In an era where our phones increasingly dictate how we spend our time, YouTube has stepped up. The video-sharing giant has quietly begun rolling out a new feature that allows users to set daily time limits for the ever-enticing vertical clips of YouTube Shorts. This move marks a significant shift in how the platform views its role in screen-time habits and digital well-being.
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Putting a Cap on the Scroll
For many users, the short-form video feed on YouTube can become a kind of time-vacuum: you open one clip and hours vanish before you realise. Recognising this, YouTube has added a feature in its mobile app (both Android and iOS) where you can set a daily time limit specifically for the Shorts feed. Once you hit that limit, the feed is paused and a prompt appears indicating you’ve reached your preset allowance.
As one report described it: “Users can set a daily limit for how long they can scroll on the Shorts feed … 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.”
In Nigerian parlance, you might say: you set how long you’ll chop the “Shorts” buffet before you lock the plate away for the next day.
Why This Move—and What It Really Means
YouTube’s addition of this timer is more than a nice extra. It signals recognition of the pitfalls of endless scrolling, especially in the short-form video age. According to 9to5Google: “This isn’t designed to keep you on the platform longer — it’s to get you off the platform without wasting too much of your time.”
A few key pieces of this feature’s context:
- The Shorts feed has become central to YouTube’s experience: fast-paced videos, easy to swipe, easy to lose track of time.
- Similar apps have introduced controls for screen time and usage. YouTube is now picking up pace in this area.
- The feature currently works on a voluntary, self-set basis. You choose the limit. Once reached, the pause prompt is dismissible—meaning you can keep watching if you ignore it.
- Importantly, YouTube says that later this year it will extend this control to supervised accounts (kids/teens), and in those cases, the prompt will be non-dismissible. So parents will be able to better regulate their children’s “Short” time.
From a Nigerian-English tone, the feature essentially says: “Chei — you don’t have to be at the mercy of the screen; you can decide how long you sit before you stand up.”
How to Set It Up (and How it Works in Naija)
If you want to try this feature now, here’s how to go about it:
- Open the YouTube mobile app and tap on your profile icon.
- Navigate to Settings, then look for something like General or Shorts daily limit.
- Select how much time you want to allow yourself each day for scrolling through Shorts.
- Once you hit the limit, you’ll receive a notification: your Shorts feed is paused for the rest of the day. You can either accept it, or dismiss it (for now).
- If you’re a parent using a supervised account for your child, wait out the full rollout — you’ll be able to set non-dismissible rules, so the child cannot override the prompt.
In Lagos or Abuja, this might look like telling your younger sibling: “Oya, you’ve watched your 30 minutes—na for today you done.” The screen gently says: “Time’s up for today.”
Verdict: Good Step, but with Caveats
This timer is a welcome feature, but like all tools of self-control, its effectiveness depends on the user. Here are some pros and cons:
What works:
- Empowers users to be deliberate with their time instead of getting lost in the “just one more clip” loop.
- Puts YouTube in the category of platforms thinking about digital wellbeing, not just engagement.
- Parental-control expansion adds real value—especially in places where kids are heavy users of mobile content in Nigeria.
What remains to be seen:
- Since the prompt is dismissible right now, the most vulnerable users (those who already lose track of time) might just tap “continue”. The nudge is gentle, not forced.
- The limit only applies to the Shorts feed, not the full YouTube video catalogue. So, you could stop Shorts and shift to another part of the app and still lose hours.
- Roll-out speed and availability may vary by region and OS, so Nigerian users should check if the feature has reached them yet.
In summary: It’s a strong move, but it’s not a silver bullet. As the naija saying goes: “You fit buy bible, but you must still carry live your life right.” Likewise, the timer helps—it doesn’t enforce.
Conclusion: A Better Balance Everyday
For many Nigerians, smartphones are both a lifeline and a distraction. Whether you’re commuting in Lagos, catching a break in Abuja, or surfing the net late into the night, it’s easy to spend more time than intended watching short, punchy videos. With this new feature, YouTube is handing a tool that says: “Yes, enjoy—but also keep your time safe.”
If I were to counsel you (and I speak from my own habit of infinite scroll), I’d suggest: pick a limit you’ll stick to—10 or 20 minutes—and when the prompt shows, treat it as a genuine stop. Use the rest of the day for meaningful stuff: reading, chatting with friends, and offline time. The feature works only if you decide it should.
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