YouTube Blocking Method Picker
The right way to block YouTube depends on two things: the device, and whether you want it gone completely, limited to approved channels, or switched off only at certain hours. Those three goals need genuinely different methods, and picking the wrong one is why most blocks fail within a day.
Choose both below and the tool names the method that fits, and says plainly where it can be undone.
- Block it completely, Windows or Mac: hosts file edit - free and total, but reversible by anyone with administrator access.
- Block it completely, Chromebook: hosts file is not available; use account-level controls or a dedicated app.
- Allow only approved channels: hosts file and router blocks are all-or-nothing, so this needs software that filters YouTube itself.
- Block at certain times only: manual methods have no concept of time; this needs a scheduler.
Enable JavaScript for the interactive version.
Runs entirely in your browser. Nothing is sent to a server and nothing is saved.
Why blocking youtube.com alone never works
YouTube does not serve its video from the domain you type. Block youtube.com and the site stops loading, while the app, embedded players and the mobile subdomain carry on, because those pull from googlevideo.com, youtubei.googleapis.com and ytimg.com. A block built on one domain looks like it worked and is defeated by dinner.
The full domain list is in the complete guide, along with the per-platform steps.
What each method leaves open
Hosts file: free and effective, undone in thirty seconds by anyone with admin rights or a second browser profile. Router or DNS: covers every device in the house, bypassed by mobile data or a VPN. Account controls: survive reboots, but apply to an account rather than the machine, so a second local account is untouched. App-level: survives the first three, and costs money.
No method on this list is unbeatable by a determined teenager with administrator rights. Any tool claiming otherwise, this one included, is overselling.
Frequently asked questions
What domains do I need to block for YouTube?
youtube.com is not enough on its own. The app and embedded players load from googlevideo.com and youtubei.googleapis.com, thumbnails from ytimg.com, and there are shortened and regional variants such as youtu.be. Blocking the main domain alone stops the website while leaving the app working.
Can I allow some YouTube channels but not others?
Not with a hosts file or router block - both are all-or-nothing at the domain level. Allowing specific channels requires software that inspects YouTube traffic itself, which means an app-level tool rather than a network-level block.
Why can't I edit the hosts file on a Chromebook?
ChromeOS does not expose a user-editable hosts file the way Windows and macOS do. On a Chromebook the reliable routes are account-level controls through Family Link, network-level blocking at the router, or a dedicated application.
Will blocking YouTube on the router cover phones too?
Only while they are on your Wi-Fi. A phone that switches to mobile data leaves your network entirely and the block no longer applies.
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