I built an app to block YouTube's algorithm. Now 4,200 Mac users can't live without it.

Last year I realized I was spending 3+ hours daily on YouTube without consciously choosing it. I'd open to search for one video and suddenly two hours had passed. The algorithm is just too good at what it does. I tried every blocking app out there. Most block YouTube entirely, which feels restrictive so you disable them. Others use willpower-based approaches, which obviously don't work against a billion-dollar algorithm. Nothing hit the sweet spot. So I built Monk Mode: it blocks YouTube Home and Shorts but keeps search and subscriptions. You can still watch creators you follow and search for videos — you just can't doom-scroll the algorithm. Why this approach works 1. You're not blocked — the algorithm is. This psychological difference is huge. Users don't feel restricted; they feel protected. 2. The native Mac app matters. Browser extensions are easy to disable or circumvent. A native app runs at the OS level and actually protects you. 3. Time caps as guardrails, not walls. Most bloc