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Mac guide

Websites blocked in
the Chrome you use

When monk mode is on, MonkMate blocks websites right in your usual Google Chrome. Here’s how it works and what changes in Chrome, in four steps.

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Step 1

How monk mode works

Pick the apps and websites to block, set how long to focus, and start. Once it starts, it stays locked until the timer ends.

  • You can’t end it early. You can only add time or block more.
  • Scheduled monk modes can’t be canceled.
  • Without Pro, it lasts up to 1 hour 30 minutes at a time. Pro has no limit.
  • A monitoring process, installed once with your admin password, keeps blocks on even if MonkMate quits or your Mac restarts.
Step 2

Websites are blocked in your usual Chrome

MonkMate blocks websites right in the Google Chrome you already use. Open a blocked site and the MonkMate block page shows instead. Your bookmarks, passwords, and logins stay put, so there’s nothing to set up.

  • Most blockers can be switched off or removed mid-session. MonkMate is guarded by a Chrome policy, so it can’t be turned off until monk mode ends.
  • When monk mode ends, the rules lift and tabs on the block page go back to where they were.
Step 3

Other browsers close while you focus

MonkMate blocks websites only in Google Chrome. In a monk mode with website rules, the web opens only in Chrome, and other browsers stay closed until the end.

  • Browsers that close: Safari, Chrome Beta and Canary, Edge, Whale, Firefox, Brave, Arc, Dia, Opera, Vivaldi, Zen, Tor, and more.
  • Website rules mean a blocklist with at least one site, or any allowlist. An empty allowlist blocks the entire web.
  • If you only block apps, every browser is left alone.
  • When monk mode ends, every browser works as usual again.
Step 4

What changes in Chrome

To keep blocks from being turned off, MonkMate uses Chrome policies. So Chrome shows “Managed by your organization,” and a few windows that could get around the blocks are turned off.

  • “Managed by your organization” means a policy MonkMate added. It doesn’t mean a company or school manages your Chrome.
  • Incognito windows, Guest mode, and adding new profiles could be a way around the blocks, so they’re off. They stay off outside monk mode too.
  • Your bookmarks, passwords, and logins stay as they are.
  • Delete the MonkMate app and the policy goes away within a few minutes.
Good to know

Blocking in Chrome,
in a nutshell

The Mac app shows the same guide the first time you open it.

Google Chrome is required

Website blocking works in the Google Chrome installed on your Mac. If it’s missing, the app tells you Google Chrome is needed and links to the download.

Restart Chrome once after installing

A Chrome that’s already running may not pick up the blocks right away. Quit and reopen Chrome once and they apply. After that, no restarts are needed.

monkmate.pro always opens

Even during a session, monkmate.pro and the support pages stay reachable.

Find it again in the app

The Mac app shows the same guide the first time you open it. Later, find it under Settings › How MonkMate works.

Mac guide FAQ

Do I need Google Chrome?
To block websites, Google Chrome needs to be installed on your Mac. MonkMate blocks sites right in Chrome. A monk mode that only blocks apps, with no website rules, doesn’t need Chrome.
What happens to my regular Chrome data?
Nothing changes. Your bookmarks, passwords, and logins work as usual, and there’s no need to sign in again anywhere.
I only use Safari.
Just have Google Chrome installed. During a monk mode with website rules, Safari closes and the web opens in Chrome. When it ends, use Safari as usual.
If I only block apps, do browsers close too?
No. Without website rules, every browser is left alone.
Chrome says “Managed by your organization.”
That’s the Chrome policy MonkMate adds so blocks can’t be turned off. No company or school is managing your Chrome. Delete the MonkMate app and the policy goes away within a few minutes.
Incognito windows won’t open.
Incognito and Guest mode would be a way around monk mode, so MonkMate keeps them off while it’s installed.
What happens when monk mode ends?
All rules lift and tabs on the block page go back to where they were. Browsers that were closed open as usual again.

One place for the web,
focus to the end

Get the Mac app and start focusing in the Chrome you already use.

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