Owners of Xiaomi and Mi Box smart TVs often face the need to restrict access to certain content, whether it is intrusive advertising, unsuitable for children’s programs or simply annoying recommendations. The standard Android TV interface on which Xiaomi TV’s operating system is based does not have a direct “Block Channel” button in the usual sense, like locking a number in a phone book. However, there are several effective methods to achieve the desired result and clean the tape of unwanted debris.
In this article, we’ll look at all the ways you can go from the built-in features of the YouTube app itself to using Google TV system settings and third-party solutions, learning to hide specific videos, unsubscribe from authors, and customize profiles so that algorithms stop offering a certain type of content, especially for families with children, where controlling what they’re viewing is a priority.
Before you start to act, it is important to understand that complete technical blocking of access to the channel (so that it does not open at all under any conditions) is possible only through third-party blocking applications or router settings. We will work with visibility and recommendations, making unwanted content in your personal feed.
Using built-in concealment features in the YouTube app
The easiest and fastest way to remove annoying content is to use the tools provided by the YouTube app itself on the Android TV platform. This method does not block the channel forever for all users, but effectively cleans your personal feed "Recommendations" and "Main", the algorithms of the service receive a signal that this type of content is not interesting to you.
To implement this method, you'll need a remote control. Hover over the video preview or the channel name you want to hide, and click the Down button or the three-point button (depending on the version of the interface). In the context menu that opens, select the option "Do Not Interest or Do Not Recommend Channel." This action will instantly remove the video from the current output.
If you want to hide a particular video from your browsing history so that it doesn't affect future recommendations, you need to go to history. Go to Library → History. Find an unnecessary video, click on it and select Hide from your browsing history.
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Regularly cleaning your viewing history and using the “Not Interesting” button significantly improves the quality of recommendations during 2-3 weeks of active TV use.
It's worth noting that these actions are tied to a specific Google account, and if you have multiple people with different profiles on your TV, you need to apply the settings to each profile separately, and ignoring this rule will lead to the fact that in one profile the channel will be hidden, and in another - will continue to appear.
Parental Control and Restricted Mode
For family use of Xiaomi TVs, setting up a restricted mode is critical.This feature, known as Restricted Mode, filters content that may not be acceptable to children, even if you can't lock a particular channel manually.This isn't perfect protection, but the first serious barrier.
To activate this mode, open the YouTube app on your TV. Go to the bottom of the menu on the left and select Settings. In the list of options, find Restricted Mode and switch the switch to the On position. The system may ask you to enter a password from your Google account to confirm actions, which will prevent children from accidentally turning off the mode.
⚠️ Warning: Restricted access is not an absolute guarantee, it relies on automatic filters and metadata, so some videos can slip, and some harmless channels can be blocked by mistake.
In addition, if you have children, it is recommended to create a separate profile on the Android TV system or use the YouTube Kids app, which has more flexible lock settings. In YouTube Kids, you can manually select approved channels or, conversely, block specific videos and entire channels that you do not like through the settings menu within the app.
Managing subscriptions and account history
The fundamental way to get rid of the channel is to completely disconnect from it, and if you've ever subscribed to a channel, even by accident, the algorithms will continue to feed it, so the first step is to check the subscription list.
Go to the Subscription section of the main YouTube menu. Scroll through the list and find the channel you want to block. Click on it to open the channel page, and select the You Subscribe button to change status to Unsubscribe. This action will remove the channel from your personal update feed.
However, simply unsubscribe is not enough if you have previously watched videos from this channel. The system remembers your interests. You need to clear the browsing history associated with this author. This can be done through the web version of Google Account (myactivity.google.com), filtering the history on the YouTube product and removing all entries associated with the unwanted channel.
☑️ Cleaning the digital trace of the channel
After doing this, it is recommended to restart the Xiaomi TV to update the app cache. Press the off button on the remote or go to Settings → About TV → Reboot. This will cause the YouTube app to re-synchronize with the servers and apply all the changes in the recommendations.
Blocking through Google Family Link settings
The most powerful content management tool on Xiaomi TVs is a bundle with the Google Family Link app, which allows you to remotely manage a child’s account that is logged in to the TV and block access to specific channels at the Google server level.
First, you create a children's Google account and add it to the family group through the Family Link app on the parent's smartphone, and then add it to the user profile on the Mi TV, and when the child logs into YouTube under their profile, all settings set by the parents take effect.
In the Family Link app, you can select YouTube management on your parent's phone, and you can choose "Only Permitted Content" (for children under 13) or age-based filtering, and you can manually blacklist channels, and when your child tries to find a blocked channel on the TV, they will see a message that the content is not available.
| Method | Efficiency | Difficulty | Coverage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Not interested button | Low (temporary) | Low. | Only recommendations |
| Unsubscribe and clean up history | Medium | Medium | Tape and search |
| Family Link | Tall. | Tall. | Full account access |
| Third-party blockers | Maximum | Tall. | All device traffic |
Family Link is particularly convenient because it allows you to change your settings on the fly without having to take a remote from your TV, so you can lock the channel while your child is asleep, and the restriction will apply instantly the next time you turn on the TV.
Use of the DNS-filtering and third-party applications
For advanced users who want to block a channel at the network level, there are methods DNS-This allows you to deny access to domains through which content of certain providers or services is broadcasted, although you can block one particular YouTube channel through the Internet. DNS It is difficult to block the entire service or use specialized services. DNS with parental control (e.g. AdGuard) DNS or Yandex.DNS).
To set this up on a Xiaomi TV, go to Settings → Network and Internet. Select your connection (Wi-Fi or Ethernet) and change your IP settings from Automatic to Manual. In the DNS 1 and DNS 2 field, enter the addresses of the selected filtering service. For example, you can use 77.88.8.7 (Yandex) servers or AdGuard addresses for basic protection against advertising and adult content.
List of popular DNS for filtering
There are also specialized applications-blockers for Android TV, can be installed through APK-Sideloading, because the official Google Play store may not have them on TV, such as the Blokada app, which works as a local app. VPN-filter, cutting off requests to known trackers and advertising domains.
It is important to understand that installing third-party software on a TV requires permission to install from unknown sources. → Security and limitations → Unknown sources. Be careful and download. APK-files only from official websites of developers, so as not to infect the TV system with malicious code.
Frequent problems and their solution
When setting up locks, users often find that the changes do not take effect immediately, this is due to aggressive data caching on the Android TV system. If you blocked a channel, but it still appears, try forcibly stop the YouTube app.
To do this, go to Settings → Apps → All Apps → YouTube → Forced Stop. After that, start the app again. It is also useful to clear the app data, but keep in mind that this will reset all the settings inside YouTube, and you will have to log in again.
⚠️ Note: Clearing the YouTube app data will delete all local settings, playlists saved offline, and require you to re-sign in to your Google account. Use this method only if other methods do not help.
Another common problem is device synchronization: If you watch YouTube on your phone and TV under the same account, your phone browsing history can spoil recommendations on your TV, check your account activity history regularly, and delete the extra one.
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A comprehensive approach combining clearing history, setting up Family Link and using the Not Interesting button gives the best result in the fight against unwanted content.
Additional recommendations on digital hygiene
Keeping YouTube feed clean is a continuous process: Algorithms are constantly being trained, and sometimes just one random viewing is enough for the system to start offering similar content again, and regularly "review" your subscriptions and stories.
Use the incognito feature in the YouTube app if you want to watch a video that shouldn’t affect your recommendations.Incognito, browsing history and search queries are not saved, which is ideal for one-time views of specific content.
Remember that Xiaomi TV is a full-fledged Android device. You can install a browser and use extensions to block ads (for example, AdBlock in Kiwi Browser) if you watch YouTube through the web version, although the native application usually works more stable.