Disable YouTube on Nintendo Switch

Learn how to block YouTube on your Nintendo Switch by creating a custom CleanBrowsing DNS profile. This requires a paid CleanBrowsing plan with custom domain blocking.

Step 1: Create a Profile

Log into your CleanBrowsing dashboard and navigate to the Profiles section.

  1. Click Create New Profile.
  2. Give it a name (e.g., "Kids" or "Nintendo Switch").
  3. Save the profile. This will generate dedicated DNS IP addresses for that profile.

Note: Custom profiles require a paid CleanBrowsing plan.

Step 2: Bind Your Network IP

In your CleanBrowsing dashboard, go to the Your Network section:

  1. Select the profile you just created (e.g., "Kids").
  2. Enter your local or public IP address.
  3. Click to add the IP to the DNS range for that profile.

This ensures that DNS requests from your network are associated with the correct filtering profile.

Step 3: Block YouTube

In your CleanBrowsing dashboard, go to the Custom Domains section:

  1. Select your profile (e.g., "Kids").
  2. Use the dropdown menu to find YouTube.
  3. Set YouTube to Blocked.
  4. Save your changes.

Tip: The free CleanBrowsing Family Filter enables YouTube Restricted Mode (moderate filtering) by default. To fully block YouTube, you need a paid plan with custom domain blocking.

Step 4: Configure DNS on Nintendo Switch

Now apply the custom DNS to your Nintendo Switch:

  1. Open System Settings from the home screen.
  2. Select Internet > Internet Settings.
  3. Select your Wi-Fi network and choose Change Settings.
  4. Scroll to DNS Settings and change from Automatic to Manual.
  5. Enter the Primary DNS and Secondary DNS addresses from your custom CleanBrowsing profile (found in your dashboard).
  6. Select Save.

For the full Nintendo Switch DNS setup walkthrough, see our Nintendo Switch DNS guide.

Step 5: Verify the Block

To confirm YouTube is blocked on your Nintendo Switch:

  1. Open the YouTube app on your Nintendo Switch (or try to access YouTube via the browser).
  2. The app should fail to load or display a block page.
  3. Allow 10-15 minutes for DNS changes to propagate. Toggle Wi-Fi off and on to force an immediate update.

You can also visit dnsleaktest.com from any device on the same network to verify CleanBrowsing DNS is active.

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