FocusGuard is a powerful Chrome extension designed to eliminate digital distractions by selectively hiding or blocking content on popular social media platforms. Whether it's YouTube Shorts, Instagram Reels, Twitter Trending, or entire platforms, FocusGuard puts you in control of what you see online.
- YouTube - Hide Shorts, Suggestions, Comments, Home Feed, or block entirely
- Instagram - Hide Reels, Explore, Suggested Posts, Stories, or block entirely
- Facebook - Hide Feed, Reels, Suggested Posts, Stories, or block entirely
- X / Twitter - Hide Explore, Trending, Who to Follow, or block entirely
- Reddit - Hide Promoted Posts, Suggested Posts, Home Feed, or block entirely
- Quora - Hide Suggested Posts, Related Posts, or block entirely
- TikTok - Block entire platform
- Session Timer - Start timed focus sessions (1+ minutes)
- Auto-Enable All Protections - Focus mode activates blocking on ALL platforms simultaneously
- Auto-Disable - Session ends with desktop notification
- Daily Statistics - Track sessions completed and time spent focusing
- Per-Site Controls - Enable/disable protections for individual platforms
- Granular Options - Choose exactly which elements to hide on each platform
- Quick Toggle Buttons - Fast access to popular blocking options
- Persistent Settings - All preferences synced to your Google account
- Modern dark theme with green/cyan accent colors
- Minimalist UI with intuitive controls
- Real-time updates across all tabs
- Smooth animations and transitions
- Download or clone this repository to your computer
- Extract the ZIP file if it's compressed
- You should see these files and folders:
FocusGuard_v4/ ├── background.js ├── manifest.json ├── popup.html ├── popup.js ├── content/ │ ├── facebook.js │ ├── instagram.js │ ├── quora.js │ ├── reddit.js │ ├── tiktok.js │ ├── twitter.js │ └── youtube.js ├── icons/ │ ├── icon16.png │ ├── icon48.png │ └── icon128.png └── pages/ ├── blocked.html └── blocked.js
- Open Google Chrome
- Click the menu icon (⋮) in the top-right corner
- Navigate to: More Tools → Extensions
- Or type this in address bar:
chrome://extensions/
- Or type this in address bar:
- Look for the Developer mode toggle in the top-right corner
- Click it to turn it ON (it should turn blue)
- Click the "Load unpacked" button (appears after enabling Developer mode)
- Navigate to and select the
FocusGuard_v4folder - Click Select Folder
- You should see FocusGuard listed on the Extensions page
- A green "Loaded Successfully" message appears
- The FocusGuard icon appears in your Chrome toolbar (top-right)
If you prefer command line installation:
# Navigate to your extensions folder
cd "E:\Chrome Extensions"
# Verify the folder exists
dir FocusGuard_v4
# Then follow Method 1 steps 2-5 to load it in Chrome- Click the FocusGuard Icon in your Chrome toolbar (top-right)
- The popup appears with these main sections:
- Focus Mode - Enables blocking across ALL platforms at once
- Turn this ON to immediately block all configured distractions
- Fast toggles for popular blocking options:
- 🎬 YT Shorts
- 🎞️ YT Suggestions
- 💬 Comments
- 📸 IG Reels
- 📖 IG Stories
- 👥 FB Home Feed
- And more...
- Switch between platforms using the tabs: YOUTUBE, TWITTER, INSTAGRAM, FACEBOOK, REDDIT, QUORA, TIKTOK
- Toggle individual blocking options per platform
- Enable/disable each platform independently
- Set a duration (in minutes)
- Click START SESSION
- FocusGuard will automatically:
- Enable Focus Mode
- Block all distractions
- Show countdown timer
- Send notification when complete
- Click STOP SESSION to end early
- Settings are synced to your Google Chrome sync account
- Your preferences will follow you across all devices where you're signed into Chrome
- Data is encrypted and secure
- Daily Statistics: Sessions completed, minutes focused, content blocked
- Settings: Your custom preferences per platform
- All data is local to your browser (except synced settings)
🎯 What Gets Hidden/Blocked
- YouTube Shorts
- Suggested videos sidebar
- Comments section
- Home feed recommendations
- Reels (primary feed and sidebar)
- Explore page
- Suggested posts
- Stories
- Main feed
- Reels
- Suggested posts
- Stories
- Explore page
- Trending section
- "Who to Follow" recommendations
- Promoted/sponsored posts
- Suggested posts
- Home feed recommendations
- Suggested questions
- Related questions
- Entire platform (one-click option only)
- Manifest V3 - Latest Chrome extension standard
- Service Worker - Background processing and data management
- Content Scripts - DOM manipulation on target websites
- Chrome Storage API - Persistent settings storage
- Chrome Notifications API - Session reminders
| File | Purpose |
|---|---|
manifest.json |
Extension configuration and permissions |
background.js |
Service worker for settings, sessions, timers |
popup.html/js |
Extension popup UI and controls |
content/*.js |
Scripts that hide content on each platform |
pages/blocked.html |
Custom block page design |
icons/ |
Extension icons (16px, 48px, 128px) |
storage- Save your settingstabs- Monitor active tabsalarms- Session timersscripting- Inject content scriptsnotifications- Session notifications
- Make sure Developer Mode is ON (top-right of Extensions page)
- Try refreshing Chrome or restarting the browser
- Clear Chrome cache (Ctrl+Shift+Delete)
Content Not Getting Hidden
- Refresh the page (Ctrl+R or Cmd+R)
- Make sure the platform is enabled in FocusGuard
- Try disabling and re-enabling the extension
- Restart Chrome
- Make sure you're signed into Chrome (top-right corner)
- Check your internet connection
- Wait a few seconds for sync to complete
- Try signing out and back into Chrome
- Verify your computer time is correct
- Restart the extension
- Check Chrome's notification permissions
- Go to Extensions page
- Re-enable FocusGuard
- Load unpacked again if needed
- Go to the project repository
- Click Code → Download ZIP
- Extract the ZIP file
- Follow the installation steps above
git clone https://github.com/yourusername/focusguard.git
cd focusguard- If you already have the folder, just follow the installation steps
- The folder structure must remain intact for the extension to work
- ✅ No Data Collection - We don't track you
- ✅ No Ads - Completely ad-free
- ✅ No Servers - Everything runs locally in your browser
- ✅ Open Source - Code is transparent and verifiable
- ✅ Encrypted Sync - Settings use Chrome's secure sync
- Complete redesign with modern UI
- Focus Mode feature
- Session timer with notifications
- Daily statistics tracking
- Manifest V3 compliance
- Enhanced content blocking
If you encounter issues:
- Check this README troubleshooting section
- Verify all files are present in the folder
- Try disabling and re-enabling the extension
- Restart Chrome completely
This project is provided as-is for personal use. Modify and distribute as needed.
- Enable during work/study sessions - Use the timer feature
- Customize per platform - Not all platforms need all protections
- Combine with Focus Mode - For maximum blocking power
- Check stats regularly - Monitor your focus improvements
- Take breaks - FocusGuard helps focus, but breaks are important too
With FocusGuard, take control of your online experience and reclaim your focus. Happy focusing! 🚀
Last Updated: May 10, 2026
Version: 3.0.0
Status: Production Ready