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ajayyy/DeArrow

A browser extension that crowdsources more accurate YouTube titles and thumbnails submitted and voted on by users.

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What is it?

DeArrow is a browser extension for YouTube that replaces clickbait titles and thumbnails with community-submitted alternatives. Titles can be any text, while thumbnails are screenshots taken from specific timestamps in the video. Users submit and vote on both, with the goal of making titles accurate and reducing sensationalism.

When no submissions exist, DeArrow reformats the original title into a user-chosen style such as title case or sentence case, and sets a screenshot from a random timestamp as the thumbnail. These fallbacks can be disabled in the options. A "show original" button lets users view the original title and thumbnail at any time.

Thumbnails are generated either through a thumbnail cache service or locally in the browser by capturing a frame from the video element, whichever is faster. Fallback thumbnails avoid SponsorBlock segments. The extension is available for Chrome, Firefox, and Safari, with an Android option.

Key features

  • 01Replaces YouTube titles with user-submitted alternatives that are voted on.
  • 02Substitutes user-submitted thumbnails taken from specific video timestamps.
  • 03Reformats original titles into title case or sentence case when no submissions exist.
  • 04Generates fallback thumbnails from random timestamps outside SponsorBlock segments.
  • 05Lets users view the original title and thumbnail with one click.

Use cases

  • Viewers who want YouTube titles that match what a video actually contains.
  • Users who want to reduce sensational or clickbait thumbnails while browsing.
  • Teams or individuals deploying the extension with managed browser policies.

Quick start

  1. 1

    Install the extension from the Chrome Web Store, Firefox Add-ons, or Safari App Store

  2. 2

    Clone the repository with submodules

    git clone https://github.com/ajayyy/DeArrow --recurse-submodules=yes
  3. 3

    Install dependencies with npm

    npm ci
  4. 4

    Build the development version for Chrome

    npm run build:dev

Things to know

  • Currently in beta, with some known issues.
  • Building from source requires Node.js 22 and a config.json file copied from the example.

In collections

Privacy & local-first toolsChrome & browser extensions

Topics

#browser-extension#youtube#crowdsourcing#typescript#thumbnails#privacy

FAQ

What is DeArrow?
A browser extension that crowdsources more accurate YouTube titles and thumbnails submitted and voted on by users. DeArrow is a browser extension for YouTube that replaces clickbait titles and thumbnails with community-submitted alternatives. Titles can be any text, while thumbnails are screenshots taken from specific timestamps in the video. Users submit and vote on both, with the goal of making titles accurate and reducing sensationalism.
Is DeArrow free to use? What license does it have?
DeArrow is open source under the GPL-3.0 license. Check the license terms before using it in commercial products.
Is DeArrow still maintained?
Actively maintained. The last commit to DeArrow was on Oct 17, 2026.
What can I use DeArrow for?
Viewers who want YouTube titles that match what a video actually contains. Users who want to reduce sensational or clickbait thumbnails while browsing. Teams or individuals deploying the extension with managed browser policies.
How do I install DeArrow?
Install the extension from the Chrome Web Store, Firefox Add-ons, or Safari App Store Clone the repository with submodules: git clone https://github.com/ajayyy/DeArrow --recurse-submodules=yes Install dependencies with npm: npm ci Build the development version for Chrome: npm run build:dev
Where can I get DeArrow?
The source code and installation instructions are on GitHub: https://github.com/ajayyy/DeArrow

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