YouTube's break and bedtime reminders: how to set them

Quick answer

The YouTube app has two built-in nudges most adults never turn on. They're off by default for anyone 18 or over.

What 125x is: 125x is a web app at 125x.app. You connect your YouTube subscriptions, and it gives you a feed of the latest videos from the channels you follow, each with a summary: a verdict, the 5 key takeaways, and the spoiler, plus Actionable and Lessons tabs with more tips. You read that and decide what's actually worth opening.

Open 125x

Take a break reminder

Tap your profile picture.
Tap Settings, then General.
Turn on Remind me to take a break and choose how often.

The reminder pauses your video until you dismiss it. It works on phones only.

Tablets are left out. The timer resets if you close the app, switch devices or pause for over 30 minutes (YouTube Help).

Bedtime reminder

Tap your profile picture.
Tap Settings, then General.
Turn on Remind me when it's bedtime and set a start and end time.

You can let it wait until your video finishes. When it goes off, you can dismiss it or get reminded again in 15 minutes (YouTube Help).

Make them work

Set the break reminder shorter than you think, like 30 minutes.
Pick a bedtime 30 minutes before you actually want to sleep.
When it pops up, close the app. Don't snooze.
Pair it with autoplay off.

FAQ: questions people ask

How do I set a break reminder on YouTube?

Profile picture, Settings, General, then turn on Remind me to take a break and pick a frequency.

Does YouTube have a bedtime reminder?

Yes. In the mobile app, go to Settings, General, and turn on Remind me when it's bedtime.

Why didn't my YouTube break reminder go off?

The timer resets if you close the app, switch devices, sign out or pause for more than 30 minutes.