YouTube’s Shorts feature has been a lightning rod for criticism ever since it was embedded into the main app. Now, signs suggest YouTube may be considering a separate iOS app just for Shorts. The idea isn’t official yet, but growing user frustration and YouTube’s recent responses hint at a possible shift.
A user on X sparked the conversation by saying, “Shorts should’ve been a separate app. It’s ruined the YouTube experience, every search is flooded with Shorts now.” The post gained traction quickly, with others echoing similar complaints. In response, @TeamYouTube replied: “Thanks for the feedback. We shared your thoughts & those shared in the replies on this thread with the relevant Product teams.”
Users Want a Choice, Not a Compromise
The frustration isn’t just about search results. One user wrote, “It should be, whenever I open YT it starts with the Shorts section. I opened it for the purpose to study.” Another added, “At least give the option to disable the Shorts if someone wants to do that.” YouTube’s current workaround is to hide Shorts on desktop for 30 days using the “Not Interested” option. That’s far from a real fix.
TeamYouTube’s replies throughout the thread show that they’re aware of the issue. But they’re still asking users to submit feedback through official forms, rather than announcing any concrete plan. Still, YouTube’s active acknowledgment and forwarding of complaints to its Product teams suggests that the idea of a separate Shorts app might be on the table.
The Bigger Picture: Growing Discontent
This thread didn’t just highlight issues with Shorts. Other users pointed out problems with the overall user experience across YouTube’s ecosystem. One said, “YouTube Music is so hard to navigate with one hand… Please, pay attention to this matter.” Another complained about homepage recommendations being repetitive, even after refreshing multiple times.
TeamYouTube gave standard responses: update the app, quit and relaunch, or use existing buttons like “Not Interested.” These replies weren’t enough to quiet the growing sentiment that YouTube is ignoring how people actually use its products.
Whether YouTube acts on this feedback remains to be seen. But let’s be honest, we all want more control over how we interact with Shorts, ideally outside the main app.
