Block YouTube on Mac

Blocking YouTube can significantly boost your productivity. While YouTube is an excellent platform for entertainment and learning, it can also become a major distraction. With endless videos, it’s easy to lose track of time and find yourself in a rabbit hole of content. This can be particularly challenging when you’re trying to focus on important tasks or maintain a productive work routine.

That’s where 1Focus comes in. 1Focus allows you to block YouTube temporarily, permanently, or according to a set schedule on your Mac. By using 1Focus, you can regain control over your time, minimize distractions, and concentrate on what truly matters.

Whether you’re working on a project, studying for exams, or simply trying to reduce screen time, 1Focus provides the tools you need to stay on track and achieve your goals.

This guide will show you how to block YouTube on Mac in different ways using 1Focus.

How to Block YouTube

Steps:

1. Download 1Focus on the Mac App Store.
2. Open 1Focus. You can reopen the 1Focus window by clicking its arrow icon in the top right of your screen.
3. Add or select a preset.
4. Click the tab Websites.
5. Click the + button under Blocked Websites.
6. Enter youtube.com and confirm with the Enter key (⏎).
7. Click the tab Schedule, and start blocking.

How to block all YouTube channels except specific ones?

You can block all YouTube videos on your Mac but still allow access to specific videos (for example, white noise, classical music, useful channels, or a specific video you use to help you sleep). Here is how.

Steps:

1. Subscribe to 1Focus Pro.
2. Open 1Focus and select a preset.
3. Click the tab Websites.
4. Under Blocked Websites, add www.youtube.com and confirm with the Enter key (⏎).
5. Under Exceptions, click the + button.
6. Add the full URL of the video that you want to allow, surrounded by asterisks. For example: *https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=useful2*
7. Click the tab Schedule, and start blocking.

Be sure to surround the full video URL with asterisks❗️

Surrounding the URL with asterisks makes 1Focus treat it as a keyword. This way, 1Focus will block all of YouTube, except the specific video URL you added as an exception.

For more details, see How to block URL keywords on Mac.

How to block YouTube but allow music.youtube.com?

If you want to block YouTube in general on your Mac but still listen to music on YouTube Music, you can block youtube.com and allow only music.youtube.com.

Steps:

1. Subscribe to 1Focus Pro.
2. Open 1Focus and select a preset.
3. Click the tab Websites.
4. Under Blocked Websites, add youtube.com and confirm with the Enter key (⏎).
5. Under Exceptions, click the + button.
6. Add music.youtube.com and confirm with the Enter key (⏎).
7. Click the tab Schedule, and start blocking.

1Focus will then block youtube.com while allowing access to music.youtube.com as an exception.

Note: Website Exceptions and Keyword blocking are 1Focus Pro features. Wondering why 1Focus uses a subscription model? Learn more.

How to block YouTube and video content with keywords?

To block YouTube and other video content across different sites, you can use keyword blocking. Add these keywords to your block list:

*youtube.com*

*&q=video*

Troubleshooting

• Learn how to schedule the block sessions.
• Use a supported web browser. 1Focus can block websites across Safari, Chrome, Brave, Edge, Opera, and Arc. You can block unsupported browsers under 1Focus → Apps.
• Grant permission to block websites.
• Restart your computer.
• Uninstall 1Focus, permanently delete it from the Trash (important), and reinstall it from the Mac App Store. No data is lost.
• Prevent bypassing blocking.

For help, contact support.

Further Reading

• How to block porn on Mac with 1Focus: Learn how to block adult sites and pornography.
• How to block a website category on your Mac: Discover how to block categories like social media, games, and more.
• How to block URL keywords on Mac: Find out how to block URLs containing specific keywords.