How to Block YouTube on Xiaomi Phone: From Parental Controls to Hidden MIUI Features

Do you want to restrict access to YouTube on a Xiaomi smartphone — whether it’s for a child to protect them from unwanted content, or for yourself to save time and traffic? In this article, we’ll break down all the working ways to lock on Redmi, Poco, Black Shark and other MIUI shell lineups (including the latest versions of MIUI 14 and HyperOS).

It's important to understand that simply removing an app won't solve the problem -- you can open YouTube through a browser or reinstall it. So we'll focus on system methods that block access at the MIUI, Google Play, and even the router level. Some of the ways will require administrator rights, others will work without them. Choose the right option depending on your model (Redmi Note 12, Poco X5, Xiaomi 13T, etc.) and the firmware version.

Before you start, check:

• 📱 Version MIUI: Settings → The phone. → Version. MIUI. This depends on the availability of certain functions.
• 👤 Account status: If the phone is linked to the child’s Mi Account, some settings may be blocked.
• 🔒 Developer rights: Some methods will require activation (Settings) → The phone. → Version. MIUI — tap 7 times).

1.Block YouTube through MIUI parental controls

The most formal and secure way is to use the built-in parental controls in MIUI, which allows you not only to block apps, but also to set time limits, filter content by age, and works on all models starting with MIUI 10.

How to set up:

1. Open Settings → Special Options → Parental Controls.
2. Create a profile of your child (you will need to link to your Mi Account).
3. In the Application Limits section, find YouTube and set the switch to the Locked position.
4. Activate Application Installation Block to prevent re-installation.

⚠️ Note: If your child knows the password for your Mi Account, they can reset the settings.

Have you set a password for changing your settings?|Blocked installation of new applications|Is access to Google Play disabled?|Whether payments are hidden in apps-->

2. Delete YouTube as a system application (without root)

YouTube on Xiaomi is often installed as a system app, so simply removing it through the menu won't work. However, there is a workaround using ADB (Android Debug Bridge) This method doesn't require root rights, but it will require a computer.

Step-by-step:

1. Enable USB Debugging in Settings → For Developers.
2. Connect your phone to your PC and confirm your trust in your computer.
3. Open the command line (Windows) or terminal (Mac/Linux) and type: Adb devices Make sure the device is defined.
4. Follow the command to delete YouTube: adb shell pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.google.android.youtube

⚠️ Warning: After rebooting or resetting, YouTube may recover.To avoid this, freeze the app through Settings → Annexes → Application management → YouTube → Shut down.

3. Blocking through Digital Wellbeing (Google)

If your Xiaomi has Google services installed (which is typical for global firmware), you can use the built-in Digital Wellbeing app, which allows you to limit the time of use of applications and completely block them.

How to set up:

• 🔧 Open the Settings. → Digital Wellbeing and Parental Control.
• 📊 Select the Control Panel and find YouTube in the list.
• ⏳ Click on the sand clock (Timer app) and set the limit of 0 minutes.
• 🔒 Activate the lock after the time has expired.

Important: This method blocks YouTube only under your Google profile, so if there are multiple accounts on your phone, you need to set the lock for everyone.

4. Block YouTube at the router level (for all devices)

If you want to block YouTube on all devices on your home network (including Xiaomi, tablets, PCs), the easiest way to do this is through the router settings. This method is independent of the phone model and works even if the lock is reset.

Instructions for popular routers:

• 📶 Xiaomi Mi Router: Settings → Parental control → Blacklist → Add the domain youtube.com.
• 🌐 TP-Link: Additional settings → Networking tools → Parental control → Add a rule.
• 🖧 ASUS: Administration → Parental control → Turn it on. → Adding the site to the blacklist.

To bypass the lock via VPN or DNS, the router can also:

1. Block ports 443 and 80 for YouTube domains.
2. Disable access to alternative DNSs (e.g. 8.8.8.8, 1.1.1.1).

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If the lock through the router does not work, check whether the phone uses mobile Internet (4G/5G). In this case, you need to further adjust the restrictions of the operator (for example, through the USSD-team *111# for MegaFon).

5. Use of third-party applications (without root)

If built-in methods don't work, you can use specialized blocking apps that offer flexible settings, including time lock, password protection, and content filtering.

Top.-3 apps:

• 🔐 AppBlock: blocks apps on schedule, supports multiple profiles, works without root.
• 🛡️ Norton Family: filters content, blocks YouTube for keywords, sends activity reports.
• 🕒 StayFocusd: limits the time you use YouTube, blocks after the limit expires.

⚠️ Warning: When installing third-party blockers, turn off battery optimization for them (Settings) → Battery → Optimizing the battery → Select the application → Without restrictions, otherwise the lock may be reset.

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The app side is the most flexible way, but they consume an extra battery and can conflict with MIUI. Test them in safe mode before constant use.

Hidden MIUI functions: background and data limitations

MIUI offers hidden settings that allow you to restrict YouTube without completely blocking, such as turning off background activity, disabling mobile data use, or restricting notifications.

How to set up:

• 📵 Banning mobile internet: Settings → SIM-maps and mobile networks → Transfer of data → Background restriction → YouTube → Shut down.
• 🚫 Limitation of Notifications: Settings → Notifications → YouTube → Shut it down.
• 🔄 Autostart Limitation: Settings → Battery → Auto-start → YouTube → Shut down.

These methods don't block YouTube completely, but they make it less convenient to use, like videos being loaded only over Wi-Fi, and notifications will stop distracting, for those who want to reduce their time on the app, but not delete it altogether.

7.Extreme measures: lock via host file (for advanced)

For users with root rights or an unlocked bootloader, a method of editing a hosts file is available, which will allow you to block YouTube at the system level, including access through the browser.

Instructions:

1. Install Root Explorer or any file manager with root access.
2. Go to /system/etc/hosts and open the file in the text editor.
3. Add the lines: 127.0.0.1 youtube.com 127.0.0.1 www.youtube.com 127.0.0.1 m.youtube.com 127.0.0.1 youtu.be
4. Save the file and restart the phone.

⚠️ Warning: Incorrect editing of the hosts file can lead to loss of Internet access.Before changing, back up the original file.This method is not recommended for beginners.

FAQ: Frequent questions about blocking YouTube on Xiaomi