YouTube · Netflix · X · TikTok

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WatchCat is a private YouTube watch-time tracker and Shorts blocker. It counts every minute — Shorts and videos separately — then helps you set calm daily limits. When you've had enough, the feed pauses. Not you.

Add to Chrome — it's free
FreeLocal-only

100%history in this browser

ProOpt-in cloud

EUencrypted history across devices

Scroll to explore
01 // the playback record

One Short became an evening.

Ordinary screen time puts a useful long video and a Shorts loop in the same bucket. WatchCat separates them so the difference becomes visible — without turning it into a verdict.

Observation first. A calm boundary when you want one.

By 20:041 Shortsand0 regular videos

// why not just a blocker?

Not every minute needs the same response.

  1. 01 / Observe

    Screen-time trackers

    Useful videos and Shorts land in one total, so the number hides the difference.

  2. 02 / Block

    Domain blockers

    A site-wide block stops the Shorts, but it also stops the useful video you meant to watch.

  3. 03 / Choose

    WatchCat

    It separates Shorts from regular videos, then applies the calm limits you choose.

100%of the core, free forever
0sign-ups to start
4platforms supported
30sto install — no account

Works on Chrome · Edge · Brave · Arc · any Chromium browser

02 // how it works

Three steps.
No willpower needed.

  1. 01

    Install

    Free starts with one click from the store — no account or sign-up, and it works only on the supported sites listed in its browser permissions. Connect Pro only when you want history across devices.

  2. 02

    It watches with you

    The moment real playback starts, it counts — Shorts and videos separately, per video, per hour. A real picture, not a guess.

  3. 03

    You set calm limits

    Hit your daily limit and a quiet screen helps you stop. Hold to unlock if you truly mean it — accountability, not punishment.

03 // inside the product

This is the whole app.
Nothing to hide.

The real popup, pixel for pixel — an instrument, not another feed. Three tabs: what you watched today, every single video, and the limits you set.

VideosEvery video, named. See exactly what ate the evening — per video, not "3h on YouTube".
TodayOne honest number, split by platform — with an hourly ribbon that shows exactly when you drift.
SettingsMinutes per day, per type, per site. Soft block, full block, optional PIN — your rules.

The real interface, recreated in HTML so you can read every pixel — Free history stays on-device with 0 WatchCat cloud-history requests. Pro adds opt-in encrypted sync.

// features

A limit that holds.
Privacy that doesn't lie.

See every minute

Per-video watch time — today, 7 days, 30 days. Which videos, which channels, how long. Finally, a real answer.

Shorts ≠ videos

WatchCat counts and limits Shorts separately from regular videos, so each kind of viewing can have the boundary that fits it.

Your day, by the hour

An hourly ribbon shows exactly when you drift. Hello, 8–11 pm.

Calm limits, not cages

A soft block with hold-to-unlock and an optional PIN. It's a boundary you chose — the tone stays on your side.

Beyond YouTube

Watch-time tracking and limits for Netflix, X and TikTok too. One interface for every feed.

Private by default

Free history stays in your browser, with no WatchCat cloud-history requests. Pro adds encrypted EU cloud history only after you turn sync on.

// platforms

In your browser today.
On every screen next.

  • Chromiumlive now
  • Safariin development
  • Firefoxin development
  • Androidin development
  • iOSin development

Chromium covers Chrome · Edge · Brave · Opera · Arc — the rest is in active development for launch.

04 // privacy

Local when free.
Protected when synced.

Free WatchCat keeps history in this browser. No account, no cloud requests.

With Pro, cloud history begins only after you connect an account and choose sync. It lives with FIL.ONE, every object encrypted at rest with its own key.

  • PIN material, temporary unlocks, unlock counters, the local limit-event log and current block state are never uploaded.
  • Soft block, honestly. It's an extension — you can switch it off. We add friction, not an unbreakable cage.
  • Sync off ≠ erased. Turning sync off stops future uploads — history already stored stays until account deletion.
Read exactly what is stored and for how long
// history routeYou choose the path
FreeStays here
  1. This browser
  2. Local history

0 WatchCat cloud-history requests

ProFollows you
  1. Linked devices
  2. WatchCat API
  3. Encrypted objects

SHA-256 verified by WatchCat on every read

// storageFIL.ONE
  • FIL.ONE keeps private buckets with per-object encryption keys
  • Immutable objects — a change writes a new verified object
Filecoin-backedProof, not a promise

History objects rest on Filecoin, where the network answers recurring storage proofs — cryptographic evidence, on a schedule, that your data is still there and still intact.

FIL.ONE holds the encryption keys. Durability is proven by the network, not asserted by us.

05 // pricing

Free is the product.
Depth is the upgrade.

The tracker, limits, and blocker are the free core. Pro is an optional subscription for more history and cross-device depth backed by encrypted EU storage.

Free

Available now

$0forever

The full local core. Not a trial or teaser.

  • Watch-time tracking, per video and per hour
  • Shorts and videos counted separately
  • Daily limits with calm soft-block and PIN
  • 30 days of history, stored locally
Add to Chrome — free

Pro

Available now

$5/ month or $50 / year

Your whole picture, on every device.

  • 30 days of detailed history, then daily summaries
  • Sync across devices — encrypted EU cloud history
  • Heatmaps and long-term trends
  • Per-channel analytics and limits
Choose Pro
// faq

Fair questions.

Is it really free?

Yes: the tracker, the limits, the Shorts blocker — every browser, free forever. Pro ($5/month or $50/year — deeper dashboards) is an optional upgrade. The free core never shrinks.

Does it send my data anywhere?

Free keeps history in your browser and makes no WatchCat cloud-history requests. With Pro, encrypted cloud history begins only after you connect an account and choose sync, giving you cross-device history and recovery from a lost browser profile.

Will it slow down YouTube?

No. The part that runs on the page is lightweight vanilla code — no heavy framework injected into your tabs.

Which browsers does it work in?

Chrome, Edge, Brave, Opera, Arc — anything Chromium. Firefox and Safari are on the roadmap.

Is this parental control?

No. It's for adults who choose to watch less — gentle accountability, not surveillance. You set your own limits; you can change them.

Can't I just disable it?

Honestly — yes, it's an extension. We add friction (hold-to-unlock, an optional PIN and time-lock), not an unbreakable lock. It works because you want it to.

Does it work on mobile?

It's a desktop browser extension today. Mobile is on the roadmap — follow WatchCat news for the launch announcement.

How do I cancel, and can I get a refund?

Cancel in one click from your dashboard, any time. You keep paid access until the end of the period you already paid for, then drop back to Free — the extension keeps working. We don't refund a period that has already started, so the free plan is the trial. Full details in the refund policy.

Still stuck? Talk to a human.

Email hello@getwatchcat.com for billing, refunds, or anything the FAQ missed. For a bug report with a tracking reference, use the support page.

Terms · Refund policy · Privacy

Take your attention back.

The feed will still be there. The evening won't.

Add to Chrome — it's free

Free mode · No account · History stays in this browser