DeArrow
Hacker ApprovedRanked 7 of 70 browser extensions by recommenders
A browser extension that replaces YouTube titles and thumbnails with crowdsourced, less sensational versions. Critics say the alternative titles people submit are sometimes unreliable.
A browser extension that replaces YouTube titles and thumbnails with crowdsourced, less sensational versions. Critics say the alternative titles people submit are sometimes unreliable.
45 people gave an opinion
- recommend it
- 40
- criticize it
- 5
- approval share
- 89%
Recommended in 13 of 13 months
- November 2025: recommended
- December 2025: recommended
- January 2026: recommended
- February 2026: recommended
- March 2026: recommended
- April 2026: recommended
- May 2026: recommended
- June 2026: recommended
- July 2026: recommended
- August 2026: recommended
- September 2026: recommended
- October 2026: recommended
- November 2026: recommended (month in progress)
Why it carries the badge
- 40 people recommend itNeeds 10 or more, met.
- 8 recommenders for every criticNeeds 2 to 1 or better, met.
- Recommended in 13 of 13 monthsNeeds 4 or more, met.
The same three rules apply to every product, and the badge can’t be bought. How the badge works
What people say about it
The reasons people give, with the number of comments that give each one. Open a reason to read what they said.
Why people recommend it
Each mark is one comment
Removes clickbait titles and thumbnails
“replaces titles and thumbnails with crowdsourced anti-clickbait ones”
Comment from 31 Oct 2026 in “US tech stocks see sharp falls over AI cost fears” “an amazing extension to remove clickbait titles and thumbnails”
Comment from 8 Nov 2025 in “End of Japanese community” “to change YouTube thumbnails and titles to be less clickbaity”
Comment from 14 Nov 2025 in “Launch HN: Tweeks (YC W25) – Browser extension to deshittify the web” - Comment from 6 Dec 2025 in “YouTube caught making AI-edits to videos and adding misleading AI summaries”
- Comment from 6 May 2026 in “Why Most Product Tours Get Skipped”
- Comment from 14 Feb 2026 in “uBlock filter list to hide all YouTube Shorts”
- Comment from 4 Sep 2026 in “Qantas Airbus A380 engine failure in 2010 (2023)”
- Comment from 26 Nov 2025 in “Someone at YouTube Needs Glasses: The Prophecy Has Been Fulfilled”
Crowdsourced titles and thumbnails
“DeArrow replaces thumbnails and titles with crowd sourced versions. I can't use youtube without it anymore.”
Comment from 26 Nov 2025 in “Someone at YouTube Needs Glasses: The Prophecy Has Been Fulfilled” “I love that people can submit a better title and pick a real frame from the video”
Comment from 1 Nov 2026 in “HackerTube: YouTube built from videos recommended by HN” “use DeArrow to fix it with crowdsourced, non-clickbait titles”
Comment from 13 Jun 2026 in “You can power on a Mac remotely” - Comment from 27 Mar 2026 in “This picture broke my brain [3B1B video]”
- Comment from 31 Oct 2026 in “US tech stocks see sharp falls over AI cost fears”
- Comment from 1 Oct 2026 in “Dear Software Makers”
- Comment from 12 May 2026 in “EU to crack down on TikTok, Instagram's 'addictive design' targeting kids”
Titles match actual video contents
“it crowdsources alternative titles grounded on the video's actual contents rather than clickbait”
Comment from 1 Oct 2026 in “Dear Software Makers” “I love that people can submit a better title and pick a real frame from the video”
Comment from 1 Nov 2026 in “HackerTube: YouTube built from videos recommended by HN” “The goal is to make titles accurate and reduce sensationalism.”
Comment from 16 Jun 2026 in “You can power on a Mac remotely” Works alongside SponsorBlock
“now I'm back on it mildly with dearrow, sponsorblock, unhook and no account”
Comment from 13 Jul 2026 in “Ask HN: What Are You Working On? (July 2026)” “it lets me install SmartTube and use DeArrow and Sponsor Block”
Comment from 15 Dec 2025 in “Microsoft Copilot AI Comes to LG TVs, and Can't Be Deleted” “SponsorBlock and DeArrow are your friends”
Comment from 8 Dec 2025 in “How I block all online ads” - Comment from 1 Nov 2026 in “HackerTube: YouTube built from videos recommended by HN”
What people warn about
Each mark is one comment
Alternative titles sometimes unreliable
“using it for a while I don't think it is too great, often the alternative titles people give”
Comment from 1 Nov 2026 in “HackerTube: YouTube built from videos recommended by HN” “I don't think it is too great, often the alternative titles people give”
Comment from 1 Nov 2026 in “HackerTube: YouTube built from videos recommended by HN” “often the alternative titles people give are unreliable”
Comment from 1 Nov 2026 in “HackerTube: YouTube built from videos recommended by HN” - Comment from 1 Nov 2026 in “HackerTube: YouTube built from videos recommended by HN”
Other browser extensions people recommend
The four most recommended other browser extensions, with the same counts for each, so you can compare like for like. The tick on each bar marks the 2 to 1 line the badge needs.
| Product | Recommend | Criticize | Approval | Months | Owned | Badge |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SponsorBlock | 137 | 4 | 97% | 13 | — | Approved |
| Firefox Multi-Account Containers | 76 | 13 | 85% | 10 | 7.5 yrs3 owners | Approved |
| NoScript | 61 | 11 | 85% | 12 | 10 yrs4 owners | Approved |
| Claude in Chrome | 53 | 42 | 56% | 9 | — | — |
| DeArrowThis page | 40 | 5 | 89% | 13 | — | Approved |
What people said
40 of the 52 comments that mention it, newest first. Each links to the original comment.
“I love that people can submit a better title and pick a real frame from the video”
“The creator of this extension is the same as the creator of SponsorBlock.”
“often the alternative titles people give”
“using it for a while I don't think it is too great, often the alternative titles people give”
“I don't think it is too great, often the alternative titles people give”
“often the alternative titles people give are unreliable”
“It might be neat to integrate DeArrow to fetch thumbnails instead of just arbitrarily picking a 50% screenshot”
“replaces titles and thumbnails with crowdsourced anti-clickbait ones”
“it crowdsources alternative titles grounded on the video's actual contents rather than clickbait”
“Theres now an extension to remove those as well”
“DeArrow which desensationalises all the thumbnails and even titles”
“either install DeArrow or subscribe to my blog”
“there are extensions out there that are doing the democratic part right”
“now I'm back on it mildly with dearrow, sponsorblock, unhook and no account”
“are doing the democratic part right”
“Use DeArrow if you're so sensitive to it”
“I'd at least highly recommend the DeArrow extensions to de-clickbait this channel's titles”
“The goal is to make titles accurate and reduce sensationalism.”
“use DeArrow to fix it with crowdsourced, non-clickbait titles”
“the concept of DeArrow (user-provided titles and thumbnails for Youtube) should be the norm”
“this is precisely the reason I'm using DeArrow”
“I use DeArrow to remove clickbait titles and thumbnails”
“I dont know how people stand all the clickbait with questionable relevance to the video's actual contents.”
“DeArrow works for YouTube atleast.”
“had tried it in the past and found it annoying, note that it now has a 'casual' mode”
“aims to reduce sensationalism via crowdsourcing”
“That guy is doing incredible work.”
“it allows you to avoid most of that clickbait farming”
“and use the DeArrow extension, and this way my front page looks quite good”
“crowdsourced titles and thumbnails”
“I also like to recommend the DeArrow[1] extension for YouTube.”
“Gets rid of clickbait titles and thumbnails”
“it lets me install SmartTube and use DeArrow and Sponsor Block”
“it replaces the titles and thumbnails with something less sensational”
“SponsorBlock and DeArrow are your friends”
“You can get rid of the clickbait using DeArrow extension”
“Otherwise, you make a good suggestion; install them where available.”
“DeArrow replaces thumbnails and titles with crowd sourced versions. I can't use youtube without it anymore.”
“to change YouTube thumbnails and titles to be less clickbaity”
“an amazing extension to remove clickbait titles and thumbnails”
Counts come from 1,795,640 Hacker News comments, November 2025 to November 2026. How we count. Report a mistake.