YouTube Guardian

YouTube Guardian — Block Non-Educational Channels

Take full control of your YouTube experience. YouTube Guardian lets you build a personal whitelist of educational channels and blocks everything else — so you (or your family) only watch content that matters.

Whether you're a student trying to stay focused, a parent managing screen time, or anyone who wants YouTube to be a learning tool rather than a distraction, YouTube Guardian puts you in charge.

How it works

When you open a YouTube video, YouTube Guardian instantly checks the channel against your approved list. If the channel is not on your whitelist, the video is blocked before it plays — no 10-second previews, no accidental autoplay. Simply add the channels you trust and everything else is blocked automatically.

Key Features

🛡️ Channel Whitelist Add channels by name, @handle, or YouTube URL. Only whitelisted channels are allowed to play. All other channels are blocked with a clear overlay explaining why.

⚡ Block YouTube Shorts Optionally disable YouTube Shorts entirely with a single toggle. Any visit to a /shorts/ URL is immediately blocked and redirected.

🔒 Password Lock Protect your settings with a password. Once enabled, adding or removing channels, disabling blocking, and changing settings all require the password — making it tamper-proof for shared devices and families.

📋 Import & Export Manage large whitelists easily. Import a list of channels in bulk by pasting names or handles, and export your list at any time to back it up or share it.

🚀 Instant Blocking Built to be fast. The video is paused the moment YouTube starts navigating — no playback window before the block appears.

🔁 Real-time Sync Changes to your whitelist take effect immediately across all open YouTube tabs — no refresh needed.

Privacy First

YouTube Guardian stores your whitelist and settings entirely within your browser using Firefox's built-in storage. No data is ever sent to any external server. No analytics, no tracking, no accounts required.

Getting Started

1. Install the extension
2. Click the shield icon in your toolbar
3. Open Manage Channels and add your first educational channel
4. Visit any YouTube video — channels not on your list will be blocked instantly

Perfect for students, parents, educators, and anyone who wants YouTube to work for them — not against them.