Reviews & Comments of Self Control chrome extension

Extension works great, and serves the purpose. Everything comes down to some will power at the end, but this does a good job. There is one glaring UI flaw - if you add too many websites so that the restricted pattern list exceeds the size of the extension box, you cannot access the button to start the focus period, as there is no scroll functionality to scroll below. Secondly, some flexibility in adjusting the focus period, or patters similar to a Pomodoro timer would be nice.

Lifechanging extension. I've previously been using stayfocusd for the past 2 years to stay off distracting websites, but I quickly found a flaw in that extension that allows meesing around with inactive tabs by dragging another one into focus (allows full scrolling of sites like reddit and watching sites like youtube). I tried to shift to freedom, but they don't allow any wildcards or anything. This extension both blocks inactive tabs (making it pretty much impossible to get around), AND allows "wildcard" bloccking of specific prases in urls. I can block specific channels in youtube but not others (ex, allow a youtube playlist but nothing else), ealsily block all reddit mirrors, and all of this pushes me to avoid them cold turkey. It's wonderful, and it's really forced me to actually improve my life over the past week. Tip for people who try disabling or uninstalling the protection: You can make it impossible to install by messing with the registry to think its installed by an administrator (here's a website displaying an example: https://www.alphr.com/prevent-chrome-extensions-removed/). Do the process, restart your computer, and as long as you can't download any browsers (easily done by blocking their download urls!), you are pretty much completely stuck with this extension. The only issue I have is that the "Distraction Free Mode" (which just so you know, can be accessed with a large bock list by typing in random junk in the text field and not getting any results), only can last for a maximum of 24 hours. I'd really like to just prevent changes for more like 50 days, but putting the reset time in the night I don't tend to exploit it. Overall an absolutely amazing extension. With some slightly weird stuff happening to stayfocusd right now, I can't recommend it enough. It lacks a lot of fancy functionality (which I hope might be added in later updates), but it does what it needs to very well.

GREAT - at times it is not possible to start session if too many apps are added to ban list (MacBook Air)

I cant change the hours slot but apart from that this is exactly what i was searching for

its really nice but then could you change the quotes to custom ones that we can make ourself or choices to choose? aaaaaaand also make it work in the igconto mode please

This is just amazing and funny, every time I click on YouTube that banner pops up and makes me laugh like hell and encourages me to focus on my work, Thank you so so much , a life or should I say GRADE saver. ????

Useless. Once you add more than a few sites/words to block the 'active' button is no longer accessible. People have been asking for a scrollbar to be added for over a year. Clearly the developers have left the room. Don't bother.

op!!!

I really like this extension as it helped me multiple times during my study sessions, but I don't know how to scroll through all blocked sites when I open it in the right corner. Like I have blocked about 8 sites and every time I want to renew the blocking process I have to delete few of them, click the block button and then add them back... it's a waste of time ngl. Did anyone experience the same issues or is it just me? And any chance that some of you know how to solve this problem?

This extension has gotten me through so many semesters in school but now there's a glitch where the only the minutes, not the hours can be edited :(( Please fix this!! I love this extension but I can't use it anymore! I also would really appreciate a scroll bar, as everyone else has said.

overall good extension, but you should be able to stop distraction-free mode short.

Interferes with google docs, says "Some fonts cannot be loaded." Otherwise Self Control has no timers for websites.

i like it because it allows me to stay focused when working

Does the job Unlike its contemporaries simple and easy to use..does the job well..

Was pretty hopeful that this would be my solution. I'm working on courses in Udemy and I get distracted by Facebook, YouTube and Reddit. I blocked those three and thought I was good until Udemy wouldn't load my videos. After I uninstalled the extension Udemy worked again. Not sure how it got included in the blocked sites but unless there is a way for me to flag it as okay then I guess this extension isn't for me.

This extension is F-ing great. It really has helped me stop, or at least control, my procrastination to a reasonable level. Things I would add would be an option to block "From xx am to xx pm" rather than "block for xx hours xx min," if that makes sense. But other than that, I love this extension very much!

To the developer - I love this extension and use this every day. You currently have a bug which no longer allows me to change the amount of time that I want to focus - the hours and minutes fields are visible, but stacked far too closely together (css problem?) and no longer editable.

I don't know if there's something wrong with this when using on Microsoft Edge but I can't scroll down to the settings if I have more than 6 patterns blocked. Maybe add a scroll feature or move the settings button towards the top? Other than that, I love the extension!

This extension is great for controlling your digital work environment. I recommend, as one of the comments mentioned, allowing this extension to be used on incognito.

Very useful, but I can't scroll up and down the list of blocked sites page which means after adding >5 sites to block I can't get to the distraction free mode at the bottom of the page. It would be better if the button was on top of something.

good app but extend the time to days for distraction free mode

I can't stop watching anime and can never get my work done, but now I'm actually getting stuff done. Thanks.

The only feature that is missing and one of the most important feature is the uninstall protection, how can i even control myself if i have the power to uninstall this extension and do whatever i can do. pls add a feature like this.

helpful for dealing with bad habits, I wish there was an option to make certain sites permanent and others on timed, but great app none the less.

Í like this app, however certain issues need to be worked upon: 1) If I add youtube as a block pattern, and if I'm using another website that uses youtube as an interface for its videos, the videos don't load. 2) I can only add a limited number of block patterns, if I add more than that, the "Distraction Free Mode" and "Settings" buttons aren't accessible.

It kind of works but poorly. You can only enter a max of 6 websites, otherwise the settings to turn it on and off are blocked. It's because the list gets longer but you can't scroll down on the screen to get to the settings. The settings are half cut off at 6 so if you want to see it fully you can only do 5. This means when I want to turn on the app, it sometimes turns it on only for an hour instead of indefinitely because I can only see half of the buttons. I had to remember what buttons are where to do it right, and it still means not all of my sites can be blocked. When you do more than 6, the ONLY way to turn on or off the app at that point is to delete some of your sites. This app needs to fix this problem or it's half useless.

Set this to 10000 Hours and add all the sites you find yourself habitually typing into that search bar. Then go and achieve all those things you've been putting on "hold"...

I cannot scroll down to activate it if I add too many things to the block list - if there were a work-around for this it would be great.

Works great! However, there are a few drawbacks: 1) When the blocking is active and you shut down your computer, when you log back in, it will still be active. This is regardless of if the time has elapsed or not. Quite frustrating and has forced me to uninstall + reinstall it a couple of times. 2) I find that if I got to add any more than 5 block patterns, I can't access the block button. This means that you can only really have 5 block patterns at any given time.

Without a Scrollbar this is useless. Will change my review once this is added.

Really useful! Only issue is that its lacking a 'scroll' mechanism for when the list grows too long, so it's difficult to press the 'start' button or see the settings.

Great, clean, simple design. Love how distraction-free mode doesn't have an exit option--one click and you're committed.

Works well, but I can't have more than 6 different sites to block because I can't scroll down. I can barely even see the button to start the Self Control thing. (if I add more than 6 sites to the site block list, I can't see the start button so I can't press it)

I love this app! I have tried a whole bunch of them and all of them are way worse, despite having 100x users. One issue: After a recent chrome update, the menus are broken and I can't see the block option if I have more than 5 sites in the list.

It works for all other pages but doesn't seem to work on Twitter! and Twitter right now being the worst enemy to my productivity...

Just downloaded on the first day of the second half of 2019. It is easy to use and effective in blocking websites using keywords. hope it will help me to keep distance from tv shows and meaningless online safari for the rest of the year. Thank you nhandyal for the extension!

It worked, I was tempted to go onto Youtube, and this worked. The only downside is that sometimes it blocks docs when you sign out and back on.

Works really well for blocking sites I need to stop wasting time on. The only problem I've run into is that it sometimes blocks URLs that don't include my block patterns- I've had to uninstall the extension several times so that I could download files that I needed- that's the only way to get around it when Focused mode is on. With that said, I like it enough that I've kept *re* -installing the extension despite that issue.

A classmate told me about this and it keeps me focused on the task(s) at hand

Fellow procrastinators, get this app! It really helps avoiding distractions. Sleek and easy to use, you can activate it with a couple of clicks on the icon. It has two modes: harsh and super harsh, both tell you off and block you out of the sites you blacklist, but the "distraction free" mode prevents changes to the list for the amount of time you set, unless you disable the extension altogether. Too much hassle, it's easier to go back to work. Last but not least, having the Jolly Roger icon permanently sitting next to my initial on Chrome is pretty cool.

Amazing! Helps me get work done and such a simple extension

This is a must-have if you're working or studying because it's so helpful for procrastinators like myself. However, I have an issue with trying to lift the blocking. Sometimes I input the wrong number for the timer, and I end up having to uninstall and re-install the app because I'm too lazy to code it out or trick the app.

Amazing tool.

A really simple yet effective extension that only takes 15 seconds to download! The only thing that I think can be improved is that is should allow for us to make our own custom distraction screen. Like instead of "Stay Focused" we would be able to change it to "Trying to go on Youtube again??" to add a little personality. Other than that I love this extension!

thank you!

thank you!

I didn't work in the guest mode even though I had turned on to it to work in the icognito mode

i an get work done

GREAT APP!!!

It's awesome. Is there any way to block internet? My exams are near.

Simple but effective

It worked so well!!!!!!!!!

This app does not block websites on incognito windows... Pointless extention.

this extension helps me so much now all the work i have to do it easy without distractions

This extension is really useful to concentrate your own work. Thanks a lot.

there is an app for mac with the same name. but it has a feature that whenever it is activated, and if the user uninstalls the app, the sites still won't open for the time period specified by the user. since yours is a chrome extension, i can easily remove it by right clicking on the extension icon. and then all the sites will be unblocked. i have heard that such a feature can't be added for a chrome extension but maybe some kind of workaround can be done!? otherwise it is pretty simple to use and absolutely loved it.

this is an amazing extension and now that it has the timer for how long you want it on, there is now way i can unblock my stuff to procrastinate. my marks have never looked better. thank you

Does exactly what it's meant to do!

it has gone way too good. its the best.

The app by itself is really helpful for boosting your productivity. However, i encountered the bug that the "blacked pattern window" itself is permanently blocked by self control which prohibits adding new block patterns.

love it

I like it but I can't find the settings! I accidentally turned it on and want to turn it off now that my work day is over.

Just what I was looking for! But please add something of the sort: 1) custom time for distraction-free mode 2) or daily automatic activation of distraction free mode for a specific time interval Kindly add these! Thank you a lot for this extension! UPDATE: Thank you, developer, for the update! It's absolutely perfect now!

I LOVE this extension to chrome!! I use it all the time!! i only have to put my email and facebook in and it helps me be productive on my homework all day long!!! I tried the version for the computer and hated it because you could not could not reverse it and when your husband walks in and asks a question you need to look up, he has to wait the hour or so for the timer. But this version leaves it up to your discretion.. you can just delete it off of your list. Having it on your list is enough of a deterrent for needless checking!

Works pretty good, but really could do with a couple of modifications: 1. When I remove a pattern from the block list in order to access a site, the only way to add it back is by typing the whole thing again. It'd be great if the block list somehow "remembered' most frequently block patterns, and adding back a recently removed pattern were just a matter of one click. 2. As some other reviews have mentioned, pressing Enter should add a pattern to the list instead of having to click on the + sign. And there should be a custom time duration for the "Stay focused" mode, instead of the 1 hour default.

This is EXACTLY what I had been looking for! Love it! Very simple to use and clear-cut. I don't use the "stop changes for one hour" feature because it's so simple to just click the sites on and off--it just takes presence of mind instead of allowing you to run on distracto-mode auto-pilot. It's awesome!!

One suggestion: Make it possible to add block pattern by hitting Enter, instead of just the Plus Button. Other than that super nit-picky request, it's top notch! Really like this extension. Very helpful and versatile.

It works!!!!!!!!!!!!

I can't undo it!!!!!!

It is the worst extension I've ever used because I couldn't even add or delete a tab it is so stupid!

Once I figured out how you can manage the sites it's pretty awesome. Having to manually unblock the site adds that extra step to make you rethink you decision

i really needed this app... thanks :)

helps me soooooo muuch!

Finally found a timer-style app. Thanks for building it :D

Thank you!

it dosent let u pick how long

This app really does help when I need to study, totally recommend it. Just wished there was a custom time range.

OMG this is awsome af

Needs customizable time range but works great

I just installed this to help curb my internet addiction while at work. I enjoy the fact that it does work well to block specific websites and websites based on keywords. My only complaint and it seems to be a common one: when the timer is up for the distraction mode, I still cant access my websites. I had to disable to the extension to check my sites. I guess I will just have to cycle the app on and off.

You can't put a time limit but other than that I like it

HBO doesn't work?

Nice and simple!! It requires some discipline but otherwise quite possibly the best Productivity extension Google Appstore has to offer!

Perfect, just what I needed to get me through study period.

Once you add the address to Self Control, it will block it regardless if you activated it or not.

Great application. Should be nice to have a custom time rage too. Instead of just an hour. Otherwise great. @Crystal Tam Why would you want to delete a site? That's the whole thing with the app. Once it's on, there's no going back for a hour. Just take Apples Self-control program. It's scary

Waste of time! It gives you no choice to set up your preferred time range. And once you added the website you want to block, there's no way you can delete it if the study mode is activated.