How do I block streaming sites on Chrome for free?

Install a free blocker like Focuh from the Chrome Web Store, add the streaming domains you lose time to — netflix.com, youtube.com, hulu.com, disneyplus.com, max.com — and start a challenge. Setup takes about a minute and needs no account. Each blocked tab redirects to a quiet local page and the attempt counter ticks up. That covers streaming in Chrome, but not the desktop or TV apps, which run outside the browser.

Which streaming domains should I add to my blocklist?

Add the services you actually open: netflix.com, youtube.com, hulu.com, disneyplus.com, max.com, primevideo.com, and twitch.tv cover most binge habits. A blocker matches the hostname, so each entry covers that domain and its subdomains. If a service uses more than one address — Amazon's video lives on both primevideo.com and amazon.com — add each one. Block the category in a single challenge so you are not adding one site at a time as you discover them.

Will a Chrome extension block the Netflix or Disney+ app?

No. A Chrome extension only controls Chrome tabs. The Netflix, Disney+, Hulu, and Prime Video desktop apps, plus the versions on your TV, console, and phone, all run outside any browser, so blocking netflix.com in Chrome leaves the app untouched. If your binge habit lives in a desktop app rather than a tab, you need system-level blocking like the Focuh Mac app, which covers apps and browsers at once.

Can I block streaming during work hours but allow it at night?

Yes, with the right tool. Focuh blocks for the length of a self-imposed challenge rather than scheduling daily windows, so it suits people who want streaming gone for a stretch. If you want strict hour-by-hour scheduling — blocked 9 to 5, free after — LeechBlock NG supports granular schedules, or the Focuh Mac app can tie blocking to focus sessions you start when work begins and end when you stop.

Does blocking streaming in Chrome also block it in Safari or Edge?

Only if you install the extension there too. A Chrome extension runs in Chrome alone. Focuh is a Chromium extension, so it also works in Edge, Brave, Arc, and Vivaldi, but you install it separately in each because extension storage is per-browser. Firefox uses a different format. If you switch to Safari the moment Chrome blocks Netflix, a single-browser extension will not stop you — that needs a system-level blocker.

How do I block YouTube without blocking everything else?

Add youtube.com on its own and leave the other streaming domains off your list. A blocker matches each hostname independently, so blocking youtube.com has no effect on Netflix or Hulu. The reverse is also true — you can block Netflix and Disney+ for a binge problem while keeping YouTube open for tutorials. Be honest about whether YouTube is a work tool or a rabbit hole before you leave it open.

Can I bypass the streaming block if I really want to watch something?

Yes. Any Chrome extension can be turned off from chrome://extensions in a couple of clicks, so no browser blocker is unbreakable. That is intentional — Focuh interrupts the autopilot of opening Netflix between tasks rather than locking you out for good. If you keep disabling it to binge, you need higher friction: the Focuh Mac app blocks at the OS level and is much harder to switch off mid-session.

Is it better to block streaming sites or use a screen-time limit?

It depends on the habit. A hard block suits autopilot opening — you reach for Netflix between tasks without deciding to. A daily time limit suits people who want a small allowance, say 30 minutes, then a wall. Most free Chrome blockers do hard blocks; StayFocusd does daily budgets. For a binge reflex, a hard block during work tends to hold better than an allowance you talk yourself past.

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How to Block Streaming Sites on Chrome (Free) — 2026

June 17, 20269 min readFocuh

Streaming is the distraction that does not feel like one. You open Netflix to "have something on" while you work, or YouTube for one tutorial, and the autoplay does the rest. To block streaming sites on Chrome for free, install a website blocker like Focuh, add the services you lose hours to, and start a challenge so every streaming tab redirects to a quiet page instead of the next episode.

This guide covers the exact steps, which domains to add, and the gap a Chrome-only block leaves wide open — the streaming apps.

The fast answer

To block streaming sites on Chrome for free, install Focuh from the Chrome Web Store, add the domains you want gone — netflix.com, youtube.com, hulu.com, disneyplus.com, max.com, primevideo.com, twitch.tv — and start a challenge. Each blocked tab redirects to a calm local page, and the attempt counter shows how often you reached for it. There is no account, no three-site cap, and no telemetry. The catch: this blocks streaming websites in Chrome, not the desktop apps, your TV, or another browser.

How to block streaming sites on Chrome, step by step

Open the Focuh extension page and add it from the Chrome Web Store. No account, no email.
Click the Focuh icon and open the options page.
Add each streaming domain on its own line — plain domains, no http:// or www.
Pick a challenge length — 30, 91, or 180 days, or a custom number — and start it.

From there, any attempt to load a blocked service in Chrome redirects before the page renders. You do not get a teaser frame of autoplay first. The same process works in Brave, Edge, Arc, and other Chromium browsers, though you install the extension separately in each.

Which streaming domains should you block?

The services worth adding depend on where your time actually goes, but a thorough binge blocklist usually looks like this:

Service	Domain to block
Netflix	netflix.com
YouTube	youtube.com
Hulu	hulu.com
Disney+	disneyplus.com
Max	max.com
Prime Video	primevideo.com (and amazon.com)
Twitch	twitch.tv

Focuh matches on the hostname, so each entry covers that domain and its subdomains. Add the whole category in one challenge rather than discovering a new tab you have been opening every few days. If your problem is specifically one service, the focused guides on how to block Netflix on Chrome and how to block YouTube on Chrome go deeper on each.

The catch: a Chrome extension can't block streaming apps

Here is the part most "block streaming" guides skip. Netflix, Disney+, Hulu, and Prime Video all ship desktop apps, and most of your streaming probably happens on a TV or console anyway. A Chrome extension controls Chrome tabs and nothing else. Block netflix.com in Chrome and the Netflix desktop app opens exactly as before.

So a Chrome-only block works in one specific case: you stream in a browser tab and have not installed the apps. If that is you, the extension is genuinely enough. If you have the desktop apps, or you switch to Safari when Chrome blocks you, the website block alone leaves the real door open.

Free ways to block streaming on Chrome, compared

Method	Free?	Blocks web	Blocks desktop apps	Blocks other browsers	Setup time
Focuh extension	Yes	Yes	No	No	~1 min
StayFocusd	Yes	Yes	No	No	~3 min
Hosts file edit	Yes	Yes	Partial	Yes	~10 min
Focuh Mac app	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	~3 min

The only rows that reach the streaming apps are not Chrome extensions at all. That is the trade-off in one table: an extension is the fastest way to block streaming in your browser, but by definition it can only block the browser. For why each layer wins where it does, see system-level vs browser website blocking.

How do I block the streaming desktop apps?

If your binge habit lives in the Netflix or Disney+ desktop app, you need to block below the browser. On a Mac, the free Focuh desktop app does this with macOS Accessibility APIs — during a focus session it blocks the streaming sites across every browser and the streaming apps themselves, and it is harder to switch off mid-session than an extension because it does not sit in chrome://extensions.

The most reliable setup is both layers: the free Focuh Chrome extension for tabs, plus the free Focuh Mac app for the apps and other browsers. Both are free, so running both costs nothing. On a TV or console, streaming sits outside any computer entirely — there the honest answer is moving the remote, not software.

Why block streaming you pay for?

You pay for Netflix, so blocking it can feel backwards. The point is not to cancel the subscription — it is to stop streaming from leaking into the hours you meant to work. "Something on in the background" rarely stays in the background; the show wins, and the task you sat down to do never starts.

A block does not ban streaming from your life. It carves out the stretches where you want your attention on the work, and keeps the next-episode button out of reach until you are done. Then you watch in the evening, on purpose, which is more enjoyable anyway than half-watching while a deadline slips. If streaming is one of several leaks, the same approach scales to your whole list, the way you would set up any free Chrome blocker.

Which option should you pick?

You only stream in a Chrome tab — install the Focuh extension, add your streaming domains, start a challenge.
You use the desktop apps — add the free Focuh Mac app for system-level blocking.
You switch to Safari or Edge to get around the block — you need a system-level blocker, not a single-browser extension.
You want a daily allowance instead of a hard block — StayFocusd's time-budget model fits, with the ownership caveat noted in the Chrome roundup.

No blocker watches the show for you, and a Chrome extension cannot reach the streaming apps — be honest about where you actually press play. Install Focuh free for the browser, and get the free Mac app if the apps are where streaming really eats your evening.