An Android app to block websites with whitelist exceptions
An Android website blocker that lets users blacklist a domain but whitelist specific URL patterns (e.g. Reddit post links, YouTube watch/playlist URLs) so they can use sites intentionally without falling into the algorithmic feed.
Whitelist/blacklist app/website blocking for mobile
Hello, Im reallllly bad about mindlessly scrolling on my phone/computer on website like reddit, google's video platform, tiktock etc. on my computer ive found the stayfocusd extension which is perfect. it can fully block websites like tiktock which has zero merit to me personally. but with websites like reddit I use stayfocusd to block the main domain but add whitelist to allow for viewing posts that I open from like a web search. which I have to be able to do. it's why I cant just fully block it on my phone. Is there anything like this for android where I can block a full website but add a whitelist carveout. I do the same thing for youtub I block the full domain but allow the urls that correlate with videos, watch later, playlists, and channels. google's video platform is still perfectly usable to me just no algorithmic bs keeping on the platform once im done watching the shit i specficially came to it for. (ive found a fix for youtbe on my phone by running revanced but reddit still torments me)
The problem, in the searcher’s words
I keep mindlessly scrolling on reddit, YouTube, and TikTok on my phone, but I don't want to fully cut myself off from these sites — just the parts that suck me in. On desktop I use StayFocusd to block the main domain (like reddit.com or the YouTube homepage) while whitelisting specific URL patterns, so I can still open a post I found from a web search or watch a video someone sent me, without landing back in the algorithmic feed.
I can't find anything that does this on Android. Most blockers either block an app/site completely or don't let you carve out exceptions based on the actual URL (e.g. allow /r/subreddit/comments/ links but block reddit.com's front page, or allow YouTube watch/playlist/channel URLs but block the homepage and recommended feed). I've hacked together a partial fix for YouTube using ReVanced, but Reddit still has no equivalent, and it's driving me crazy.
What the thread shows
One user describes a specific, well-articulated gap (URL-pattern-level whitelisting inside a domain block) that they've solved on desktop but cannot solve on Android; the thread has zero comments, so there's no corroboration that others share this exact need.
“Is there anything like this for android where I can block a full website but add a whitelist carveout.”
“on my computer ive found the stayfocusd extension which is perfect. it can fully block websites like tiktock which has zero merit to me personally.”
“I use stayfocusd to block the main domain but add whitelist to allow for viewing posts that I open from like a web search.”
“no algorithmic bs keeping on the platform once im done watching the shit i specficially came to it for.”
Target customer
Who
Power users of productivity/focus tools who already use domain blockers like StayFocusd or browser extensions and want the same fine-grained control on their phone
Context
They use social/video platforms functionally (searching for a specific post or video) but get pulled into algorithmic feeds (homepage, 'For You', recommended videos) once they open the app, and want to block only the feed/algorithm surfaces while keeping direct-link access.
What to build
- Domain-level blacklist (block reddit.com, youtube.com, tiktok.com, etc.)
- Whitelist rule engine based on URL path/regex patterns (allow /r/*/comments/*, /watch?v=*, etc.)
- Preset rule templates for common sites (Reddit, YouTube, Twitter/X) so users don't have to write regex themselves
- A method to actually intercept and evaluate URLs on Android (VPN-based traffic filtering or Accessibility Service, since HTTPS hides paths from most VPN filters)
- Simple block/allow feedback so users understand why a page was blocked or allowed
- Manual override or scheduled 'break glass' access for edge cases
Build note — On Android, HTTPS encrypts the URL path, so a standard VPN-based content filter can typically only see the domain (via SNI), not the full path needed for pattern-based whitelisting. Achieving true URL-level rules likely requires either a custom in-app browser, a browser extension (if targeting Chrome for Android, which has limited extension support), or an Accessibility Service reading rendered screen/URL bar content — each has real platform constraints worth validating before building.
Later, if it lands
Who’s already out there
Chrome extension that blocks distracting sites and supports whitelist/blacklist rules, including path-based exceptions.
Gap: Desktop/Chrome-only; the OP explicitly says they need an Android equivalent and can't find one.
Android/iOS app that blocks websites and apps, with some scheduling and focus-mode features.
Gap: Blocking is generally domain-level, not fine-grained URL-path whitelisting within a blocked domain.
Cross-platform app/website blocker with scheduling and session-based blocking.
Gap: Built for blocking entire sites/apps during sessions; not designed for allowing specific URL patterns while blocking the rest of a domain.
Demand read
The thread shows a specific, plausible unmet need, but with zero comments and no statements about paying for a tool or existing paid workaround, there's no evidence of willingness to pay or that the need is shared beyond the OP.
Worth digging into before you build
5 to considerNo idea is a sure thing at this stage — these are open questions worth checking yourself, not a verdict against building it.
Thin Source
Post has 0 comments and only 1 (67% upvoted) score — no corroborating discussion to validate demand.
Single Voice
Only the OP articulates this pain; no commenters confirm they want the same feature.
Weak Demand
No statements about paying for a tool, price points, or costly workarounds appear anywhere in the thread.
Quotes Need Scrub
The quote 'no algorithmic bs keeping on the platform once im done watching the shit i specficially came to it for' contains mild profanity and should be reviewed before publishing.
Verify Competitors
BlockSite and Freedom's exact feature sets (whether they support URL-path-level whitelisting) were not confirmed against the thread and should be double-checked.