Unhook Review — Remove YouTube Homepage, Shorts, and Recommendations Completely
Unhook takes a more aggressive approach than most YouTube distraction removers. It can hide the homepage feed entirely, remove the Shorts shelf, disable recommendations, strip comments, and block the trending page — leaving YouTube as a pure search and watch tool. Settings are granular, so you can choose which elements to hide and which to keep. It has been actively maintained since 2019.
Install on Chrome Web Store →Key Features
Unhook can remove the YouTube homepage feed entirely, replacing it with a clean search bar. For creators who log into YouTube with a specific research goal, landing on a feed of algorithmically selected videos is a significant distraction trigger.
The Shorts shelf, Shorts tab, and Shorts sidebar are all individually removable. Creators not producing Shorts content spend zero time accidentally clicking into the Shorts format when these elements are hidden.
Comments can be hidden on video pages. This is useful for creators who find themselves reading comment sections on competitor videos — a legitimate research activity that can easily consume more time than intended.
Each element is controlled separately through a settings panel, so you can hide exactly what causes your specific distraction pattern while keeping elements you use intentionally. Unhook is more configurable than most comparable extensions.
Who Is It For
Creators who want the strongest possible version of YouTube as a focused search tool — no feeds, no Shorts, no recommended sidebars, no autoplay, no comments unless explicitly sought out. The full configuration takes five minutes and eliminates most of what YouTube does to extend session time.
Creators who use YouTube recommendations, the homepage feed, or Shorts shelf deliberately — for content discovery, trend research, or entertainment breaks between work sessions — will find Unhook removes functionality they use intentionally. It's designed for those who want to impose strict boundaries on their YouTube usage.
Pros and Cons
- ✅ More granular control than most comparable extensions
- ✅ Can remove the homepage feed entirely — the strongest boundary available
- ✅ Free with no limitations
- ❌ Full configuration removes potentially useful discovery elements as a side effect
- ❌ Requires manual configuration to find the right balance for your workflow
Pricing
Unhook is completely free. No paid version, no credits, no account required.
Summary
The best option for creators who want maximum control over how YouTube presents content. If UnTrap's settings aren't enough and you still find yourself distracted, Unhook's more aggressive configuration is the next step. Worth installing if the recommendation system is a genuine productivity problem for you.