How to Block YouTube Shorts & Facebook Reels with FocusMe (Step-by-Step Guide)

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YouTube Shorts and Facebook Reels are designed to steal time. Not in obvious ways, but through endless scroll loops that feel harmless until thirty minutes disappear. Even disciplined users struggle because these features bypass traditional website blocks and show up inside platforms people genuinely need for work, learning or communication.

This is exactly why FocusMe lets you block YouTube Shorts and Facebook Reels specifically, without blocking YouTube or Facebook entirely.

If you want your focus back without going extreme, this step-by-step guide walks you through exactly how to do it on your computer (Windows, Mac or Linux).

Why Blocking YouTube Shorts and Facebook Reels Matters

Short-form video content is engineered for compulsion. The fast pacing, instant rewards, and infinite feed make it difficult for the brain to disengage. Unlike long videos, Shorts and Reels don’t require intention. They pull you in automatically.

What this really means is that productivity doesn’t usually fail because of laziness. It fails because attention is constantly being fragmented.

Blocking YouTube Shorts and Facebook Reels removes one of the biggest modern focus leaks while still letting you use these platforms intentionally.

What You’ll Need Before You Start

Before setting this up, make sure you have:

• The latest version of FocusMe installed on your computer
• The FocusMe browser addon installed in the browser you use (Chrome, Edge, Brave, Firefox, Safari and others)
• A few minutes to set up a plan

Now let’s walk through the setup.

Step 1: Update FocusMe to the Latest Version

Shorts and Reels blocking needs a current version of FocusMe. The steps below describe FocusMe 8.

Here’s how to update:

1. Open FocusMe
2. Go to Settings, then General
3. Under Update, click Check Now

Or download the latest version directly from:
https://focusme.com/download/

Updates can be installed while plans are running.

Step 2: Install the FocusMe Browser Addon

YouTube Shorts and Facebook Reels live inside web pages, and the FocusMe browser addon is what lets FocusMe see the exact page address. The addon is available for Chrome, Edge, Brave, Opera, Vivaldi, Firefox, Zen, LibreWolf and, on Mac, Safari. In FocusMe, open Settings, then Browsers, and click the button for your browser.

Or install it from here, which detects your browser and sends you to the right store:

https://focusme.com/download/addon/

Why this step matters:

1. Shorts and Reels are pages inside a site you still want to use
2. Blocking all of youtube.com or facebook.com would be too blunt
3. The addon lets FocusMe block by page address, so only the Shorts and Reels pages are caught

Without the addon, Shorts and Reels may still slip through.

Quickest route: once the addon is installed, click the FocusMe icon in the browser toolbar and switch on Block YouTube Shorts or Block Facebook Reels in the popup. That blocks them in that browser straight away. The plan in Step 3 does the same thing with a schedule and protection behind it.

Step 3: Create a FocusMe Plan That Blocks Specific URLs

Now comes the key step. In FocusMe, click Add a Plan and name it (or open an existing plan to edit it). On the What to block step, stay on the Websites tab and add these two entries, one at a time:

youtube.com/shorts
facebook.com/reel

What this does:

1. Click each new row to open its editor and check that the type is Website address and the match is Contains
2. youtube.com/shorts catches the Shorts feed and every individual Short, on m.youtube.com too; ordinary pages such as youtube.com/watch are not affected, because the entry includes the path
3. facebook.com/reel catches Facebook Reels the same way

Click Next, choose a schedule, pick a How strict preset, then click Create & Enable. Shorts and Reels won’t load while the plan runs, even if you open them directly.

This is the cleanest way to block YouTube Shorts and Facebook Reels without blocking the full platforms. To block all short-form video in one plan, add instagram.com/reels and tiktok.com as well.

Step 4: Set Addon Verification

This step stops the block being sidestepped by removing the addon.

Go to:

• Settings, then Browsers

Set:

• Addon Verification to Basic, Standard or Strict

Why this matters:

• With it Off, a browser without the addon is never closed, so a blocked page can slip through
• With Basic or higher, a browser running without the addon gets a warning and is then closed
• Standard also covers pages the addon cannot check, such as Incognito windows where it is not allowed; Strict is the maximum-discipline setting

In other words, this keeps the rule in place even if discipline slips. Pick the level before you enable the plan: Addon Verification cannot be lowered while a plan is enabled.

What Happens After Setup?

Once everything is configured:

• YouTube still works, but Shorts won’t load
• Facebook still works, but Reels won’t appear
• Your attention stays intact
• Scrolling loops are removed from your daily routine

This setup is especially useful for:

• Remote workers
• Students
• Creators
• Anyone trying to reduce mindless screen time without quitting platforms completely

Why This Feature Is Different

Most blockers take an all-or-nothing approach. They block entire websites, which often isn’t realistic.

We solve this by letting you block specific attention traps, not useful tools. That’s the difference between restriction and control.

You’re not avoiding YouTube or Facebook. You’re removing the parts designed to hijack your focus.

Final Thoughts

Blocking YouTube Shorts and Facebook Reels isn’t about productivity hacks. It’s about protecting mental space. Short-form video trains the brain to seek constant novelty. FocusMe helps reverse that pattern by removing the trigger altogether.

Once Shorts and Reels are gone, focus feels quieter. Work feels less resistant. And time starts behaving again.

If you’ve tried willpower and it didn’t stick, this feature does the heavy lifting for you.

GET STARTED NOW

FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)