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

Free forever · No sign-up · Nothing leaves your browser

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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.

01 / Observe

Screen-time trackers

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

02 / Block

Domain blockers

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

03 / Choose

WatchCat

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

100%local, in your browser
0servers touch your data
0platforms supported
0sto install — no account

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

02 // how it works

Three steps.
No willpower needed.

  1. 01

    Install

    One click from the store. No account, no sign-up, no permissions drama — it only sees the sites you ask it to watch.

  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 — 0 network requests, every number stays on your device.

// 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.

100% private

Everything stays in your browser. No account, no servers, no tracking. Your attention is nobody's product.

04 // privacy

Private by architecture,
not by promise.

Free WatchCat has no account and makes zero network requests. Your watch history physically cannot leave your device — we can't see it, nobody can. Open DevTools and check: the network tab stays empty.

Soft block, honestly. It's a browser extension, so a determined you can switch it off. We add friction — hold-to-unlock, an optional PIN, a time-lock — not an unbreakable cage. We'd rather be honest than oversell.

  • 0network requests
  • 0accounts required
  • 0analytics trackers
  • chrome.storage.localthe only place your data lives
05 // pricing

Free is the product.
Depth is the upgrade.

The tracker, limits, and blocker are the available free core. Pro and Max are future optional subscriptions for more history, cross-device depth, and AI-supported reflection.

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

Future optional subscription

$3/ month or $30 / year

Your whole picture, on every device.

  • Full history in a full-screen dashboard
  • Sync across all your devices
  • Heatmaps and long-term trends
  • Per-channel analytics and limits
Join the waitlist

Max

Future optional subscription

$7/ month or $70 / year

An optional AI attention coach.

  • Everything in Pro
  • AI summaries and daily digests
  • Watching goals and goal-aware reflection
  • On-demand AI with fair use
Join the waitlist

Pro and Max are coming

These prices are the plan, not a promise — join the waitlist and lock in launch pricing. One email when it's ready. Unsubscribe anytime, no spam ever.

// faq

Fair questions.

Is it really free?

Yes: the tracker, the limits, the Shorts blocker — every browser, free forever. Later, Pro ($3/month or $30/year — deeper dashboards) and Max ($7/month or $70/year — AI coach) will be optional upgrades. The free core never shrinks.

Does it send my data anywhere?

No. Free WatchCat is 100% local: zero network requests, no account. Your data never leaves your browser.

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 — join the waitlist above to hear when it lands.

Take your attention back.

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

Add to Chrome — it's free

No account · 100% private · Free forever