Last updated: October 25, 2026

YouTube Toolbox ("the extension") is a Chrome extension that tidies up the YouTube interface. This page explains what information the extension handles and where it is stored.

Information the developer receives

None. The extension has no developer server. It sends nothing to the developer — not your settings, lists, browsing history, watch history, or account information — and it does not sell any data. Connections to Google (Chrome sync, Google Drive) and YouTube are described in the sections below.

What is stored, and where

• Display and behavior settings (feature toggles and values) are stored in Chrome's chrome.storage.sync. If Chrome sync is on, Google syncs them to Chrome on your other computers.
• Hidden subscription channels and block lists (channel identifiers and names, video IDs and titles, blocked words), together with their update times and deletion records, are stored on your computer in chrome.storage.local. When selected in the Sync tab, they are also saved to chrome.storage.sync and shared with your other computers if Chrome sync is on. Hidden channels and block lists have separate sync choices. If the lists exceed Chrome sync's capacity, that sharing path pauses.
• Channel icon image URLs are cached on your computer to display the lists.
• Sync choices and update records are stored on your computer for this PC and profile. These choices and internal setting-update records are not included in exported settings files.

The extension does not read or store cookie values or passwords. Connecting Google Drive uses authorization tokens with your permission. The next section explains how email addresses and tokens are handled.

Google Drive sync (optional)

Only after you choose "Connect with this profile's Google account" or "Choose an account to connect," the extension saves the settings, hidden channels, and block lists selected in the Sync tab, with update times and deletion records, to the appDataFolder of the connected Google account's Drive, a hidden folder for this extension. Select the same account in each Chrome profile to share settings and lists.

• The only scope used is https://www.googleapis.com/auth/drive.appdata. The extension does not read or write your regular Drive files.
• The data is stored in your Drive. The developer cannot see it.
• Chrome (chrome.identity) manages tokens for the profile-account connection.
• For "Choose an account to connect," the chosen account's email address is saved in chrome.storage.local to display the account and reconnect. Its access token and expiry are held temporarily only in the browser's in-memory chrome.storage.session, never written to disk, local or sync storage, or exported files. The email is used for reconnection requests to Google, and the token for Google API authentication.
• Watch history, the full fetched subscription list, icons, and authentication tokens are not saved to Drive. The full fetched subscription list is used only in memory during loading and in the settings page.
• "Disconnect" stops sync and clears the saved email address. The account-picker connection clears its session token without revoking the shared Google grant, so other profiles stay connected. The profile-account connection clears Chrome's cached token and attempts revocation with Google, placing the token in the request body. Both retain the Drive data and local lists.
• Turning off a sync path keeps its existing remote data because other profiles may still use it.

The extension's use and transfer to any other app of information received from Google APIs will adhere to the Google API Services User Data Policy, including the Limited Use requirements.

Network connections

• YouTube (www.youtube.com): The extension runs on YouTube pages to adjust what is shown. When you add a channel to hide, it fetches that channel's public page without cookies to confirm its name and identifiers. When you click "Choose from my subscriptions", it reads the subscription list of the YouTube account you are signed in to (it never subscribes or unsubscribes). The option that hides members-only recommendations you cannot watch fetches the candidate video's watch page only to check whether it can be played; Chrome uses your YouTube sign-in automatically, but the extension never reads cookie values.
• YouTube image servers (yt3.ggpht.com, yt3.googleusercontent.com): Channel icons are loaded for the lists.
• Google (accounts.google.com, www.googleapis.com, oauth2.googleapis.com): Contacted when you choose to connect Drive, while syncing a connected account, or when disconnecting a profile-account connection and requesting revocation. Chrome shares settings and lists through its own sync service according to Chrome's sync settings and your choices in the extension's Sync tab.
• Right-click YouTube search: Sends the text you selected to YouTube search.

Exporting and importing settings

"Export" saves settings and lists to a JSON file on your computer; email addresses and authentication tokens are not exported. "Import" processes the selected file within the extension, applies settings, and merges lists. The file itself is never sent to the developer. Imported settings and lists subsequently follow your choices in the Sync tab and may be shared through Chrome sync and the connected Google Drive account.

Deleting your data

Settings and lists are retained until you change or delete them. Deletion records older than 180 days are cleaned up during synchronization. Removing the extension makes Chrome delete its local extension data; this does not mean that copies stored by Google are deleted.

To delete Drive data, open Google Drive Settings → Manage apps and choose "Delete hidden app data" for YouTube Toolbox. You can revoke Google access from your Google account's connections settings.

Changes to this policy

If the information the extension handles changes, this page will be updated along with the date above.

Contact

Please contact us through GitHub Issues.