How To Block a YouTube Channel on Laptop & Phone (2024)

We all have preferences for what we like watching on YouTube, as well as what we don’t like watching. Sometimes, though, even if you’ve disliked a video from a specific channel and aren’t subscribed to that creator, you still see their content on your homepage and in your Recommended videos. 

It’s frustrating to have videos from a channel we don’t like or enjoy recommended to us. We’d rather see content that we’re actually interested in. So, how can we tell YouTube that we don’t want to see this YouTube channel anymore? 

There’s an easy way to make sure that YouTube will never recommend a certain channel to you again, and that’s by effectively blocking it. 

Below, we’ll explain how to block a YouTube channel on the YouTube website as well as the mobile app on your Android or iPhone. 

But first, we need to clarify what we mean by the term “block” – and its limitations on the YouTube platform.

Can You Block a YouTube Channel?

You can block a YouTube channel (in a manner of speaking), but there are a few things you should be aware of before doing so. 

First, there is no official block button for removing channels from your YouTube experience. Instead, there’s a button labeled Don’t recommend channel. Even though clicking it performs the same function as a block, it’s not called by that name. 

Selecting this option lets YouTube know that you no longer want it to recommend a specific channel to you, so that you can stop seeing it every time you log into your YouTube account.

For our purposes, though, we’ll still refer to selecting Don’t recommend channel as “blocking.”

Second, you should know that performing this action will only remove the channel and its videos from your homepage and your Recommended lists. You still might see content from that channel in search results. 

For example, if you enter a search term and one of its videos is a match, you’ll still see it, despite the fact that you “blocked” the channel it originates from.

That’s par for the course on all social media platforms. You’re able to block another account – even prevent it from ever interacting with you – but you can’t prevent the platform’s search engine from ranking it or its content in search results. 

Lastly, YouTube blocks channels per your request, but not videos. This means that if the channel you blocked decides to create a new account and upload the same videos to it, you could start seeing them on your homepage and Recommended lists again. 

Blocking a YouTube channel is a great solution, but not a perfect one. It’s important to know that, so that you know what to do if you start seeing videos from the channel you blocked in unexpected places. You may simply have to scroll past them, as when they appear in search results, or block a new channel if the content you dislike is coming from a new source.

How To Block a YouTube Channel Using the YouTube Website

Here are the steps to blocking a YouTube channel when you’re logged into the official YouTube website. 

How To Block a YouTube Channel on the YouTube App

And here’s how to block a YouTube channel from the YouTube app on your Android or mobile iOS device. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Conclusion

The word “block” no longer exists on the YouTube platform, but you can still effectively “block” channels from getting recommended to you on your homepage or your Recommended lists. Use the Don’t Recommend channel button as much as you need to curate your ideal content experience on YouTube.