LENS is a Chrome extension that filters YouTube videos based on topics selected by the user.
The extension stores the following settings using Chrome storage:
The extension may also store local IndexedDB caches for topic classification and transcript-provider evaluation data. These caches are used to reduce repeated work and improve runtime performance.
If a remote classifier API key is configured, video metadata such as title, channel text, badges, descriptions, and related visible metadata may be sent to the configured classifier provider to determine the topic.
Automatic transcript fallback is currently paused in the runtime filtering path. Transcript provider code may exist for evaluation, but normal filtering does not automatically send transcript requests.
The current production scope does not require login or user accounts. The extension does not maintain a user profile database.
Login should only be added when the product requires account-backed capabilities such as synced settings, paid subscriptions, cloud transcript quota, user-specific feedback history, moderation workflows, or server-side persisted settings.
The extension requests YouTube host access so it can inspect visible YouTube page content and apply blur or hide behavior to filtered videos.
The extension requests Chrome storage access so preferences and overrides persist across browser sessions.
The extension requests active tab access so the popup can interact with the currently active YouTube tab after the user opens the extension.
Users control the enabled state, selected topics, custom topics, filter mode, blur intensity, and overrides from the extension popup.
Users can remove the extension at any time from Chrome extension settings.