A free browser extension is being presented as a way to make YouTube less distracting by removing many of the features designed to keep viewers watching.

The tool, called Unhook, can hide homepage recommendations, the video sidebar, Shorts, comments, autoplay and suggestions shown after a video ends. Its most significant setting, “Hide Homepage Feed,” replaces the usual grid of recommended videos with a largely empty page containing search and navigation.

The account promoting the extension says YouTube remains fully functional after the changes: “YouTube still works normally, but you decide what to watch.”¹ Users can enable each feature separately, allowing them, for example, to remove Shorts while keeping comments or homepage recommendations.

Installation follows a straightforward sequence. Users open their browser’s extension store, search for Unhook and install it, then select the functions they want from the extension’s icon. The changes apply directly to YouTube and do not require adjustments to the user’s account.

Unhook is available for Chrome, Firefox and Microsoft Edge on desktop computers. On Android, it can be used through Firefox, which supports extensions; it does not alter the official YouTube mobile app.

The same account identifies a key trade-off: hiding recommendations can make it harder to find new channels and content. It therefore frames Unhook as particularly useful for viewers who primarily use YouTube for specific videos, tutorials or research, rather than for algorithmically suggested entertainment.