FilterTube Autor: Devansh Varshney

Take back control of your YouTube or YouTube Kids recommendations and search results. FilterTube helps you restore peace of mind to your digital video experience by blocking unwanted content, channels, and distractions.

Whether you are trying to avoid spoilers, hide specific topics, block toxic channels, or simply remove the addictive "Shorts" shelf, FilterTube runs entirely on your device to clean up your feed instantly.

Why FilterTube?

1. Fully Local & Private
   Runs entirely on your device. No accounts, no analytics, no tracking.
2. Works Everywhere on YouTube
   Filters content across Home, Search, Watch pages, Shorts, Playlists, and Kids.
3. Modern, Transparent Dashboard
   Includes stats, import/export backups, and a “What’s New” tab so you always know what changed.

Key Features

A. Content & Channel Filtering

1. Block videos that mention specific keywords (partial or exact match).
2. Block channels by handle, UCID, or legacy c/ChannelName.
3. Enable “Filter All Content” to hide any video that references a blocked channel.
4. Block channels directly from YouTube’s ••• menu, including playlists and collaborations.

B. Productivity Controls

1. Hide or filter Shorts everywhere (shelves, watch pages, sidebar).
2. Hide comments entirely or filter only toxic comments by keyword.
3. Collapse collaboration videos, live-chat spam, autoplay chains, and other distractions with a single toggle.

C. Import / Export Backups

1. Download a JSON snapshot of channels, keywords, Kids mode, and design preferences.
2. Merge saved backups without wiping existing lists; duplicates are handled automatically.
3. Imports are throttled to avoid mass identifier lookups.
4. Profile-aware export scopes: Master (Default) can export all profiles; non-master profiles are limited to “active profile only.” Plain or encrypted export; encrypted imports prompt for the PIN.

D. Dashboard & Stats

1. Clean, tab-based UI with quick actions and a dedicated Kids profile view.
2. Built-in Help section explaining every badge, toggle, and filter.
3. “What’s New” tab powered by release notes, so UI changes are never a surprise.
4. Time-saved tracking and hidden-item counts show how much clutter you’ve removed.

E. Privacy & Performance

1. 100% local processing—nothing leaves your browser.
2. Zero-flash filtering whenever possible, removing items before they render.
3. Lightweight CSS and JavaScript optimized to stay fast, even with thousands of blocked channels.

F. Profiles & PIN Protection

1. Profile types: Default (Master/admin), independent Account profiles, and Child profiles (inherit parent and honor locks).
2. Locks & PINs: Master PIN protects admin actions (full exports, profile management). Profile 3. PINs lock individual profiles; locked profiles disable toggles, exports, and auto-backup edits until unlocked.
3. Auto-backup is per-profile: mode/format/enable state follows the active profile; encrypted backups require the profile PIN; scheduling respects lock state.
4. UI parity: Popup and New Tab both honor locks/PINs; New Tab manages profiles (create/rename/delete, set/remove PIN) and export/import scopes.

FilterTube is currently in open beta and already supports the majority of YouTube surfaces, including Home, Search, Watch, Playlists, Shorts, and Kids.

FilterTube is ideal for parents creating a safer environment, students who need focus, and anyone tired of the algorithm dictating their feed.

Note: This extension is not affiliated with YouTube™ or Google Inc.