Show HN: I Built a Tool to Break Free from YouTube's Addictive Algorithm

[sarmadgulzar]

I built Watchlist to solve a problem that's been nagging at me (and I suspect many others): YouTube's addictive nature and its impact on productivity.

The Problem:

YouTube is an incredible source of knowledge, but its homepage is an unending scroll of rabbit holes. The algorithm is designed to maximize watch time, often at the expense of our intentions and productivity. I found myself wasting hours, jumping from video to video, and then blaming myself for the lack of self-control.

The Solution:

Watchlist! Watchlist is essentially YouTube playlists on steroids. Here's how it works:

1. Create custom "lists" for different topics (e.g., AI, Science, Programming) 2. Add relevant channels to each list 3. Watchlist automatically adds new uploads from these channels to your lists 4. Set custom notification schedules for each list (e.g., every morning at 8 AM, every Sunday at 5 PM) 5. Receive email or push notifications (your choice) when there are new unwatched videos

The result? You stay updated on the content you care about without falling into the YouTube homepage trap.

Tech Stack:

Built with Python, JavaScript, Supabase & Google Cloud Run. (Took six weeks)

Why I Built This:

As an electrical engineer turned software developer, I've always been fascinated by programming. This project combines my love for coding with a real-world problem I've experienced firsthand.

Try It Out:

To make it as easy as possible for you to try Watchlist, I've set up a 1-click dummy login:

http://watchlist.so/login/dummy

This generates a dummy email and password for you, valid for 14 days. Although this account has full access, please note some restrictions:

- You cannot reset the password - Email notifications are disabled - Data cannot be migrated to another account - The account will be deactivated after 14 days

For those who prefer a proper account, you can register normally at: https://watchlist.so/signup

Feedback:

I've seen many people struggle with YouTube addiction without realizing the root cause. If you've faced similar issues or have thoughts on this approach, I'd love to hear your feedback. Your thoughts and suggestions are crucial for improving Watchlist. There's a dedicated feedback page at:

https://watchlist.so/settings/feedback

I'm eager to hear your experiences and ideas! Thanks!

PS: This is my first Show HN. So, please excuse me if I made any mistakes. I tried my best to follow the guidelines.

[Brian_K_White]

Or just turn off history.

[sarmadgulzar]

Tried and failed. When you turn off history, the algorithm will actually suggest even more enticing videos.

[sarmadgulzar]

A quick demo of how Watchlist works: https://youtu.be/NqgZelLWsPs

[toomuchtodo]

Could you support using the Internet Archive as the content source as well?

[Retr0id]

Would that not be an abuse of the IA's resources? (genuine question, not meant to sound accusatory)

[sarmadgulzar]

Can you please elaborate a little?

[davidbanham]

Feedly allows subscribing to YouTube channels.

[sarmadgulzar]

True. But Watchlist is not just a video aggregator, it’s got many more features like customizable alerts and progress indicators etc.

I’m currently working on a feature to let AI determine if a video should be added to a list based on what it’s about.

[unholiness]

A tool love in this realm is the Unhook Chrome Extension[0]. It simply removes the recommended videos. No home feed, no sidebar, no clickbait. Just a search bar and place to browse your subscriptions. Huge improvement.

[0]https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/unhook-remove-youtu...

[sarmadgulzar]

Thanks for sharing this. This tool is a very small subset of what I am trying to do with Watchlist.

1) In the current version, you can actually set very flexible notification schedules and use a medium of your choice (email, webpush) to receive the notifications about new videos.

2) You can create lists by cloning YouTube’s playlists and then keep track of your progress by marking them Watched/Unwatched. This is good if you’re taking a course on YouTube.

3) I am working on adding the “tags” functionality which will suggest similar channels to users based on the kind of videos & channels they’ve added.

4) I will also be adding a video summary feature which will send a short summary of the video to you.

I have many more features in mind, just need to get some initial validation of the idea.