How to limit YouTube on a Mac, in Safari and Chrome.
“One video” on a work afternoon is rarely one video. Here are four ways to give YouTube a daily limit on your Mac, which browsers each one covers, and what actually happens when time runs out.
The short answer
- Only use Safari: Screen Time, built into macOS and free.
- Use Chrome, Edge, Firefox or Brave: a free extension like LeechBlock NG.
- Want YouTube gone, on every device: Freedom, a blocker with a paid Premium plan.
- Want a nudge, not a wall, in Safari or Chrome: Papa. 3 days free, then one payment.
| Method | Browsers | Price | When time runs out |
|---|---|---|---|
| Screen Time | Safari | Free, built in | A limit screen you can ignore, unless you set a passcode |
| LeechBlock NG | Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Brave | Free | The site is blocked |
| Freedom | Sites and apps, on all your devices | Limited free plan; Premium $39.99/year | The site is blocked for the session |
| Papa | Safari and Chrome | 3 days free, then $9.99 once | Papa speaks up from the notch; nothing is blocked |
1. Screen Time, if you use Safari
macOS can limit a website by itself. You don’t need to install anything.
- Open the Apple menu → System Settings, then click Screen Time in the sidebar.
- Click App Limits. If it’s not there, turn on Screen Time first.
- Click Add Limit, then open the Websites category at the bottom of the list.
- Click Add Website and type
youtube.com. - Pick Every Day and enter the time, say 30 minutes. Or pick Custom for a different limit on weekends.
When the time is up, Safari shows a limit screen instead of YouTube. The catch: unless you’ve set a Screen Time passcode, you can ignore the limit with one click, and most of us do. Set a passcode in Screen Time settings (better still, let someone else pick it) if you want the limit to hold.
The bigger catch: these website limits are built for Safari. Chrome and other browsers are widely reported not to follow them on a Mac, so if YouTube is open in Chrome, Screen Time won’t stop it. If you use Chrome, read on.
Apple’s guide to App Limits on Mac
2. A browser extension, if you use Chrome
LeechBlock NG is a free extension for Chrome, Edge, Firefox and other Chromium browsers like Brave, Opera and Vivaldi. You make a list of sites and tell it when to block them: during set hours (like 9 AM to 5 PM), after a time limit (like 10 minutes in every hour), or both.
- Price: free.
- Good: lots of control, and it really blocks the site.
- Watch out: it only covers the browser it’s installed in, and switching it off is two clicks away. Install it in every browser you use.
3. Freedom, if you want YouTube gone
Freedom is a blocker for Mac, Windows, iPhone, iPad, Android, Chromebook and Linux. You choose the websites and apps to block and start a session, now or on a recurring schedule, and they’re blocked on every device you’ve added. Locked mode stops you quitting a session early.
- Price: a limited free plan. Premium is $39.99 a year, or $199 once for life (prices checked 23 October 2026).
- Good: the hardest to get around. It covers the YouTube app on your phone too.
- Watch out: it blocks for sessions of time rather than counting a daily allowance, and Premium is the priciest option here.
4. Papa, if you want a nudge instead of a wall
Papa is the one I make, and it takes a different approach. Blocks work until the day you switch them off “just for one video”, and then they’re off. Papa doesn’t block anything. He’s a character who lives in your Mac’s notch, an Indian dad, and he counts the time you spend on the sites you list.
- Give YouTube a daily limit in Safari or Chrome.
- Go over and he speaks up from the notch. First he asks nicely. Keep watching and he taunts, then brings up the neighbour’s kid who’s working right now, then opens his newspaper and waits.
- It’s one part of his day: he also asks for three tasks every morning, checks which got done in the evening, and reacts to your Stripe or Dodo Payments sales.
- Price: a 3-day free trial with every feature and as many sites as you like, then $9.99 once, and $4.99 for the first 25 buyers. No subscription.
- Needs: macOS 14 Sonoma or later. Works on Macs without a notch too.
- Privacy: Papa asks Safari or Chrome only for the address of the tab in front (macOS asks your permission first) and only to count time on the sites you listed. He never reads the page or your history, and it all stays on your Mac.
See a day with Papa, including what happens at 2 PM.
Which one should you use?
If you live in Safari and just want a reminder, Screen Time is already on your Mac. If you live in Chrome, add LeechBlock NG. If you’ve tried both and keep switching them off, either go harder with Freedom, or try the opposite: a limit that doesn’t block you but makes you feel watched. That’s Papa. You can also mix them, say Papa for the daily nudge and Freedom for deep-work hours.
Questions
Does Screen Time limit YouTube in Chrome on a Mac?
Screen Time’s website limits are built for Safari, and Chrome and other browsers are widely reported not to follow them on a Mac. For Chrome, use a browser extension, an app that blocks across browsers like Freedom, or Papa, which counts time in both Safari and Chrome.
How do I stop ignoring my Screen Time limit?
Without a Screen Time passcode, the limit screen lets you ignore it. Set a passcode in Screen Time settings so ignoring the limit needs it, ideally one someone else knows.
Can I limit YouTube on a Mac without blocking it?
Yes. Papa gives YouTube a daily limit in Safari or Chrome and, when you go over, speaks up from the notch instead of blocking the site. He asks nicely first, then gets less polite each time.
Is there a free way to limit YouTube on a Mac?
Yes. Screen Time is built into macOS and free, LeechBlock NG is a free browser extension for Chrome, Edge, Firefox and other Chromium browsers. Papa has a 3-day free trial, then a one-time payment.
More from the blog: the best notch apps for Mac in 2026.