News

How to update

STEP 1
Download and run the latest version of the Blocker installer. Your settings will stay the same.
STEP 2
If you have pro, your product key should be detected and there is no need to activate again. If asked to activate again and you lost your product key, please check the FAQ on the support page for more info.

Release Notes

Blocker 4.6 (14 Apr 2025)
  • Added support for latest versions of supported browsers
  • Added support for Zen, Arc and Ecosia
  • Added autostart features (one time, time of day, sign in, schedule)
  • Added ability to add more than one device block (Frozen Turkey)
  • Added new break types (rewards, random text, delay, sessions)
  • Added rate limits and custom reset times for usage based breaks
  • Added more random text features (random gibberish, custom text, hide errors)
  • Added new lock type (delay)
  • Added ability to block all adult sites by adding *.xxx
  • Added ability to block related Google seaches ("did you mean?")
  • Added a status window when hoving over the system/menu tray icon
  • Added UI improvements, UI fixes
  • Added -start "Block Name" -as-is CLI option
  • Added -start-delay-break, -stop-delay-break, -stop-random-text-break CLI options
  • Added features to block web and video previews in macOS
  • Added feature that blocks you from browsing folders that are blocked in Windows
  • Fixed Edge, Opera GX browsers not being blocked properly
  • Fixed ability to block certain apps that use special permissions
  • Fixed some Settings blocking features in Windows 11
  • Fixed high CPU usage issues (finally)
  • Fixed multi-user support issues
  • Fixed strict and YouTube statistic issues
  • Fixed YouTube channel detection in Safari
  • Fixed errors being displayed in CLI on macOS
  • Fixed issues importing block lists with certain unicode characters on macOS
  • Updated window title blocks so it affects apps in the background for Windows
  • Updated Opera support for Chrome extension (Opera extension being deprecated)
View older version release notes
Blocker 4.5
  • Added support for latest Opera version
  • Added support for latest Safari features (incognito, profiles)
  • Added yellow extension icon when visiting sites on allowance list
  • Added minor UI improvements, UI fixes
  • Added ability to unlock password blocks using CLI
  • Added ability to block picture-in-picture and videos by muting tabs
  • Added ability to block new Chrome Web Store
  • Added blocking to YouTube suggested videos on embedded videos
  • Fixed ability to add URLs with # character
  • Fixed macOS block imports when data contains " or '
  • Fixed zoom keyboard shortcuts not working sometimes
  • Fixed needing to restart browser after install
  • Fixed browser extension/app communication reliability
  • Fixed high CPU for Firefox messaging host
  • Fixed allowance calculation when strict statistics is enabled
  • Fixed macOS folder app blocking not being counted in allowance
  • Fixed issues with YouTube exceptions and channel blocks
  • Updated random text to random words including showing location of errors
  • Updated random text max length and fixed text alignment
  • Updated how browsers will be blocked when incognito disabled
Blocker 4.4
  • New block page design (Opera still pending approval, next 3 features not available yet)
  • Added ability to unblock browser tabs temporarily (unlocked, random text or password)
  • Added ability to block chrome:// URLs, extension store, by closing tabs
  • Added ability to block specific YouTube channels and their videos
  • Fixed Safari blocking, but needed to remove most block page features
  • Added support for Sidekick and Librewolf browsers
  • Added support for Arc browser on macOS (beta, untested)
  • Fixed many UI glitches on macOS
  • Fixed Opera and Opera GX blocking
  • Added feature to block user account settings
  • Added feature to block login item settings on macOS
  • Added button to reset pomodoro timer for continuous blocks
  • Fixed rare high CPU usage issue when blocking apps on Windows
  • Added ability to change app text size (Ctrl/command + scroll)
  • Added feature to import sites from other blocks
  • Fixed issue blocking websites with non-latin characters in URL
  • Fixed extension not determining correct incognito availability
  • Added system theme to follow theme set by operating system
  • Updated default block lists
Blocker 4.3
  • New Firefox versions (90.0+) now supported
  • Added -password lock to command line interface
  • Warning added before starting Frozen Turkey block
  • Strict allowances count time even if away from computer
  • Explorer windows are now closed instead of only minimized
  • UI bugs related to starting block from system tray fixed
  • Small changes to macOS icon and to make wording clearer
  • Other minor UI bugs and improvments made
  • Fixed bug with multiple allowance warnings being sent
  • Overview tab bug with multiple blocks fixed on macOS
  • Settings not saved with concurrent users on macOS fixed
  • New versions of Chrome Beta, Dev now supported on macOS
Blocker 4.2
  • Exceptions are now block list specific for more flexibility
  • Apple M1/Big Sur natively supported
  • Blocking of iOS apps on macOS added
  • Block affects all newly created users on macOS
  • Added -stop, -toggle command line parameters
  • Scheduling UI more compact for less scrolling
  • Scheduling UI can now show other active blocks
  • Break status can now be displayed on extension icon
  • Random text length can be increased during lock
  • Fixed bug where app blocking can stop working
  • Updated interface colors and branding
Blocker 4.1
  • Opera Beta, Dev now supported
  • Windows notifications fixed
  • Windows display scaling improved
  • Edge family account compatibility
  • Allowance calculation improved
  • Updated Brave Tor window detection
  • macOS CLI "-lock", "-help" arguments fixed
  • macOS 10.12-10.13 support improvement
  • macOS scheduled block notification fixed
  • Numerous minor bug fixes/improvements
Blocker 4.0
  • Upgraded user interface
  • Scheduling interface improved
  • Custom breaks for each block
  • Edge (Chromium) now supported
  • Opera GX now supported
  • Firefox Nightly now supported
  • Password locking feature added
  • App blocking via window title/folder
  • Random text locking feature added
  • Lock until computer restart feature added
  • Custom user selections for blocks
  • Improved default block lists
  • Wildcards/exceptions available to free users
  • Easily export all your settings
  • Statistics interface improved
  • Statistics search function
  • Statistics can be exported in JSON
  • Block page redesign
  • 'Pause for a Cause' feature added
  • Strict statistics feature available
  • Can block embedded content
  • Can block task managers, time changes, installer
  • Lowered RAM usage
  • Add sites to block via extension, displays status
  • Dark mode (because why not?)
Blocker 3.10
  • macOS 10.15 officially supported
  • Added support for new Firefox profile folder structure
  • Added support for new Firefox private window settings
  • Added support for Opera 60 on macOS
  • Added start of week setting (Sunday/Monday)
  • Added 6, 12, 24 hour timers to system menu
  • Timers can be started via system menu without a password
  • SeaMonkey and Firefox Nightly now unsupported browsers
  • Localhost can be added as a website exception
  • Daily allowance calculations fixed when blocks overlap
  • Fixed bug that let whitespaces be added/imported to list
  • Fixed block not starting if "heads up" pop-up not closed (macOS)
  • Fixed bug with pro activation after starting trial (macOS)
  • Fixed bug where double-clicking system tray icon cleared settings
  • Permitting IOException's while detecting extension state
  • Maximum list import is now 1000 entries to prevent crashing
  • (10 Oct 2019) macOS 10.12 is now required to install Blocker
Blocker 3.9
  • Added Chrome Canary as an unsupported browser
  • Opera extension installer updated for Opera 58
  • Finally fixed rare issue where settings were reset (win)
  • Improved extension state detection for 'Roaming' profiles
  • Browsers now may need to restart after running installer
Blocker 3.8
  • Added name of the application being blocked in notification
  • Added support to select multiple applications at once (mac)
  • Fixed notifications at the end of trial (win)
  • Fixed database error after first install (win)
  • Changes to allow compatibility with macOS 10.10 (mac)
  • Changes to prevent Safari from quitting after sleeping (mac)
Blocker 3.7
  • Added support for Brave, Brave Dev and Brave Beta
  • Firefox Safe-Mode is now blocked during locked blocks
  • Reinstalling Safari extension more thorough (mac)
  • Reduced app blocking time-out from 5 seconds to 1 second (win)
  • Fixed rare conflicts with Microsoft Office applications (win)
  • Fixed rare bugs where Firefox extension not being detected
  • Fixed bug when trying to edit 10th or more block list
  • Fixed bug where upgrade tab was hidden during trial
  • Fixed bug which allowed block list edits during locked block (mac)
  • Fixed bug where allowance B wasn't working (mac)
  • Frozen Turkey presents you with macOS login screen (mac)
Blocker 3.6
  • Non-conflicting exceptions can now be added during active blocks
  • Pro status now displayed in title bar
  • Fixed bug to detect incognito availability in Chrome-like browsers
  • Fixed bug to detect Opera browser (if installed in user-mode)
  • Changes to allow apostrophes in user name (win)
  • Changes to allow apostrophes in settings
Blocker 3.5
  • Added support for Chrome (Dev, Beta), Firefox Dev and Vivaldi
  • Option to have block affect all users or current user during install
  • Added support for all UTF8 characters in block lists
  • Added support to block Chrome guest mode browsing
  • Added support to block Chrome and Opera independently
  • Added support to block .bin and .com files
  • Added support to block localhost and getcoldturkey.com
  • Added support to block chrome:// addresses (when a flag is set)
  • Added support for multiple browser profiles
  • Added more browsers to unsupported/block list, including TOR
  • Browser will now close momentarily after disabling extension
  • Reduced time to re-enable the extensions to 30 seconds
  • Method to install and/or determine extension state improved
  • Bug where events are misplaced on schedule after a week fixed
  • Block list exceptions not longer count toward daily allowances
  • Exceptions can't be added while a locked block is active
  • Installer will no longer let you cancel to get around block
  • Various performance/block reliability/UI fixes
  • Removed max limit on number of block lists
Blocker 3.4
  • Added free trial of pro features
  • Added customisable block pages for pro users
  • Improved extension installer
  • More scheduler bugs fixed
  • Firefox not closing when extension disabled fixed
  • 2 minute warning timer fixed
Blocker 3.3
  • Fixed compatibility with EO.Webbrowser
  • Increased time to re-enable extensions to 1 minute
  • Scheduler bugs fixed
  • Steam can now be blocked
  • Various reliability fixes
Blocker 3.2
  • Migrated from .NET Webbrowser to EO.Webbrowser
Blocker 3.1
  • Added statistics feature
  • Added daily time limit feature
  • Added password feature
  • Added a refreshed dashboard
  • Added ability to block specific URL/IP
  • Blocks now work when using a VPN
  • Block page shows more reliably
  • Browser Extensions are now required
  • Edge/IE are not supported and will be blocked