Checking "just the headlines" turns into 20 minutes of doomscrolling. Block news sites during work and study sessions with timer-based blocking — no permanent changes to your browser.
🛡️ Add to Chrome — FreeNews sites are built the same way social feeds are: an endless stream of updates designed to pull you back in. Checking "just the headlines" easily turns into reading three articles and scrolling the comments. For focused work or study, that's a repeated context switch you didn't plan for.
FocusGuard solves this with timer-based blocking. Block news sites only during your focus sessions — they're automatically unblocked when your session ends. No willpower required, and the news isn't going anywhere.
Search for FocusGuard in the Chrome Web Store and click "Add to Chrome." The free plan covers full website blocking — no credit card required, and setup takes about five seconds.
Click the FocusGuard icon in your toolbar, then "Add Site."
Add each news domain you check most often — e.g.
cnn.com, nytimes.com,
bbc.com.
Set your timer anywhere from 5 minutes to 8 hours. Click "Start Session." Your blocked news sites are now inaccessible until your session ends.
If you try to visit a blocked site during a session, you'll see a motivational blocked page with your puppy rescue progress. When your session ends, the sites unblock automatically.
Start with whichever sites you find yourself checking on autopilot — this is different for everyone. Common ones people block during focus sessions:
Yes. FocusGuard is a free Chrome extension that blocks news sites during focus sessions. No credit card required for the free plan, and you can block as many domains as you want.
Add the news sites you check most to a FocusGuard block list, then start a timed focus session. The sites stay inaccessible for the session and unblock automatically afterward, turning checking the news into a deliberate choice instead of a reflex.
No. FocusGuard only blocks the specific domains you add to your block list. Everything else works normally during your session.
Yes. FocusGuard uses timer-based blocking — when your focus session ends, blocked news sites automatically become accessible again. No permanent changes to your browser settings.
Join 500+ users who've reclaimed their productivity. Free to start, takes 10 seconds to install.
🛡️ Install FocusGuard Free