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YouTube app for TV adds Shorts on top of subscriptions feed

By Freedom251 Team · · 9 min read

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YouTube is changing the way the YouTube app for TV displays your Home experience: Shorts can show up on top of the Subscriptions feed, so you see short-form clips before (or mixed with) the usual “following” content.

This can feel like your carefully curated subscriptions are getting buried, especially on big screens where scrolling is slower and the UI is optimized for remote navigation. The good news: you can often regain control with a few predictable steps, plus some reliable workarounds if the feed doesn’t behave.

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What’s changing in the YouTube app for TV

In the YouTube app for TV, your Home/Subscriptions area may place Shorts above your subscribed channels’ uploads. Instead of the top of the list being purely recent uploads, you’ll see vertical, tap-to-play Shorts formatted for quick viewing (9:16, full-screen, fast progression).

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The practical impact is straightforward: you’ll need to scroll a bit differently, or jump directly into Subscriptions, to reliably land on full videos from the channels you follow.

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Why Shorts may appear above your Subscriptions feed

YouTube uses ranking signals across the app, not just the “Subscriptions” bucket. Shorts are a high-engagement format, so the algorithm often surfaces them early on Home—even when you expect a chronological or subscription-focused layout.

On TV, the app also has to reconcile multiple surfaces (Home, Subscriptions, and recommendations). If the app decides Shorts are the most likely next watch, they may float to the top of the feed you associate with subscriptions.

What you can expect on different TVs and remotes

Even though the feature is shared, the on-screen behavior can differ by platform and remote. You might see Shorts appear in:

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  • Home → Subscriptions feed list
  • Following style rows that blend formats
  • Mixed Home layout where Shorts are interleaved near the top

On most TV remotes, one “down” press can land you on a Shorts card instead of a subscribed upload. That makes the browsing feel less intentional, even if your subscriptions haven’t changed.

How to minimize Shorts intrusion (practical options)

There’s no single universal toggle on every TV platform, but these options work often enough to be worth trying in order.

Use the feed controls: switch to Following/Subscriptions again

In many layouts, the YouTube app for TV includes a way to select which feed category you’re viewing. If you see a tab or row label like Subscriptions, Following, or a similar filter, re-select it so Home doesn’t default back to a mixed-ranking view.

If the UI shows chips or a category selector near the top, move the cursor there and confirm you’re locked onto the subscriptions-style view.

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Shortcuts: jump directly to Subscriptions from the Home screen

Instead of staying in Home’s top section, use the left-side menu (or top-level navigation) to open Subscriptions directly. This typically reduces the chance that the app will “helpfully” insert Shorts at the top.

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Look for a dedicated Subscriptions item in the navigation rail rather than relying on a mixed Home row.

Use Search filters to avoid Shorts-style results

When you want full videos from specific channels, Search can be more controllable than scrolling a blended feed. Type the channel name and pick the channel result. Then browse uploads from there.

If the search UI supports format filters, prefer Videos or the channel’s Uploads list over Shorts entries.

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Watch full videos instead of scrolling past Shorts

Shorts are optimized for quick completion. If you repeatedly land on Shorts and rapidly exit them, you can accidentally train the algorithm to believe you’re interested in that format.

If you do want to reduce Shorts appearing early, make a habit of selecting subscribed full videos whenever you can, and give the Home algorithm fewer “engagement wins” from Shorts.

Mute or tailor your recommendations (where available)

YouTube provides personalization controls in many apps: you can adjust what you see by interacting with recommendations (not just by passively skipping).

On TV, the UI path varies, but common actions include options like Not interested or Don’t recommend channel on a Shorts card. Use those actions on formats you don’t want surfaced early.

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Step-by-step: settings and navigation paths by platform

UI labels vary slightly, so use these as practical guides. If a menu item doesn’t exist on your TV, jump to the closest match or try the workarounds section.

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Android TV / Google TV

Google TV builds often let you access subscriptions cleanly via the left navigation and make Search a reliable fallback.

  1. Open the YouTube app.
  2. From the Home screen, use the left navigation to select Subscriptions (or Following).
  3. Choose a channel and play the latest video (not a Shorts card).
  4. To reduce future clutter, open a Shorts item and select Not interested or Don’t recommend for that channel/content type (wording can differ).
  5. If the feed still feels “mixed,” go to Search, type the channel name, then select the channel and browse Videos/Uploads.

Apple TV (tvOS)

On tvOS, the most consistent control is navigating away from Home into channel or Subscriptions browsing, then anchoring playback on full videos.

  1. Launch the YouTube app on Apple TV.
  2. Use the top or left navigation to open Subscriptions.
  3. Pick a subscribed channel and open a full-length upload.
  4. If Shorts keep appearing, open a Shorts card and use the available action (often Not interested).
  5. As a fallback, press Menu or use the app’s search entry, then select the channel and choose Videos.

Amazon Fire TV

Fire TV often shows a recognizable left-side navigation. If the Home list is mixed, go straight to Subscriptions or a specific channel’s uploads.

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  1. Open YouTube on Fire TV.
  2. Navigate to Subscriptions from the menu rail.
  3. Scroll within Subscriptions until you see full videos from your channels, then play one.
  4. On a Shorts card you don’t want, select the options menu and choose Don’t recommend or Not interested.
  5. If Subscriptions still starts with Shorts, use Search → select the channel → open the channel’s Videos/Uploads list.

Roku

Roku’s YouTube app is similar in concept, but you’ll likely get the cleanest browsing by going to Subscriptions and then staying inside channel pages.

  1. Open the YouTube app on Roku.
  2. Select Subscriptions from the navigation.
  3. Choose a channel and open its latest Videos item.
  4. If you see Shorts at the top, use the Shorts item menu to mark it as Not interested or avoid recommending that channel.
  5. If the behavior persists, use Search and browse the channel’s uploads.

Smart TV apps (Samsung/LG/WebOS/Tizen)

On Samsung and LG smart TVs, the menu labels and remote behavior can differ, but the “direct jump” method still helps: don’t rely on Home’s top rows.

  1. Open the YouTube app on your TV.
  2. Find Subscriptions in the navigation.
  3. Select a channel and play from the channel’s Uploads/Videos area.
  4. Use “not interested/don’t recommend” on Shorts cards you repeatedly see.
  5. Use Search if you can’t consistently reach the full video list.

Workarounds if the interface won’t cooperate

If the app continues to show Shorts above Subscriptions even after you re-navigate, these fixes usually address stale UI state or outdated app builds.

Clear app cache/data vs. full reinstall

On many TV systems, you’ll have an option to clear cached data for the YouTube app. Clearing cache can refresh feed rendering without fully disrupting sign-in.

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  • Clear cache: usually the safest first step.
  • Clear data (if available): more disruptive; may require re-authentication.
  • Reinstall: worst-case reset when the cache option isn’t enough.

If you’re not sure whether your TV supports these options, check the TV’s Settings → Apps → YouTube → Storage.

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Confirm you’re on the latest YouTube app build

UI behavior changes with app updates. If your TV updates apps manually, ensure YouTube is current.

Look for a YouTube app update in your TV’s app store and avoid testing on an old build—feed ranking changes are often rolled out gradually.

Sign out/in to refresh recommendation signals

If you recently changed viewing behavior or switched accounts, the feed can lag. Signing out and back in forces the app to re-sync your account profile and personalization signals.

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Be aware: this can briefly change what you see across Home until new signals stabilize.

Try a different Home tab or account profile

If your account has multiple profiles (common on some TV setups), or you use different Google accounts, the feed may look different depending on which profile the app is using.

Verify the correct account is selected in YouTube before concluding the behavior is unavoidable.

Common mistakes that make Shorts feel worse

  • Scrolling quickly through Shorts rows: you may be training engagement with that format.
  • Ignoring “not interested/don’t recommend” controls on the actual Shorts card.
  • Staying on Home when you want Subscriptions: Home is designed to blend formats.
  • Opening channels inconsistently: if you bounce between Home and channel pages randomly, recommendation ranking can keep reintroducing Shorts near the top.
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Troubleshooting checklist when the feed looks “stuck”

If Shorts keep appearing at the top and nothing you do changes it, follow this checklist in order.

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  1. Verify you’re in the correct place: open Subscriptions from the menu, not just the Home page.
  2. Restart the app: fully close YouTube and reopen it (not just pause).
  3. Reboot the TV: a fast power cycle can clear stuck UI state.
  4. Clear cache for the YouTube app (if your TV allows it).
  5. Update YouTube in the app store.
  6. Sign out/in to refresh your account state.
  7. Test another account (if possible) to confirm whether it’s account-specific personalization.

Comparison: using TV vs. mobile for a cleaner Subscriptions flow

The TV app is optimized for quick playback and remote browsing, which makes Shorts easier to surface. On mobile (iPhone/iPad), the UI often exposes stronger controls around channel browsing, and you may be able to reach uploads with fewer mixed-format rows.

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If you want a strict “subscriptions-first” experience, one pragmatic approach is:

  • Use iPhone or Android for discovering a channel’s latest uploads.
  • Then cast/play to your TV from the full video page.

This doesn’t remove Shorts from TV Home, but it helps you spend more time where you want: full-length videos from the channels you follow.

FAQs

Can I turn off Shorts completely on the YouTube app for TV?

On most TV setups, there isn’t a universal “disable Shorts” switch. The most reliable path is reducing visibility by using Subscriptions directly and using Not interested/Don’t recommend on Shorts that keep showing up.

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Will this change affect every account on my TV?

Not necessarily. Feed ranking is tied to your viewing history and the account’s personalization signals. Testing another logged-in account can clarify whether it’s account-specific.

Does skipping Shorts make the algorithm show them more?

It can. If you repeatedly engage with Shorts cards (even briefly), the system may interpret that as interest. Selecting full videos you actually want is often a better training signal.

Why do I still see Shorts inside Subscriptions after I open Subscriptions?

Some layouts blend formats within the same feed area. If you see Shorts right at the top, use Search to open the channel’s Videos/Uploads list, which is usually more consistent than scrolling a mixed feed.

What’s the fastest fix when nothing changes?

Update the YouTube app, restart the app, and then clear cache (or reinstall if necessary). If it’s still unchanged, sign out/in and verify you’re on the intended profile.

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Bottom Line

The YouTube app for TV adding Shorts above your Subscriptions feed is a ranking and UI choice, not a sign your subscriptions broke. Your best control comes from entering Subscriptions directly (or channel uploads via Search) and using the on-item personalization actions on Shorts you don’t want.

If the feed stays stubborn, update the app and refresh state with cache clearing, reinstall, or sign out/in. With those steps, you can usually get back to a full-video viewing flow—even when Shorts are eager to appear first.

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