How to block youtube app

[jesusfreak1]

How can I block youtube app on my devices? I have tired www.youtube.com which will block it from computers but not ipads etc. I have even tried www.m.youtube.com which is the mobile part and still no luck. Can anyone help me?

[mattwilson9090]

Apparently the search function is broken in the forum and you weren't able to find any of the at least a dozen threads on this same subject.

In a nutshell, OpenDNS is a DNS service, and only knows about domains, not websites, webpages, content, images, apps, URL's, or anything that is not strictly and only a domain. Look at the other threads on this topic, but you will likely need to look at your OpenDNS logs to determine what domains are being looked up so you can add them to your blacklist.

[rotblitz]

@jesusfreak1

The search function works for me.  I seem to be a privileged user.  ;-)

For example: https://support.opendns.com/hc/en-us/community/posts/220041787

"I have even tried www.m.youtube.com which is the mobile part"

For browsers, not for apps.  And it would be better to use m.youtube.com which covers this and all its subdomains like www.

[zah65434]

The thread is old and the solution does not work anymore.

[rotblitz]

Are there any evidences or facts for your statement?

Blacklisting the following domains should block both, access to YouTube with a browser and with an app:

• googlevideo.com
• ytimg.com
• youtube.com
• youtube-ui.l.google.com
• ytimg.l.google.com
• ytstatic.l.google.com
• youtubei.googleapis.com

In case it does not work, your problem is of a different nature:

Are you using OpenDNS at all?  http://welcome.opendns.com/

Is your IP address registered at https://dashboard.opendns.com/settings/ ?

[ahtet]

https://support.opendns.com/hc/en-us/community/posts/115018690203/comments/360000149123
Thanks.

It works well for old iPad mini.
But still able to play via YouTube app on new iPhone 8. As suspected "Data API requests (https://www.googleapis.com/youtube/v3"
I added 'googleapis.com" in block list, and got YouTube app fully blocked.
It might impact other apps too. Thanks.

[geo.zenmate.com]

Yeah that's a bit too broad - for instance it blocks the ability to authenticate during setup of a new Chromebook. I had to take this away again.

I wonder if the YouTube app is even using connectivity that uses a hostname lookup? If it's not then definitely outside the bounds of OpenDns to block anything. I'm sure someone would have the ability to sandbox the app or a device and see exactly what it does network-wise but that's not me.. Hmm.

[jcyberspace]

Blacklisting googleapis.com works!  I've tested it on both Apple iPads (IOS) and LG (andriod) phones. So the youtube app definately uses the DNS.

The downside is that it also blocks other Google apps including Gmail and Google Classroom app.

[samsyst]

I use the pcWRT router, which does this job nicely. You can either block YouTube, or put YouTube in restricted or moderate restricted mode. And you can set a timer on YouTube. https://www.pcwrt.com/2015/08/how-to-put-parental-lock-on-youtube/

[rotblitz]

As of https://support.opendns.com/hc/en-us/community/posts/360018312343

Try with blocking youtubei.googleapis.com.

[hockeyfreak]

I have tried all the suggestions in most of the threads, and Youtube still comes through. My IP is on the OpenDNS webpage, my network is active, I think everything is configured correctly. I want it blocked everywhere.  Any suggestions?

[rotblitz]

It looks like some of your devices or apps do not use OpenDNS.  Visit http://welcome.opendns.com/ on these devices to check it.

[hockeyfreak]

Apparently, it was just a matter of waiting. The next day everything was successfully blocked. I wish there was a quick "Pause" or disable method for turning off the filtering for short periods when I need to watch a Youtube tutorial.  Going into the router and changing to automatically choosing DNS is about it.  Oh well, it works for what I need for now. I'll learn how to build a PFSense router soon and hopefully tackle all this with that.

[rotblitz]

If it was a matter of waiting, then you didn't flush your local caches once after a settings change. 
https://support.opendns.com/hc/en-us/articles/227988627

[hockeyfreak]

Yep, I did exactly that, each time I added a new domain, and received successful flush responses each time. I'm sure there are more domains in there than I need, but nothing seems to be adversely affected. 

No matter though, it started working.  I can just adjust the DNS settings in the router when I need to view Youtube, and it seems to pick up blocking as soon as I change it back, so all good.  I guess I could use MAC filtering, then add the DNS settings to each device I wanted to restrict. I don't know if Firesticks and devices like that have that setting though.  Creating separate WIFI networks, one filtered and one not, might be possible also if the router supports it. I already have another router set up as an extender in my house though instead of buying an Orbi.