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

• Install the extension
• Click the shield icon in your toolbar
• Open Manage Channels and add your first educational channel
• 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.