PureTube

Hide Shorts, recommendations, and distractions on YouTube.

TL;DR PureTube removes Shorts, hides recommendations, blurs thumbnails, and auto-blocks distractions on a schedule. Watch what you came for. Leave when you're done. No data collected, no account needed. YOUR ATTENTION IS BEING EXPLOITED YouTube employs thousands of engineers to keep you scrolling. Shorts, autoplay, bright thumbnails, infinite recommendations — every pixel is optimized to steal your time. PureTube fights back. You decide what stays and what goes. WHAT YOU GET Block distractions instantly - Remove Shorts from your home feed, search results, and recommendations - Hide the sidebar "Up Next" rabbit hole on video pages - Remove the header navigation for distraction-free viewing - Any /shorts/ URL automatically opens as a normal video with full controls - Granular control: block Shorts on the home page but keep them in search, or vice versa Focus on what matters - Clean Mode strips watch pages to just the video and title — no comments, no sidebar, no buttons, no clutter - Duration Filter hides videos under your chosen length (10min to 1hr presets) — surface long-form content, skip the clickbait Calm your feed - Blur thumbnails so clickbait can't grab you (0–20px slider) - Grayscale thumbnails to neutralize color-driven impulse clicks (0–100%) - Reduce contrast to make your feed feel calm instead of loud (20–100%) - Hover any thumbnail to peek at the original - All three effects stack — find your perfect balance Automate your discipline - Create schedule rules: "Block Shorts Mon–Fri 9am–5pm" - Multiple time slots per day, per-day configuration - Choose which features activate during scheduled hours - Timezone-aware — works correctly when you travel - Green pulsing indicator shows when a schedule is active - Set it once, never think about it again Access settings from the page - Optional floating button in the corner of YouTube - Click to open full settings panel right on the page - Shows schedule status at a glance WHY IT ACTUALLY MATTERS Less stress YouTube's infinite scroll creates constant low-grade anxiety. Remove it and the background tension dissolves. You browse with intention and close the tab without guilt. Better focus Every recommendation and bright thumbnail is a micro-interruption. Research shows even seeing a suggestion causes measurable cognitive dip. PureTube removes interruptions at the source. Sharper memory Clean Mode eliminates distractions around educational videos. Less cognitive noise means better comprehension and retention of what you watch. Hours back in your day The average Shorts session burns 15–30 unplanned minutes. Over a month, blocking Shorts alone reclaims 10+ hours for work, exercise, reading, or rest. Less dopamine overstimulation Bright thumbnails trigger impulsive clicking. Visual friction (blur, grayscale, low contrast) dampens these triggers over time, helping your brain respond to content more intentionally. Better content quality The Duration Filter naturally surfaces documentaries, tutorials, and in-depth content by hiding short clickbait. Fewer videos watched, more value from each one. Sustainable habits Schedules remove willpower from the equation. Your brain stops expecting Shorts during work hours because they're simply never there. Discipline becomes automatic. Better sleep Schedule strict blocking after 10 PM — hide Shorts, enable grayscale, activate Clean Mode. Less stimulation before bed means faster sleep onset. ALL FEATURES Blocking Tab - Hide Shorts (master toggle + home/search/recommendations sub-toggles) - Hide Sidebar Recommendations - Hide Header Navigation - Shorts URL redirect to standard player - Visual preview of what gets hidden (hover the "i" button) - Enable/Disable All toggle Focus Tab - Clean Mode (video + title only on watch pages) - Duration Filter with slider (10s–1hr) and quick presets (10m, 20m, 30m, 45m, 1h) Visuals Tab - Blur slider (0–20px) - Grayscale slider (0–100%) - Contrast slider (20–100%) - Hover to reveal original thumbnail - Reset All button Schedule Tab - Named rules with per-day configuration - Multiple time slots per rule - Choose which features activate (Hide Shorts, Recommendations, Header, Clean Mode, Duration Filter) - Timezone selector (all IANA timezones) - Enable/disable individual rules - Visual indicator when schedule is active Floating Button - Optional on-page control (top-right corner) - Opens full settings dialog inline - Schedule indicator dot with hover tooltip Help Page - One-click tab reload for troubleshooting - Feature request board link - Email support contact - Version display PRIVACY - Zero data collection. Nothing leaves your browser. Ever. - No account required. Works immediately after install. - Only two permissions: storage (settings) and alarms (schedule). - Settings sync across devices via Chrome's built-in sync — not through us. - No analytics, no tracking, no A/B testing. GET STARTED Install PureTube. Shorts blocking is on by default. Explore the four tabs to customize. Set a schedule to automate. Done. Your attention is yours. Take it back.