YouTube Recommendations Blocker: An App Idea to Curb Video Addiction
A lightweight browser extension that strips YouTube's algorithmic surfaces (home feed, watch-next, Shorts, end cards) so users can only reach videos they deliberately search for.
Ublock origin rules to make a video streaming website less addictive
The website I am referring to is the one owned by google. For me, the website has been my main addiction and it's been hard to avoid because sometimes I do watch productive things on there but for the most part it's a waste of time. To remedy this, and stop it from being addictive, I use the following ublock origin custom rules. Add y in front of outube. This allows me to use the site intentionally and prevents me from falling down rabbit holes.
The problem, in the searcher’s words
I can't stop watching YouTube. I open it to watch one specific video and end up falling down a rabbit hole of recommended and autoplay videos for an hour. I know some of what I watch is actually useful, so I don't want to block the whole site — I just want to stop the algorithm from pulling me into random suggestions.
People search for ways to disable the YouTube homepage feed, 'watch next' suggestions, end-screen video cards, and Shorts, usually using ad blockers like uBlock Origin with custom filter rules, or separate extensions, because there's no simple built-in way to turn off just the recommendation engine while still being able to search for and watch specific videos on purpose.
The workarounds people find (hand-written blocker rules, feed-eradicator extensions, maintaining a second 'clean' account) are all manual, technical, or high-effort, which is exactly the kind of friction a purpose-built tool could remove.
What the thread shows
A user shares a hand-built uBlock Origin filter set to strip YouTube's recommendation surfaces, and two commenters immediately validate the underlying problem with their own free workarounds (a feed-eradicator extension, a decoy 'clean' account) rather than pointing to a paid product.
“For me, the website has been my main addiction and it's been hard to avoid because sometimes I do watch productive things on there but for the most part it's a waste of time.”
“This allows me to use the site intentionally and prevents me from falling down rabbit holes.”
“The main issue with YT isn't necessarily the videos, in theory some of them are even useful right? So just block the feed then it'll force you to search for specific videos.”
“You can create another YT account and only watch productive videos on that account. Subscribe to good creators and click not interested on videos you don't want to see, and your feed should be filled with (almost) only productive videos.”
Target customer
Who
People who compulsively watch YouTube (or similar algorithm-driven video platforms) and want to keep using it for specific content without being pulled into recommendation-driven binge sessions.
Context
Hits when someone opens YouTube intending to watch one specific or 'productive' video but gets drawn into autoplay suggestions, end-screen cards, Shorts, or the homepage feed, derailing their time and focus.
What to build
- Toggle to hide the YouTube homepage/subscription feed
- Toggle to hide 'watch next' and end-screen suggestion overlays
- Toggle to hide Shorts from search results and homepage
- One-click master on/off switch for when the user wants normal browsing back
- No account or data collection required — rules run locally like uBlock filters
- Auto-updating filter rules so blocking doesn't break when YouTube changes its layout
Build note — Can be built as a browser extension using the same cosmetic/DOM element-hiding approach as uBlock Origin custom filters. The main engineering burden is maintenance: YouTube frequently changes DOM class names and layout, so the filter list needs ongoing upkeep or a maintained, subscribable rule list rather than a one-time build. No YouTube API access is needed since it only hides existing page elements.
Later, if it lands
Who’s already out there
General-purpose ad/content blocker that lets users write custom cosmetic filters to hide page elements, which is what the OP is doing to strip YouTube's recommendation UI.
Gap: Requires the user to manually write and maintain their own CSS/element-hiding rules (as OP had to); no friendly UI, presets, or toggles for non-technical users.
Browser extension that replaces distracting social/video feeds with a blank page or a quote, forcing users to navigate intentionally instead of scrolling a feed.
Gap: General-purpose feed blocker not tuned specifically to YouTube's watch-next, end-card, and Shorts surfaces described in the thread.
Browser extension that blocks or time-limits access to specified websites on a schedule.
Gap: Blocks access to the whole site/URL pattern rather than surgically removing the recommendation engine while still allowing intentional searched viewing.
Demand read
No monetary signals appear anywhere in the thread; both commenters respond with free DIY workarounds (an extension, a decoy account) rather than referencing or suggesting a paid tool, so willingness to pay is unproven here.
Worth digging into before you build
6 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
Only one post (score 3) and 2 substantive comments; very limited evidence base for a full page.
Single Voice
Only the OP describes personally struggling with YouTube addiction; both commenters offer fixes without corroborating their own pain.
Already Solved
Commenter icarusrex names News Feed Eradicator, and OP's own uBlock Origin custom filters already solve the described problem for free.
Generic Idea
Distraction/recommendation-blocking browser extensions are a saturated category (uBlock Origin, News Feed Eradicator, LeechBlock, Freedom, Cold Turkey already exist).
Weak Demand
No willingness-to-pay statements in the thread; the two proposed fixes are both free (extension, decoy account).
Verify Competitors
Unconfirmed whether News Feed Eradicator and LeechBlock NG currently support YouTube-specific Shorts/watch-next blocking as described; reviewer should check current feature sets.