FreeYT - Privacy YouTube Safari Extension

A Safari Web Extension that automatically redirects YouTube URLs to their privacy-enhanced embed versions using youtube-nocookie.com, eliminating tracking cookies and protecting your privacy.

Overview

FreeYT intercepts YouTube links and redirects them to embed-only versions that don't set tracking cookies. This happens at the network level using Safari's declarativeNetRequest API, making it fast, reliable, and battery-efficient.

Features

• Network-level URL redirection (no DOM manipulation)
• Safari-only extension (explicit guard for non-Safari user agents)
• Supports multiple YouTube URL formats:
  • youtube.com/watch?v=xxx
  • youtu.be/xxx
  • youtube.com/shorts/xxx
  • m.youtube.com (mobile)
• Toggle extension on/off via Safari toolbar popup with Liquid Glass styling
• Persistent state across browser sessions
• Dark/light mode support in popup UI
• Native iOS/Mac host app with modern SwiftUI interface (Liquid Glass design, morph-ready containers, animated background/particles, haptics, tint picker)
• No data collection, no tracking, no analytics

Technical Architecture

Extension Components

• Manifest V3: Modern Safari Web Extension API
• declarativeNetRequest: Network-level URL rewriting for performance
• Background Service Worker: Manages rule enabling/disabling
• chrome.storage: Persists user toggle preferences
• Safari Toolbar Popup: User interface for extension control

How It Works

1. User navigates to a YouTube URL
2. Safari intercepts the request via declarativeNetRequest
3. If extension is enabled, applies regex pattern matching
4. Redirects to youtube-nocookie.com/embed/[video-id]
5. Video plays without tracking cookies

Installation

Development/Testing

1. Clone or download this repository

2. Open the project in Xcode:

   open FreeYT.xcodeproj

3. Build the project:

   xcodebuild -project FreeYT.xcodeproj -scheme FreeYT \
     -destination 'platform=iOS Simulator,name=iPhone 16' build

   Or press Command+R in Xcode

4. Enable the extension in Safari:

   • Open Safari > Settings > Extensions
   • Find "FreeYT - Privacy YouTube"
   • Toggle it ON
   • Grant permissions for youtube.com

Usage

Enabling/Disabling

1. Click the FreeYT icon in Safari's toolbar
2. Use the toggle switch to enable or disable redirects
3. Status indicator shows current state:
   • Green: Extension active
   • Gray: Extension disabled

Testing

The popup includes test buttons to verify functionality:

• Click "Test: YouTube Video" to open a sample video link
• Click "Test: YouTube Short" to open a sample short link
• Both should redirect to youtube-nocookie.com if enabled

Manual Testing

Visit any YouTube URL:

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ
• https://youtu.be/dQw4w9WgXcQ
• https://www.youtube.com/shorts/abc123

All should redirect to their youtube-nocookie.com embed equivalents.

Project Structure

FreeYT/
├── FreeYT.xcodeproj          # Xcode project file
├── FreeYT/                   # Host application
│   ├── AppDelegate.swift     # App lifecycle management
│   ├── SceneDelegate.swift   # Scene configuration
│   ├── LiquidGlassView.swift # Main app screen (modern SwiftUI)
│   ├── LiquidGlassHostingController.swift  # UIHostingController wrapper
│   ├── Info.plist           # App bundle configuration
│   ├── Assets.xcassets/     # Icons and images
│   └── LaunchScreen.storyboard  # Splash screen
└── FreeYT Extension/         # Safari Web Extension
    ├── Resources/
    │   ├── manifest.json    # Extension configuration
    │   ├── rules.json       # URL redirect rules
    │   ├── background.js    # Service worker
    │   ├── popup.html       # Toolbar popup UI
    │   ├── popup.css        # Popup styling
    │   ├── popup.js         # Popup logic
    │   └── images/          # Extension icons
    └── Info.plist           # Extension bundle configuration

Key Files

manifest.json

Defines extension permissions, background worker, toolbar action, and declarativeNetRequest rules.

rules.json

Contains regex patterns for matching and redirecting YouTube URLs. All redirect rules use priority 1 and apply to youtube.com domains.

background.js

Service worker that:

• Initializes extension as enabled by default
• Listens for toggle changes from popup
• Enables/disables redirect rulesets dynamically
• Logs all state changes for debugging

popup.html/css/js

Safari toolbar popup interface that:

• Displays current extension state
• Provides toggle control (Safari-only guard; blocks non-Safari)
• Includes test buttons for verification
• Supports system dark/light mode

LiquidGlassView.swift

Modern SwiftUI app UI that:

• Displays app branding with Liquid Glass design, animated background/particles
• Shows extension status and instructions in a GlassEffectContainer cluster
• Includes morph-ready Liquid Glass toggle (iOS 18+/26), tint picker, haptics
• Supports dark/light mode automatically
• Provides polished onboarding aligned with the Safari popup
• Auto-detects extension status on Mac Catalyst and offers refresh/diagnostics

Bundle Identifiers

• Host app: com.freeyt.app
• Extension: com.freeyt.app.extension

These must remain consistent across Info.plist files and AppDelegate.swift.

Build Commands

Clean Build

xcodebuild clean -project FreeYT.xcodeproj -scheme FreeYT

Build for iOS Simulator

xcodebuild -project FreeYT.xcodeproj -scheme FreeYT \
  -destination 'platform=iOS Simulator,name=iPhone 16' build

Build for Mac Catalyst

xcodebuild -project FreeYT.xcodeproj -scheme FreeYT \
  -destination 'platform=macOS,variant=Mac Catalyst' build

Run Tests

xcodebuild test -project FreeYT.xcodeproj -scheme FreeYT \
  -destination 'platform=iOS Simulator,name=iPhone 16'

Debugging

1. Enable extension in Safari
2. Open Safari > Develop > Show Web Inspector
3. Check Console for [FreeYT] log messages
4. Background worker logs:
   • Extension initialization
   • Rule enabling/disabling
   • Storage changes

Testing Checklist

• Build succeeds without errors
• Run on iOS Simulator and enable extension in Safari
• Test youtube.com/watch?v=xxx redirect
• Test youtu.be/xxx redirect
• Test youtube.com/shorts/xxx redirect
• Toggle extension off and verify redirects stop
• Toggle back on and verify redirects resume
• Check popup UI in dark mode
• Check popup UI in light mode
• Verify test buttons open YouTube URLs

Development

Modifying Redirect Rules

Edit FreeYT Extension/Resources/rules.json to add or modify URL patterns.

Changing Popup UI

Edit the following files:

• FreeYT Extension/Resources/popup.html - Structure
• FreeYT Extension/Resources/popup.css - Styling
• FreeYT Extension/Resources/popup.js - Functionality

Updating App UI

Edit the following files for host app interface changes:

• FreeYT/LiquidGlassView.swift - SwiftUI view structure and layout
• FreeYT/LiquidGlassHostingController.swift - UIHostingController wrapper
• FreeYT/SceneDelegate.swift - Scene configuration

Roadmap

For Production Release

1. Update Bundle IDs (if needed)

   • Modify Info.plist files
   • Update AppDelegate.swift references

2. App Store Assets

   • Screenshots of extension in action
   • App preview video (optional)
   • Description highlighting privacy benefits

3. Privacy Policy

   • Document "No data collected, no tracking, no analytics"
   • Host on webpage or GitHub

4. Code Signing

   • Add Apple Developer Team ID
   • Configure provisioning profiles
   • Enable necessary capabilities

5. App Review Preparation

   • Document privacy benefits
   • Provide testing instructions
   • Note declarativeNetRequest usage (no data access)

Privacy

This extension:

• Does NOT collect any user data
• Does NOT track browsing history
• Does NOT use analytics
• Does NOT inject scripts into pages
• Does NOT read page content
• Only redirects YouTube URLs to privacy-enhanced versions

All processing happens locally on your device.

Requirements

• iOS 15.0+ / macOS 11.0+
• Safari 15.0+
• Xcode 13.0+ (for development)

License

Copyright 2025. All rights reserved.

Support

For issues or questions, please check the Safari extension logs in Web Inspector or review the debugging section above.

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Built with a focus on privacy. No tracking. No cookies. Just pure YouTube content.