(How To) Block certain recommended videos on YouTube permanently

[Karlston]

YouTube Recommended Blocker is a new browser extension for the Google Chrome web browser to block video recommendations on YouTube.

 

YouTube's recommendation algorithm uses the viewing history and other data to suggest videos to site visitors. If you are annoyed by certain recommendations, or want to make sure that you don't get any more recommendations about a certain topic, you are out of luck. While you may indicate to YouTube that you are not interested in a particular video, it is far from perfect.

 

If you are tired of getting PewDiePie, Fortnite, Let's Play, sports, Trump, or other recommendations on YouTube regularly, you may like what YouTube Recommended Blocker can do for you.

 

Note: YouTube Recommended Blocker is not the first extension to block video recommendations. We reviewed several browser extensions such as BlockTube for Firefox,  YouTube Video Blocker for Firefox, or Video Blocker for Chrome.

 

You may also use extension-less options to remove channel recommendations on YouTube or block endscreen video recommendations.

YouTube Recommended Blocker

 

The extension requests permissions to access content on YouTube.com and to access the browsing history. It adds an icon to Chrome's address bar that you interact with. Just click on it to display the main interface to list all phrases, channels, or videos that the extension blocks on YouTube.

 

You may enter a phrase right then and there; videos that include the phrase in the title are blocked, and if a channel happens to have the exact name, it is blocked as well.

 

It is a bit more complicated to block entire channels and have them listed under "hidden channels".

 

For that, you need to have it displayed in the sidebar under "recommended for you" on YouTube. Move the mouse cursor over the recommendation and click on the trashcan icon that appears.

 

 

You may block the specific video or the entire channel with a click to have the video or the channel blocked from YouTube's recommendation system.

 

YouTube Recommended Blocker hides matching recommendations which means that you may get fewer recommendations; this depends on the blocking phrases for the most part.

 

The extension displays the number of blocked videos at the bottom of the recommendation listing. There you find an option to show these temporarily.

 

Note that channels or videos are not blocked if you run searches on YouTube or are subscribed to them. The block is only active for recommendations by YouTube.

Closing Words

YouTube Recommended Blocker works as advertised. It blocks recommendations based on your input effectively. I wish it would be easier to add channels to the block listing, for instance by adding an option to the interface to do so.

 

Whether the extension is useful or not depends on your YouTube viewing habits, how much time you spend on the site, and the level of annoyance in regards to video recommendations.

 

Source: Block certain recommended videos on YouTube permanently (gHacks - Martin Brinkmann)