# YouTube Time Machine
> Search for forgotten YouTube videos using old camera naming patterns
Canonical page: [https://chrome-stats.com/d/youtube-time-machine](https://chrome-stats.com/d/youtube-time-machine)
## Overview
- **ID:** `youtube-time-machine`
- **Platform:** Firefox
- **Type:** Firefox add-on
- **Status:** Available
- **Publisher:** frankmeeuwsen
- **Category:** search-tools,photos-music-videos,games-entertainment
- **Daily users:** 21
- **Version:** 1.1
- **Last updated:** 2025-05-04
- **First published:** 2025-04-28
- **Size:** 36 KB
- **Data as of:** 2026-09-11
- **Store listing:** [Firefox Add-ons Store](https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/addon/youtube-time-machine/)
- **Website:** [https://frankmeeuwsen.com/youtube-timemachine](https://frankmeeuwsen.com/youtube-timemachine)
## Description
🕰️ YouTube Time Machine: Discover Hidden YouTube Treasures!
Ever wondered what people were uploading to YouTube in its early days? This extension helps you discover forgotten YouTube content by searching for old camera file naming patterns.
HOW IT WORKS:
* When people uploaded videos in YouTube's early days, they often didn't rename their files
* Camera manufacturers used specific naming patterns (like IMG_0101, DSC_0234)
* By searching these patterns, we can find authentic, unedited videos from the past
FEATURES:
📅 Search random characters based on date
- Select any date and search with various camera models
- Instantly search using today's date
- The month and day of the selected date are used as characters in the searchquery (May 7th with iPhone model becomes IMG_0507)
- Supports multiple camera formats including iPhone, Canon, Nikon, and more
🎲 Random Time Warp
- Let fate decide and jump to a random point in YouTube's history
- Combines random camera models with random numbers
- Perfect for discovering unexpected vintage content
SUPPORTED CAMERA FORMATS:
- iPhone/iOS (IMG_)
- Sony/Nikon (DSC_)
- Canon Video (MVI_)
- Generic Digital Camera (DCIM)
- QuickTime (MOV_)
- Fujifilm (DSCF_)
- Android (VID_)
- GoPro (GOPR)
- Panasonic (100_)
WHY USE THIS EXTENSION?
- Discover authentic, unedited content from YouTube's early days
- Find rare videos that might be hard to find through regular search
- Experience YouTube's history through real user uploads
- Perfect for nostalgia lovers and digital archeologists
- Simple and easy-to-use interface
PRIVACY FIRST:
- No data collection
- No tracking
- Works completely locally
- No external connections except to YouTube
Start your journey through YouTube's past today!
You can read about the process of making this extension on my blog
This extension is inspired by the article from Thomas Germain: The hidden world beneath the shadows of YouTube's algorithm
Note: Results may vary as they depend on how videos were originally uploaded to YouTube.
Both the author and the browser extension are in no way affiliated to Youtube, Google or Alphabet.
## Rankings
- #24,206 — Overall
- #16 — machine
- #80 — cmd+m (mac)
## Permissions and access
### Permissions
- `tabs`
## Safety
- **Risk impact:** Moderate risk impact
- **Risk likelihood:** Moderate risk likelihood
### Analysis details
- Grants access to browser tabs, which can be used to track user browsing habits and history, presenting a privacy concern.
- This extension website URL may be invalid
> Some risk analysis details are omitted from this free response. [Upgrade to view the full analysis](https://chrome-stats.com/pricing).
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Source: [Chrome-Stats](https://chrome-stats.com/d/youtube-time-machine)