Pause - Stop Mindless Browsing

How to install an extension Open in Chrome Web Store

CRX ID

ljfdccdjpfjpfjbpdiihanpodilolofh

Status

Extension status: Featured

Description from extension meta

Pause distracting websites before they open. Be mindful and intentional with your browsing using this simple extension.

Image from store

Description from store

Pause breaks the cycle of distraction and mindless browsing and helps you be more focused, productive, and intentional with your technology use.

When you open a distracting website, Pause creates a gentle interruption by displaying a calming green screen. After pausing for five seconds (adjustable), you can choose to continue to the site, remain on the green screen with the site temporarily blocked, or close the tab.

The interruption created by Pause gently nudges you to make informed, intentional decisions about how you are spending your time.

- Pause comes pre-seeded with a list of 50 top distracting websites, which you can add to or edit as needed.

- You can also adjust the length of the Pause time (5 seconds is the default.)

Keep Pause enabled in your browser. It’s a simple and powerful tool to help you control distraction and create more mindful browsing habits that will help you stay focused.

Pause is a product of Freedom Labs, where we develop new ways to meaningfully interact with technology. Like our other extensions, Pause is highly privacy-conscious. None of your data is sent anywhere (the cloud, our servers, etc.) It remains secure on your own device. Learn more about Freedom here: https://freedom.to

Latest reviews

Blake Giunta 2025-07-11: Like many, I've run into the habit of quickly going to these websites before I even realize I'm doing it, and it wastes my time. I'm always surprised now when this stops me for a few seconds, at which point I realize "wow, I did it again." It has helped me save time because 90% of the time I go to these sites I didn't even really mean to or think about it! Crazy brain. Great life-altering extension.
Brossie-brosse BROSS 2025-05-16: This is it folks. Set your list, activate Pause, profit. Unlike other "block site " plugins, is also straightforward to "pause" Pause if you indeed need to access a website from the block list for a legitimate reason. Exactly the clear and concise plugin I needed to help with distractions.
miriam s jacob 2024-11-02: It stopped working. It is enabled, but I can open any websites that should be "paused" without any barrier. There is no way to make it work.
Arcane n/a 2024-05-17: It's decent but really needs a darkmode for evening browsing. Can't look at it after sunset.
João P. 2024-03-14: Please remove "Get Freedom" button for Freedom Premium subscribers.
Malika Isimbi 2024-03-04: Very easy to use and efficient. I highly recommend it! Thank you to the creators of Pause! <3
John Morris 2024-01-16: Works as specified. Doesn't do anything more than advertised, which is a good feature in a web blocker. I rarely get frustrated at it, which is probably the highest praise I can give a web blocker.
Mateusz Worosz 2023-11-10: It's really good but it lacks an option to reenable site blocking after choosing 24h release. I often have to check stuff on Facebook for 15-20 min a day but the extention makes it possible to browse it afterwards for 24h - a change here would be nice.
Dominik Kopeć 2023-09-22: I would have given five stars, but for some time the extension stopped working. Previously, it only launched when the page was first opened. Now it also launches after refreshing or using the "open in new tab" option, or even after opening in the same tab. Sometimes it also doesn't launch at all, or it launches at random times (such as when I click on a youtube video to play it). It is no longer functional for me.
Dominik Kopeć 2023-09-22: I would have given five stars, but for some time the extension stopped working. Previously, it only launched when the page was first opened. Now it also launches after refreshing or using the "open in new tab" option, or even after opening in the same tab. Sometimes it also doesn't launch at all, or it launches at random times (such as when I click on a youtube video to play it). It is no longer functional for me.
Siavosh Zarrasvand 2023-08-04: Amazing plugin, I use it on a daily basis.
Siavosh Zarrasvand 2023-08-04: Amazing plugin, I use it on a daily basis.
Dominik Kopeć 2023-06-05: I would have given five stars, but the extension has stopped working for a while now. Previously, it only launched the first time the page was opened. Now it also launches on refresh or using the "open in a new tab" option. It's no longer functional for me.
Erhan Alankus 2023-05-08: Works well. It would be better if it didn't affect the currently playing song on youtube when I enable pause.
Erhan Alankus 2023-05-08: Works well. It would be better if it didn't affect the currently playing song on youtube when I enable pause.
Elaine Swanson 2023-04-21: Hello, I really like this feature. However, instead of making a list of distracting sites to pause on, I wish we could pause for every website other than a list of accepted sites. I'm finding it much too difficult to input a list of all of the sites I mindlessly browse on verses the ones I use all the time and are productive on. When it is the internet versus me, I pretty much lose all the time. lol. This is similar to website extensions feature. Thank you.
Dominik Kopeć 2023-02-18: I would have given five stars, but the extension has stopped working for a while now. Previously, it only launched the first time the page was opened. Now it also launches on refresh or using the "open in a new tab" option. It's no longer functional for me. EDIT: Now it is working! You are awesome! EDIT 2: Not working again :(
Oliver Engel 2023-02-14: Super Plugin, um dem sinnlosen Surfen zuvor zu kommen. Richtig gut wäre eine Option, dass man auf der Seite warten muss und nicht, dass man parallel wo anders surfen kann.
Sobir Bobiev 2023-01-26: Does what it says.. However I would like to see the option to apply this pause on all websites. Also, option to add this on all pages. Allow user to specify exception URLs though. Thanks. Regular expression on URLs would be great too.
Sobir Bobiev 2023-01-26: Does what it says.. However I would like to see the option to apply this pause on all websites. Also, option to add this on all pages. Allow user to specify exception URLs though. Thanks. Regular expression on URLs would be great too.
Paos Rachid 2023-01-08: simple and useful thank you
Paos Rachid 2023-01-08: simple and useful thank you
Qinshi Wang 2022-10-31: This plugin basically fit my need. It gives a kind warning when I'm trying to open a distracting website. But I hope there is an option that not to affect tabs that are already opened.
Qinshi Wang 2022-10-31: This plugin basically fit my need. It gives a kind warning when I'm trying to open a distracting website. But I hope there is an option that not to affect tabs that are already opened.
Gary Fischer 2022-10-23: Simple and does just what I want...and no more.
Gary Fischer 2022-10-23: Simple and does just what I want...and no more.
Jay Shead 2022-10-07: Exactly what I was looking for! Very lightweight and works right off the bat.
Jay Shead 2022-10-07: Exactly what I was looking for! Very lightweight and works right off the bat.
Rutalorp 2022-09-17: Really helps you be more mindful of your distractions, very nice
Rutalorp 2022-09-17: Really helps you be more mindful of your distractions, very nice
Felipe Mello 2022-09-01: Hey guys, this extension is awesome! I had the idea to create something similar, so I decided to check whether someone had already thought of it, and I found your app. If I may offer a suggestion, you could also show philosophical messages about better using your time and virtue during the pause screen (the greek and roman philosophers may have some great ones). This could be an energy boost for those wanting to really get rid of mindless browsing. Cheers from Brazil! =D
Felipe Mello 2022-09-01: Hey guys, this extension is awesome! I had the idea to create something similar, so I decided to check whether someone had already thought of it, and I found your app. If I may offer a suggestion, you could also show philosophical messages about better using your time and virtue during the pause screen (the greek and roman philosophers may have some great ones). This could be an energy boost for those wanting to really get rid of mindless browsing. Cheers from Brazil! =D
Alex Xue 2022-08-22: I'm not sure if it's just me but, websites that I've placed in myself are not paused. Other than that, I think it is a great way to stop myself from wandering to other websites.
Alex Xue 2022-08-22: I'm not sure if it's just me but, websites that I've placed in myself are not paused. Other than that, I think it is a great way to stop myself from wandering to other websites.
Chi V. 2022-08-10: Love the interface and concept! However, I want to change some settings regarding the pause duration. How can I modify this?
Chi V. 2022-08-10: Love the interface and concept! However, I want to change some settings regarding the pause duration. How can I modify this?
Florin Popa 2022-06-25: I dislike it having adds on the "pause" page.
Florin Popa 2022-06-25: I dislike it having adds on the "pause" page.
Dre Stackems 2022-06-21: Doesnt work for 4chan or any of the 4chan boards. Trying to use this to block myself from digesting extreme content that is radicalizing me to be the next shooter but its not working.
Dre Stackems 2022-06-21: Doesnt work for 4chan or any of the 4chan boards. Trying to use this to block myself from digesting extreme content that is radicalizing me to be the next shooter but its not working.
Aaron Stanek 2022-06-17: Once a user is through the mandatory pause period, there is nothing to stop them from spending hour-upon-hour on a distracting site. It would be useful if the extension also added a pause period between pages of the same website.
Aaron Stanek 2022-06-17: Once a user is through the mandatory pause period, there is nothing to stop them from spending hour-upon-hour on a distracting site. It would be useful if the extension also added a pause period between pages of the same website.
林君翰 2022-06-09: This is really lovely. It really stop my urge to distract myself. However, in Pause statistics, it would be more useful if it shows "Pause page hits" verus "Pause page halts". That's where you could visualize your progress.
林君翰 2022-06-09: This is really lovely. It really stop my urge to distract myself. However, in Pause statistics, it would be more useful if it shows "Pause page hits" verus "Pause page halts". That's where you could visualize your progress.
Дмитро Шостак 2022-06-09: Is it possible to remove from pause-list https://music.youtube.com/ but keep https://www.youtube.com/ ?
Дмитро Шостак 2022-06-09: Is it possible to remove from pause-list https://music.youtube.com/ but keep https://www.youtube.com/ ?
Mauricio Manattini 2022-05-25: Please let me customize the "Pause for a few seconds" message, it will be very helpful if i could change the message to something that refocus me. I'm a freedom subscriber by the way and i would like this extension to be more customizable.
Mauricio Manattini 2022-05-25: Please let me customize the "Pause for a few seconds" message, it will be very helpful if i could change the message to something that refocus me. I'm a freedom subscriber by the way and i would like this extension to be more customizable.
Eavy Eavy 2022-02-25: Work on youtube, somehow doesnt work in google itself https://www.google.com/chrome/?&brand=
Eavy Eavy 2022-02-25: Work on youtube, somehow doesnt work in google itself https://www.google.com/chrome/?&brand=

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