FocusTube installs directly from source in about five minutes — no store review, no account, nothing updating behind your back. You can read every line it runs before you run it.
Get the extension
Download the latest ZIP release and extract it anywhere you keep your tools.
Open Chrome's extension page
Type chrome://extensions/ in the address bar and flip on Developer mode (top right).
Load unpacked
Click “Load unpacked” and select the extracted FocusTube folder — the one containing manifest.json.
Meet your buddy
Pin FocusTube to the toolbar. The first open walks you through setup: your name, an optional companion, and your first protections.
Honest distribution note
FocusTube is not on the Chrome Web Store — this site links only to the official repository. If you ever find FocusTube distributed anywhere else, treat it as unofficial: the source above is the single source of truth, and reading it before loading is the whole point of shipping this way.
Requirements
Chrome on Manifest V3. Chromium browsers generally work; Brave needs one flag for file sync.
Updating
Download the latest release and replace your unpacked folder. Your local data survives untouched.
After install
The setup assistant arms your first protections — Shorts gone, ads skipped, rings ready.
First session after installing? State your intent — it's the feature.
See how the loop works