endwhile
Guide · Focus
How to stop doomscrolling
Short answer: Remove the feed, not the site. Doomscrolling runs on surfaces with no last item: home feeds, Shorts, Reels and recommendations. Endwhile, a free Chrome extension, turns those off on YouTube, Instagram and Reddit and leaves search, videos and messages working, all the time or only during the hours you choose.
How to do it
- Add Endwhile from the Chrome Web Store.
- Open YouTube, Instagram or Reddit. Each feed is replaced with a search box.
- To block only during work or study, click the icon, open All settings, and set a schedule.
Why site blockers don't stick
Blocking a whole site also blocks the video you needed, the message you have to answer, the thread with the fix. So the blocker gets switched off, and stays off. Removing only the endless parts leaves you nothing to switch off for.
What actually helps
- Arrive with a reason. A search box asks what you came for. A feed never does.
- Remove the next thing. Autoplay, Next buttons and infinite scroll make continuing the default. Take them away and stopping becomes the default.
- Block on a schedule. Work hours, study hours or late at night, with nothing blocked outside them. A window can run overnight, like 22:00 to 06:00.
- Drain the colour. Greyscale mode makes any of the three sites less pulling.
The numbers
The average internet user spends 18 hours 36 minutes a week on social and video feeds, about 40 days a year (GWI data, DataReportal Digital 2026). Getting back to an interrupted task takes 25 minutes 26 seconds on average (Mark, González and Harris, CHI 2005). Sources and a calculator for your own hours.
Questions
Is Endwhile a site blocker?
No. It leaves YouTube, Instagram and Reddit usable and removes only the endless feeds, Shorts, Reels and recommendations.
Can I block only during work hours?
Yes. Set one or more time windows, each with its own days. Outside them nothing is blocked.
Is it free?
Yes. Free, no account, no tracking.