How to block YouTube on Xiaomi TV: all the ways of 2026

Xiaomi TVs with Android TV or MIUI TV provide access to a huge amount of content, including YouTube, a platform that can distract children from learning, show unwanted ads or just take up time when you need to focus on something else. If you’re looking for a way to permanently remove YouTube from the screen, temporarily restrict access to it or hide the app from prying eyes, this article will help you understand all the nuances.

Unlike smartphones, where application locking is implemented through standard settings, Xiaomi TVs (including Mi TV 4A/4S/5 Pro, Redmi Smart TV and others) require a more flexible approach. There is no universal “switch” – you will have to combine system tools, router settings and even third-party solutions. We tested all the current methods on firmware 2023-2026 and selected those that work stably, do not break the system and do not require root rights.

It’s important to understand that some ways (such as blocking through hosts) can affect the performance of other Google services, and resetting the TV settings will return YouTube back, so before you start, we recommend taking a picture of the current settings or writing them down on paper.

1. YouTube blocking through parental controls on MIUI TV

The most obvious and safe way to do this is to use the built-in parental control feature that is on all Xiaomi TVs. MIUI TV (including Mi TV Q1/Q2 Redmi Smart TV This method does not physically delete the application, but restricts access to it by PIN-code.

To activate the restriction:

1. Open Settings → Accounts and Security → Parental Controls
2. Enter the standard. PIN-code 0000 (unless changed).
3. Select the item Restriction of applications.
4. Find it in the YouTube list and check the box.
5. Save the changes and set a new PIN (write it down!).

Now, when you try to open YouTube, the system will require input. PIN-This method does not block YouTube in the browser or through third-party launchers - only the standard application.

⚠️ Attention: If you forget PIN-code, you can reset it only through a complete reset of the TV to the factory settings (Settings) → On TV. → Data reset. This will delete all installed apps and accounts!

Make sure the TV is connected to the internet

Write the standard PIN (0000) on paper

Check the version of MIUI TV (relevant for firmware 2022+)

Turn off the automatic YouTube update on Google Play-->

2. YouTube Removal via Android TV Settings (for models with pure Android)

Xiaomi Android TVs (such as the Mi TV Stick or some Mi TV P1) let you disable or remove YouTube as a regular app, a way that is more radical than parental control, but requires caution.

Instructions:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Installed Applications.
2. Find YouTube in the list (could be called com.google.android.youtube.tv).
3. Select Disable (the app will disappear from the menu but stay in the system) or Remove updates (return to the factory version).
4. Confirm the action.

If the Remove button is inactive, YouTube is a system application and it cannot be removed without root rights, in which case only blocking through ADB will help (see section 4).

Mi TV 4A/4S|Mi TV Q1/Q2|Redmi Smart TV|Mi TV Stick| Another model-->

3.Shiding YouTube through Alternative Launchers

If you can't delete or block YouTube, you can simply hide it from the main menu, and you'll need a third-party launcher, like an ATV Launcher or a Hal Launcher, which allows you to customize the look of the screen and hide unnecessary icons.

How to install and configure:

1. Download. APK-Launcher file (for example, Hal Launcher) on the flash drive.
2. Connect the flash drive to the TV and install the application through the File Manager → Install.
3. Launch the launcher and select it as the main one in the settings (Settings → Applications → Default Launcher).
4. In the launcher settings, find the Hidden Apps section and add YouTube there.

The advantage of this method is flexibility: you can return YouTube to the menu at any time, but launchers can conflict with the proprietary shell of MIUI TV, so make a backup of the data before installing.

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If after installing the launcher, the sound disappeared or the remote stopped working, try rolling back changes through Settings → Applications → Reset preferences.

4. Block YouTube via ADB (for power users)

If you need to completely deactivate YouTube at the system level, you can use the ADB (Android Debug Bridge) command, which works on all Xiaomi TVs, but requires a PC connection and basic command line knowledge.

Step-by-step:

1. Turn on USB Debugging on TV: Settings → About TV → Assembly number (click 7 times) Settings → Developers → USB debugging (enable)
2. Connect the TV to the PC via USB-cable (may be necessary) OTG-adapter).
3. Download ADB Tools and unpack it on PC.
4. Open the command line in the folder with ADB and execute: Adb devices (device should appear)
5. Enter the command to disable YouTube: adb shell pm hide com.google.android.youtube.tv or to completely remove (requires root): adb shell pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.google.android.youtube.tv

Once you complete the command, YouTube will disappear from the system. To return it, use:

adb shell pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.google.android.youtube.tv

(Replace uninstall with enable to enable).

⚠️ Attention: Misuse of the right ADB It can cause data loss or firmware damage. Do not follow commands unless you are sure of their purpose!

5. Block YouTube at the router level (for all devices on the network)

If you want to block YouTube not only on your TV, but on all devices on your home network (smartphones, tablets), the easiest way to do this is through router settings, which is independent of the TV model and works even if YouTube is installed as a system application.

Instructions for routers Xiaomi Mi Router, TP-Link, Keenetic:

1. Open the router control panel (usually at 192.168.0.1 or 192.168.1.1).
2. Find the Parental Controls or Content Filtering section.
3. Add to the blacklist domains: youtube.com googlevideo.com ytimg.com

Apply the settings and restart the router.

For Xiaomi routers with MiWiFi firmware, the path will be: Settings → Additional → Parental Controls → Filtering Rules.

This way blocks YouTube on all devices connected to the router, including smartphones, and to get around the lock, you just need to connect to another network (for example, via mobile Internet).

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Blocking through a router is the only way that works even if YouTube is installed as a system application or opened through a browser.

6. Alternative methods: disabling updates and resetting settings

If none of these methods work, you can try to roll YouTube back to the factory version or even reset the TV to the original settings, which are less elegant, but sometimes the only solution.

Disabling YouTube updates:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Google Play Store.
2. Find YouTube in the list of installed apps.
3. Click Remove Updates.
4. Return to Google Play → Settings → Auto-Update Apps and select Do Not Update Automatically.

Reset the TV to factory settings:

This method will delete all data, including accounts and apps installed, but return the TV to a “out of the box” state.YouTube will disappear from the main menu, but it can be installed again through Google Play.

Way: Settings → About TV → Data Reset → Reset all settings.

After the reset, we recommend you immediately disable automatic app updates and set up parental controls so that YouTube does not reappear.

7. Frequent problems and their solutions

When you block YouTube on Xiaomi TVs, users experience common mistakes, and here are the most common ones and ways to fix them:

• 🔄 YouTube disappeared but returned after update: Disable automatic app updates on Google Play or block updates via Google Play ADB Adb shell dpm set-device-owner com.google.android.gm/.deviceadmin.GmailDeviceAdminReceiver
• 📱 Remote does not respond after launcher installation: Return the standard launcher via Settings → Annexes → Default launcher or reset remote settings (Settings) → DU remote → Reset).
• 🌐 YouTube opens via browser: Install an ad blocker (like Blokada) or block YouTube domains via hosts file (requires root).
• 🔒 Forgotten. PIN Parental Control: The only way out is to reset the TV to factory settings (Settings) → On TV. → Data resetting).

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If the TV started to slow down after blocking YouTube, check the free space in memory (Settings → Storage) and clear the cache of the applications.

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions