ColorPause

Guide

How do I make Instagram or YouTube black and white on a Mac without an extension?

Add instagram.com or youtube.com to ColorPause, and the Safari or Chrome window showing it turns black and white, right away or once you reach a limit you set. There’s no extension to install, and your other windows stay in color.

How to gray instagram.com or youtube.com with ColorPause

ColorPause isn’t out yet. It’s in final testing. Join the waitlist to hear when it’s out.

  1. Install ColorPause, then allow Automation for Safari or Chrome in the setup window.
  2. Open youtube.com or instagram.com in Safari or Chrome.
  3. Click the ColorPause icon in the menu bar, then choose Add youtube.com to your list, or Add instagram.com to your list. ColorPause opens the site’s rule in Settings.
  4. Under “When does it turn gray?”, choose Right away, or choose After a limit: for example, check Minutes on it, set 20 minutes, and choose In a day for Counted.
  5. Add the other site the same way. Each site has its own rule.

If you’ve installed one of these sites as a web app, with File › Add to Dock in Safari or Install page as app in Chrome, it follows the site’s rule, so you don’t need to add it separately.

Questions

Does listing youtube.com cover its other addresses?

A listed site covers its subdomains, so youtube.com also covers www.youtube.com and m.youtube.com.

Can it stay in color during the day and turn gray in the evening?

Yes. In the site’s rule, under “When does this apply?”, choose Only between certain hours, for example 7 PM to 11 PM. Outside those hours the site stays in color.

Does ColorPause see what I watch or post?

No. It reads the address of the visible tab, on your Mac, to match it against your list, and never what’s on the page. What you browse and use never leaves your Mac.

Do videos still play when the window is gray?

Yes. Everything keeps working; it’s just black and white. Show in color, in the ColorPause menu, brings the color back for a few minutes.

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