an ISP or employer, and turning off personalized ads does not remove ads.
Restricted Mode can help on shared devices but is not fully reliable for children, with YouTube Kids presented as the stronger option for age-appropriate controls.