What I find annoying is that Mobile Safari opens the YouTube application when I tap a YouTube video link on an iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch while I am reading an article on the web. This is unnecessary because the YouTube website now works in mobile browsers (thanks to HTML5). If you want to disable this from happening (i.e. you just want to watch the movie directly in Safari), you need to follow these steps:
- Go to Navigate Settings > General > Restrictions (enable restrictions; if you have not done so already read this article for more info) then turn off YouTube.
Now YouTube links from Safari will not open the YouTube App. However, now the YouTube App is restricted and the icon from the home screen will disappear.
Obsessed with tech since the early arrival of A/UX on Apple, Sudz (SK) is responsible for the original editorial direction of AppleToolBox. He is based out of Los Angeles, CA.
Sudz specializes in covering all things macOS, having reviewed dozens of OS X and macOS developments over the years.
In a former life, Sudz worked helping Fortune 100 companies with their technology and business transformation aspirations.
Bob says
If you’re going to restrict the app, which prevents its use and removes it from the home screen, you might as well just delete the YouTube app from your phone.
Nasser says
Hi, I’ve tried to do what you’ve suggested here about stopping YouTube App from playing the videos instead of the browser. But it didn’t work, I couldn’t find anything about (Youtube) inside the (Restrictions) section.
Anonymous says
I looked in restrictions, and YouTube is not there, so I can’t turn it off