Privacy Policy
YouNo – YouTube Distraction Blocker (Chrome extension)
Last updated: November 4, 2026. This policy applies to every version of the YouNo extension distributed through the Chrome Web Store, from version 1.7.0 onward.
1. Overview & summary
YouNo hides distractions on YouTube, entirely inside your browser. I do not collect, transmit or sell any personal data, browsing history, page content or usage information. YouNo has no server to send it to.
YouNo (“the Extension”, “I”, “my”) is a Chrome extension that changes how youtube.com and m.youtube.com look and behave — hiding recommendations, Shorts, comments and other elements, skipping video ads and applying the preferences you choose in its popup. It is built and maintained by an independent developer and is not affiliated with YouTube or Google LLC.
2. What YouNo handles
Names, e-mail addresses, account or sign-in details, your YouTube watch history, search queries, video titles you watch, cookies, passwords, payment details, location, device identifiers or any other personal or sensitive data.
The only information the Extension ever works with is:
- Your settings — which switches are on, any numbers or choices you set (for example feed size, thumbnail style, watched-video percentage, accent colour, font name, video quality), your saved presets and their names, your schedule, and your theme preference. They live in the browser’s own extension storage.
- The YouTube page you are looking at — YouNo reads the page’s structure to find the elements to hide, and, for the optional watched-video and thumbnail features, the video identifiers and progress bars YouTube already shows on that page. This happens on your device and nothing about it is stored or sent anywhere.
- Diagnostic reports — if you press “Check this page” in Settings, YouNo builds a short list of switches that found nothing on that page. It stays on your screen and in your clipboard if you press “Copy report”. It is only shared if you choose to email it to me.
- Settings exports — “Export settings” saves a JSON file of your switches to your own computer through the browser’s normal download. “Import settings” reads a file that you pick.
If you turn on Chrome sync, Chrome itself may copy your switch settings between your devices through your Google account. That is a Chrome feature governed by Google’s privacy policy; the developer of YouNo has no access to it.
3. Permissions explained
YouNo asks for only the permissions below. Each is used exclusively for the feature described and not to collect data:
| Permission | Why it is required | Data sent to the developer? |
|---|---|---|
| host access: youtube.com, m.youtube.com | YouNo hides and rearranges parts of the YouTube page, applies your video-quality choice and reads which videos you have finished (from YouTube’s own progress bar) to dim or hide them. It runs only on these two sites. It does not request access to any other website, your tabs or your browsing history. | None |
| storage | Saves your switches, presets, schedule and theme. Switch settings use chrome.storage.sync so Chrome can keep them in step across your devices if you use Chrome sync; presets use chrome.storage.local. The developer cannot see either. | Browser only |
| alarms | Wakes YouNo once a minute so a schedule you set up (for example “Study preset 9:00–17:00 on weekdays”) can switch preset on time. It does nothing else. | Browser only |
| sidePanel | Lets you keep the YouNo panel open beside the page, in Chrome’s side panel, instead of in the toolbar popup. Only used when you press “Open side panel”. | Browser only |
YouNo does not use the tabs, history, cookies, webRequest or <all_urls> permissions, and it does not run on any site other than YouTube.
4. Network requests
The Extension has no backend and sends no data to the developer or to any analytics, advertising or crash-reporting service. It loads no remote code: everything it runs is in the installed extension package.
The optional “Boost YouNo” button in the extension’s Settings simply opens this website’s boost page in a new tab. That page — not the extension — is where a tip is made, and only if you choose to send one. It asks for an amount and, optionally, a name and a message. Payment is handled by Razorpay; YouNo never sees your card or UPI details. The amount, the optional name and message, and the payment’s reference are stored on the developer’s server so the tip can be recorded and acknowledged; they are not shared or used for anything else. A boost is a voluntary tip and unlocks nothing.
Two optional features cause the YouTube page — not a YouNo server — to fetch a resource, and only if you turn them on:
- Custom Google font. If you type a Google Fonts family name under Appearance, the page loads that font’s stylesheet from
fonts.googleapis.com. Google Fonts then sees a normal request from your browser. Leave the field empty and nothing is requested. - Replace thumbnails with video frames. The page loads still frames from YouTube’s own image server (
i.ytimg.com), the same place YouTube loads thumbnails from.
5. How data is stored
- Switch settings are stored with
chrome.storage.syncand presets withchrome.storage.local. Both are managed by your browser. - The developer has no access to your browser’s storage and receives nothing from it.
- Nothing about your browsing or settings is stored on any server operated by me. The only exception is a tip you choose to send on the boost page (section 4).
6. Data sharing & third parties
I do not share, sell, rent or transfer any data to anyone. There are no analytics or telemetry libraries, no advertising networks, no data brokers and no third-party SDKs in the Extension. The only third parties involved are the ones named in section 4: Google Fonts and YouTube’s image server when you switch on the matching optional features, and Razorpay if you choose to send a boost.
YouNo’s use and transfer of information received from Google APIs adheres to the Chrome Web Store User Data Policy, including the Limited Use requirements.
7. Retention & deletion
- Delete a preset from the Presets screen in the popup.
- Remove everything by uninstalling YouNo from
chrome://extensions; Chrome then deletes its local storage. Settings kept by Chrome sync are removed from your account as part of the browser’s own sync controls. - The developer holds no copy, so there is nothing for me to delete on your behalf. If you emailed me a diagnostic report or screenshot, or sent a boost with a name or message you want removed, write to me and I will delete it.
8. Children’s privacy
YouNo collects no personal information from anyone, including children under 13 (or the applicable age of digital consent where you live). If you are a parent or guardian and have concerns, please contact me.
9. Changes to this policy
If the Extension’s data practices ever change, I will update this page and its “Last updated” date before the change ships. The current version is always at this address.
10. Contact
Questions or concerns about this policy or the Extension’s data practices:
Developer contact
Email: arunbabuks03@gmail.com
I aim to answer privacy questions within 5 business days.
Chrome Web Store
This privacy policy was last updated on November 4, 2026.