Change the Shorts URL manually
A Shorts URL contains the video ID after /shorts/. Copy that ID and place it after /watch?v=. The video itself does not change; only the YouTube player does.
youtube.com/shorts/VIDEO_ID→youtube.com/watch?v=VIDEO_IDSteps to change a Shorts URL
- Copy the Shorts URL from the address bar.
- Replace /shorts/ with /watch?v= and keep the video ID.
- Press Enter to load the regular watch page.
Why use the regular player?
The standard player gives you a normal timeline, playback controls, description, comments, and familiar navigation. More importantly, finishing the clip does not leave you inside a swipe-first Shorts feed.
Make the conversion automatic
Unshort watches for Shorts navigation on desktop YouTube and changes the route to the standard watch page. This also works when YouTube navigates without a full page reload, so you do not have to edit every URL by hand.
What to expect
YouTube can change its markup and routes over time. If a link is not converted, reload the tab and check that the redirect switch is enabled. The manual URL method remains a useful fallback.
What the automatic URL conversion preserves
Unshort extracts the video ID from /shorts/VIDEO_ID and opens /watch?v=VIDEO_ID. If the shared link includes a start time in t or start, the converted URL keeps that time. Other sharing and tracking parameters are not needed to identify or play the video and are not copied.
This behavior is covered by automated tests for relative and absolute Shorts URLs, normal watch URLs, video-ID extraction, and conversion. The video stays on YouTube; Unshort changes the route and player, not the media itself.
Choose the manual method or the extension
Manual editing is useful for an occasional link and requires no installation. The extension is useful when Shorts links arrive repeatedly from search, messages, or recommendations and the same conversion would otherwise become a repeated task. Unshort is limited to desktop Chrome and does not modify the YouTube mobile app. See the documented limitations before installing.
FAQ
Does changing the URL change the video?
No. It opens the same video ID in a different YouTube player.
Does this work in the YouTube mobile app?
The URL pattern may open in a browser, but Unshort itself is designed for desktop Chrome, not the mobile app.