How to use YouTube for studying without getting distracted
YouTube has some of the best free lessons anywhere, right next to the most distracting feed ever built. Algoright keeps the lessons and filters the rest, so you can open YouTube to study and actually study.
Filtering, hiding Shorts and the focus timer are free. Deep Work Mode, hiding comments and the Learning Plan are part of Pro.
Free: the setup most students need
Switch off the categories that pull you away, whether that is Gaming, Comedy or Celebrity & Gossip, and keep Education, Science, Coding and the subjects you study. Hide Shorts, which is on from the start. That alone changes what YouTube offers you.
When you sit down to work, start a focus session from the extension. It keeps your feed on one goal for the length of the session.
Pro: for exam weeks
Deep Work Mode narrows everything YouTube recommends to Learning, Work and Finance.
Hide comments keeps you on the video instead of the argument under it, and Hide sidebar removes the "up next" videos beside it.
The Learning Plan gives you a personalised plan of lesson videos, and the analytics dashboard shows what was filtered and how your focus changes over time.
Why filtering beats blocking YouTube
Blocking YouTube while you study also blocks the lesson you needed. Filtering keeps YouTube useful: search for any topic and it is there, while the feed stops tempting you with everything else.
Set up YouTube for studying
Install Algoright AI
Add it from the Chrome Web Store, Microsoft Edge Add-ons or Firefox Add-ons. No account is needed for YouTube.
Choose your subjects
Open Block Topics and switch off the categories that distract you. Keep Education and the subjects you're studying.
Start a focus session
Before you study, start a focus session from the extension so your feed stays on task.
Questions from students
Is it free for students?
The free plan covers what most students need on YouTube: category filtering, hiding Shorts and clickbait, and a focus timer. Pro adds Deep Work Mode, hiding comments, the Learning Plan and filtering on TikTok, Instagram and X.
Can I still search for anything?
Yes. Search and any video you open on purpose work as normal. Filtering only changes what YouTube recommends.
Does it work on a school Chromebook?
If your school allows extensions from the Chrome Web Store, yes. Managed school devices sometimes block them.
Does it work on my phone?
No. It works in Chrome, Edge or Firefox on a computer.
Make YouTube a study tool
Free on YouTube. Install it before your next study session.