# Time Machine (Google & YouTube)

> Travels through the web's timeline. Filters modern or past search results and videos on Google and YouTube.

Canonical page: [https://chrome-stats.com/d/time-machine-google-youtube](https://chrome-stats.com/d/time-machine-google-youtube)

## Overview

- **ID:** `time-machine-google-youtube`
- **Platform:** Firefox
- **Type:** Firefox add-on
- **Status:** Available
- **Publisher:** Zaki Aslam
- **Category:** search-tools
- **Daily users:** 6
- **Weekly downloads:** 3
- **Rating:** 1.00 / 5 (2 ratings)
- **Version:** 1.1.0
- **Last updated:** 2026-09-03
- **First published:** 2026-02-22
- **Size:** 29 KB
- **Data as of:** 2026-09-11
- **Store listing:** [Firefox Add-ons Store](https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/addon/time-machine-google-youtube/)

## Description

<strong>Time Machine</strong>

<strong>Overview</strong>

<strong>Time Machine</strong> is a lightweight, privacy-focused Firefox extension designed to give users total control over the chronological relevance of their search results and video feeds. It allows users to set a specific "Cutoff Date" to either <strong>filter out the future</strong> (maintaining a "retro" web experience) or <strong>filter out the past</strong> (ensuring only the most recent information is visible).

The extension targets the two most high-traffic platforms where chronological accuracy matters most: <strong>Google Search</strong> and <strong>YouTube</strong>.

<strong>Key Features</strong>
<ul><li><strong>Dual-Directional Filtering:</strong> * <strong>Hide Newer:</strong> Removes any results published <em>after</em> your target date. Perfect for researchers looking for historical context or users who miss the "old web."</li><li><strong>Hide Older:</strong> Removes any results published <em>before</em> your target date. Ideal for finding the absolute latest tutorials or news.</li><li><strong>Intelligent "Time Math":</strong> The extension doesn't just look at years; it parses relative timestamps (e.g., <em>"2 weeks ago"</em>, <em>"5日前"</em>) and calculates the exact publishing date in real-time to compare against your settings.</li><li><strong>Multi-Language Support:</strong> Fully compatible with both <strong>English</strong> and <strong>Japanese</strong> date formats and relative time strings.</li><li><strong>Platform-Specific Cleaning:</strong> * <strong>Google:</strong> Automatically hides AI Overviews and modern snippets when in "Hide Newer" mode.</li><li><strong>YouTube:</strong> Banishes YouTube Shorts, Live Streams, and Premieres that fall outside your selected timeline.</li><li><strong>Retro Aesthetic Dashboard:</strong> A glowing, terminal-style popup menu allows for quick toggling and precision date selection.</li></ul>

<strong>Technical Implementation</strong>
<ul><li><strong>Architecture:</strong> Built on <strong>Manifest V3</strong> using pure JavaScript, HTML5, and CSS3.</li><li><strong>Privacy First:</strong> The extension operates entirely on the client side. It does not collect user data, track browsing history, or communicate with external servers.</li><li><strong>Performance Optimized:</strong> Uses a <code>MutationObserver</code> combined with a debounced scanning logic to ensure minimal CPU impact, even on infinite-scroll pages like YouTube.</li><li><strong>Secure DOM Manipulation:</strong> Avoids unsafe methods like <code>innerHTML</code>, utilizing <code>textContent</code> and <code>createElement</code> to maintain high security standards and compliance with Mozilla’s Add-on policies.</li></ul>

<strong>Use Case</strong>

Whether you are a researcher trying to find primary sources from a specific era, a developer looking for documentation that isn't outdated, or simply someone who wants to escape the modern "AI-generated" search landscape, <strong>Time Machine</strong> provides a clean, automated way to browse the web at exactly the moment in time you choose.

## Rankings

- #41,395 — Overall
- #33 — machine
- #187 — cmd+m (mac)

## Permissions and access

### Permissions

- `storage`
- `activeTab`

### Host permissions

- `*://*.google.com/*`
- `*://*.google.co.in/*`
- `*://*.google.co.uk/*`
- `*://*.google.ca/*`
- `*://*.google.de/*`
- `*://*.google.fr/*`
- `*://*.google.co.jp/*`
- `*://*.google.com.au/*`
- `*://*.google.it/*`
- `*://*.google.es/*`
- `*://*.google.com.br/*`
- `*://*.google.nl/*`
- `*://*.google.pl/*`
- `*://*.google.com.mx/*`
- `*://*.google.co.id/*`
- `*://*.google.com.pk/*`
- `*://*.google.com.ng/*`
- `*://*.google.ch/*`
- `*://*.google.be/*`
- `*://*.google.at/*`
- `*://*.google.se/*`
- `*://*.google.ru/*`
- `*://*.google.co.za/*`
- `*://*.google.com.tr/*`
- `*://*.google.com.tw/*`
- `*://*.google.com.hk/*`
- `*://*.google.com.sg/*`
- `*://*.youtube.com/*`
- `*://*.duckduckgo.com/*`
- `*://*.bing.com/*`

### Content script matches

- `*.google.com`
- `*.google.co.in`
- `*.google.co.uk`
- `*.google.ca`
- `*.google.de`
- `*.google.fr`
- `*.google.co.jp`
- `*.google.com.au`
- `*.google.it`
- `*.google.es`
- `*.google.com.br`
- `*.google.nl`
- `*.google.pl`
- `*.google.com.mx`
- `*.google.co.id`
- `*.google.com.pk`
- `*.google.com.ng`
- `*.google.ch`
- `*.google.be`
- `*.google.at`
- `*.google.se`
- `*.google.ru`
- `*.google.co.za`
- `*.google.com.tr`
- `*.google.com.tw`
- `*.google.com.hk`
- `*.google.com.sg`
- `*.youtube.com`
- `*.duckduckgo.com`
- `*.bing.com`

## Safety

- **Risk impact:** Very high risk impact
- **Risk likelihood:** High risk likelihood

### Analysis details

- Request access to the following domains: google.com, co.in, co.uk, google.ca, google.de, google.fr, co.jp, com.au, google.it, google.es, com.br, google.nl, google.pl, com.mx, co.id, com.pk, com.ng, google.ch, google.be, google.at, google.se, google.ru, co.za, com.tr, com.tw, com.hk, com.sg, youtube.com, duckduckgo.com, bing.com
- This extension was recently updated in the past month. New updates may not be stable or safe.

> Some risk analysis details are omitted from this free response. [Upgrade to view the full analysis](https://chrome-stats.com/pricing).

## Similar extensions and apps

- [YouTube Time Machine](https://chrome-stats.com/d/youtube-time-machine) — 21 users
- [WayBackTube - Date Range Search](https://chrome-stats.com/d/waybacktube-date-range-search) — 2 users
- [YouTube TimeKeeper v2.0](https://chrome-stats.com/d/youtube-timestamp-url-updater) — 10 users, 5.00 / 5
- [Youtube fresh recommendations](https://chrome-stats.com/d/youtube-fresh-recommendations) — 8 users, 2.33 / 5
- [Video Time Manager](https://chrome-stats.com/d/video-time-manager) — 43 users, 1.00 / 5
- [Web Time Machine](https://chrome-stats.com/d/web-time-machine) — 1 users
- [Google Search Time Filter](https://chrome-stats.com/d/google-search-time-filter) — 2 users
- [Bookmark Time Machine](https://chrome-stats.com/d/bookmark-time-machine) — 1 users, 3.00 / 5
- [Youtube Timely Search](https://chrome-stats.com/d/youtube-timely-search) — 27 users, 5.00 / 5
- [YT-Tracker](https://chrome-stats.com/d/yt-tracker) — 3 users, 1.00 / 5
- [ClearTrace Browser - Automatic History Cleaner](https://chrome-stats.com/d/cleartrace-history-cleaner) — 7 users
- [YouTube Filter & timer](https://chrome-stats.com/d/youtube-filter-timer) — 3 users

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Source: [Chrome-Stats](https://chrome-stats.com/d/time-machine-google-youtube)