Short answers.

No. Villow is a Fix the Web project, built on YouTube's public API and official embedded player. It isn't affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by YouTube or Google.

Villow is built on YouTube's videos and services. It demonstrates the controls YouTube could offer directly to everyone, and lets you use them in the meantime.

You can create your own private Villow or join one run by someone you trust. One person manages the hosting and database; friends sign in and choose their viewing setup. Choose a starting route.

The software is free and open source. Hosting uses the owner's provider accounts. Practical capacity, group costs and paid-plan requirements are still being tested; free hosting isn't guaranteed. More on costs.

Creating a Villow with Setup needs a Windows computer today. Joining a friend's doesn't. Setup duration with new users hasn't been measured yet. Mac and Linux Setup availability is TBDmacOS and Linux availability.

The web app works in a browser on iPhone, iPad and Android, and can be added to the home screen. Extension support is a separate question; check your browser.

Allow their Google account in your project's sign-in setup, then send your Villow address. Exact invitation steps are still being confirmed. Guidance for owners.

External Google OAuth projects in Testing normally receive authorization that expires after seven days when YouTube permissions are requested. Production and verification guidance is still being confirmed. Setup notes.

Yes, on YouTube itself with the extension's ceilings. Personalized YouTube recommendations aren't imported into Villow. Villow also offers optional country charts and friends' picks; its explained suggestions concern your settings and habits.

Yes. Reflections, social participation and the extension are optional. Without the connected extension, Villow can't include your YouTube browser time. You never have to rate, and entertainment or rest can be worthwhile.

The daily watch limit can offer a once-per-day allowance for the current video. App-open limits, per-channel daily blockers and watch-free dates don't offer that choice. Bedtime can separately be stopped, snoozed or dismissed for tonight. More on limits.

A limit or schedule is holding them. Keeping them visible helps you understand what the limit is doing.

Villow uses YouTube's official embedded player and doesn't offer background playback. Your place is saved so you can return later.

Don't assume the embedded web player has all the features of YouTube's native apps. A verified device and playback matrix is still being prepared. The extension doesn't cover TV or native YouTube apps.

YouTube's developer policies require tracking to be turned off for those videos. Saving and recommending them can still work.

Villow adds no ads and sells no viewing data. Videos use YouTube's official player, which may still show YouTube ads.

Days without raising or extending limits. Going over a time threshold under an offered finish-current-video allowance and increasing a limit are different events. Social streaks are an optional experiment, not a wellbeing score.

Villow includes reduced-motion and appearance controls such as greyscale and no thumbnails. A full accessibility audit and verified keyboard guide are still outstanding; report an access problem.

Subscribing and unsubscribing through Villow changes your YouTube subscriptions. Supported managed-playlist actions can also write to YouTube. Saving a video into Villow's feed is separate from changing a YouTube playlist. Read the prompt for the action you're taking.

No. Villow's worth-it verdicts are stored in its own database and don't write YouTube likes.

Normal updates continue from the last successful sync, with a 24-hour lookback for the first sync. Delivery depends on the installation's scheduled updates, rather than arriving live. Batch channels can check in every 1–30 days and include uploads from up to the last 30 days.

Yes. It adds browser time, recommendation and watched-video ceilings plus calmer settings on YouTube. Linking it adds connected usage and saved videos in Villow. The finite feed, reflections, explained suggestions and friends experience lives in the full app.

Chrome, Edge and Firefox on computers, and Firefox on Android. Orion is a current iPhone and iPad workaround through its Chrome extension support. Native Safari support remains planned. Store links and coverage.

No. Your limits follow you across Villow and connected browsers. That includes Villow usage plus YouTube pages in linked extension browsers, and excludes native YouTube apps and unconnected browsers.

Supported shared settings can be edited in Villow or the extension and synchronized between them. Standalone watched-video limits are separate. Extension privacy policy.

Yes. Private rooms support up to 10 accounts, with invitations and explicit acceptance, synchronized playback, a shared queue and chat. The group decision flow at a person's limit is still being developed. Watching with friends.

You choose what to share and can review the sharing controls in the app. The owner's database access is separate from ordinary member sharing. Don't join a Villow unless you trust its operator. Privacy overview.

Google account email and profile, plus the broad youtube.force-ssl permission for YouTube features. That permission includes write access; it isn't read-only. Optional task integrations ask separately. Permission details.

Revoke Villow in Google's account permissions, and ask your host about stored data. Owners can revoke another member and separately delete that revoked member's data in Admin. Logout and Google revocation don't themselves erase the database. Owner guide.

Private viewing measurements stay in the Villow you use. Feedback you voluntarily submit goes to Fix the Web through its survey service. These are different data flows. More on feedback.

Current suggestions use transparent rules based on your ratings, skips and usage, rather than generative AI. No generative AI features are planned imminently. Six possible uses, their tradeoffs and our current thinking are on the AI discussion page.

Yes. Villow is MIT-licensed (source codeTBD), and the extension is open source.

Use Villow, invite friends, share it with creators and people with reach, contribute code or feedback, or help fund maintenance. Support Villow and Fix the Web.