How to Block a YouTube Channel

Curating Your Video Recommendations

YouTube’s recommendation algorithm is incredibly powerful, designed to serve you a never-ending stream of content based on your previous viewing habits. However, this algorithm is not perfect. Occasionally, it might become fixated on a specific creator you find annoying, constantly push clickbait videos onto your homepage, or recommend inappropriate channels if your child accidentally clicked a gaming video while using your account.

If you are tired of seeing a specific creator in your feed, you do not have to passively accept YouTube’s suggestions. You can actively curate your homepage by telling the algorithm to block specific channels.

It is important to understand that YouTube offers two different “blocking” functions, and they achieve entirely different results. You can either block a channel from appearing in your recommendations, or you can block a user from interacting with your own channel.

Method 1: Stop a Channel from Appearing in Your Feed (Recommended)

This is the method 99% of people are looking for. If you want to scrub a specific creator from your YouTube homepage and suggested videos list, follow these steps. This is easiest to do on the YouTube mobile app or a desktop web browser when the offending video appears on your screen.

1. Open YouTube and navigate to your home screen or browse until you see a video from the channel you wish to block. (Note: Do not click the video to watch it; just look at the thumbnail on the homepage).
2. Hover your mouse over the video thumbnail (if on a computer) or look directly below the thumbnail (if on a smartphone).
3. Click or tap the three vertical dots located next to the video title.
4. A menu will appear with several options. You have two choices here:

• Not interested: This tells YouTube you do not want to watch this specific video, but you might still want to see other videos from this creator.
• Don’t recommend channel: This is the nuclear option. Clicking this tells the algorithm to completely banish this creator from your homepage and suggested feeds forever.

5. Select Don’t recommend channel.

A small confirmation banner will appear saying “We won’t recommend videos from this channel to you again.” The change takes effect immediately across all devices logged into your Google Account.

Note: If you search for the channel by name in the search bar, their videos will still appear in the search results. This method only blocks them from being proactively recommended to you.

Method 2: Block a User from Interacting with You

If you are a YouTube creator who uploads your own videos, or if someone is harassing you in the comments section, you can block that specific user profile. This prevents them from commenting on your videos, but it does not stop their videos from appearing in your feed.

1. Open YouTube and search for the specific person or channel you want to block.
2. Click on their name to visit their Channel Page.
3. On a computer, click the About tab near the top of their page. On a mobile device, tap the three vertical dots in the top right corner of their channel page.
4. Click the Flag icon (Report user).
5. Select Block user from the drop-down list.
6. Click Submit to confirm.

This person is now essentially invisible to your channel. They will not know they have been blocked, but any comments they leave on your videos will automatically be hidden from public view.

How to Unblock a Channel (If You Change Your Mind)

If you accidentally clicked “Don’t recommend channel” and want to undo it, it is surprisingly difficult. You cannot unblock a single channel; you must reset your entire block list.

1. Go to myactivity.google.com.
2. Click on Other Google activity in the left-hand menu.
3. Scroll down to find YouTube “Not interested” feedback.
4. Click Delete.

This will wipe your entire history of blocked channels, resetting your algorithm and allowing all previously blocked creators to appear in your feed again.