TabMuter Pro is a free, open-source Chrome extension that automatically and persistently mutes audio from selected websites, domains, and browser tabs. Stop autoplay audio and noisy tabs with private, local-only rules built on Chrome Manifest V3.
Install from source · How it works · Privacy · Contributing · Report a bug
TabMuter Pro stores a list of exact hostnames locally in Chrome. When a matching website opens or navigates, the extension automatically mutes that tab. Removing a hostname restores audio to matching open tabs immediately.
- Mute or unmute the current website from a compact popup.
- Apply changes immediately to every matching open tab.
- Automatically mute matching tabs on future visits.
- Manage saved hostnames from one scrollable list.
- Hide sensitive hostnames behind password-style masking and reveal them with the eye button.
- Keep preferences across browser restarts with local Chrome storage.
- Work without accounts, analytics, advertisements, or network requests.
- Stop autoplay audio: silence websites that repeatedly start unwanted music, videos, or notification sounds.
- Mute every matching tab: one action updates all open tabs from the selected hostname.
- Keep websites muted: saved domain rules continue working after Chrome restarts.
- Protect browsing privacy: URLs are processed locally and no browsing data leaves the browser.
- Stay lightweight: plain JavaScript, no dependencies, no content scripts, and no remote code.
Common use cases include muting news sites with autoplay videos, silencing social media tabs, blocking unexpected notification sounds, and keeping selected streaming or game websites quiet while working.
- Download this repository as a ZIP and extract it, or clone it using the URL shown in GitHub's Code menu.
- Open
chrome://extensionsin Google Chrome. - Enable Developer mode.
- Select Load unpacked.
- Choose the repository folder containing
manifest.json. - Optionally pin TabMuter Pro from Chrome's extensions menu.
Chrome does not automatically update unpacked extensions. Pull or download new releases, then select Reload on the extension card.
- Visit a normal
http://orhttps://website. - Open the extension popup.
- Select Mute This Website.
- Select Unmute This Website, or use the remove button beside a saved hostname, to restore audio.
- Use the crossed-eye button beside a saved hostname to mask it. Select the eye button to reveal it again.
Rules match exact hostnames. For example, music.example.com and www.example.com are managed independently.
| Capability | TabMuter Pro | Manual tab mute |
|---|---|---|
| Mute every matching open tab | Yes | One tab at a time |
| Remember muted websites | Yes | No persistent domain list |
| Automatically mute future visits | Yes | No |
| Local-only settings | Yes | Not applicable |
| Accounts or subscriptions | None | None |
| Permission | Why it is required |
|---|---|
storage |
Saves the muted-hostname list in chrome.storage.local. |
tabs |
Reads tab URLs locally to compare hostnames and changes matching tabs' mute state. |
The extension processes tab URLs locally and does not transmit them. See PRIVACY.md for the complete privacy disclosure.
popup.jssafely parses the active tab URL with the built-inURLAPI.- Muted hostnames are stored under
mutedDomainsinchrome.storage.local. - Hidden-list preferences are stored under
hiddenDomains; hiding a hostname only masks it in the popup and does not change its mute rule. - Popup actions query open tabs and update every exact-hostname match.
background.jslistens for tab URL changes and applies saved rules.- System pages such as
chrome://URLs andabout:blankare intentionally unsupported.
Open the website, select the TabMuter Pro extension icon, and choose Mute This Website. The hostname is saved locally and matching tabs are muted immediately and on future visits.
Yes. Adding or removing a rule updates every open tab whose exact hostname matches the current website.
Yes. TabMuter Pro stores domain rules in chrome.storage.local, so they persist until you remove them or uninstall the extension.
No. It reads open tab URLs only inside Chrome to compare hostnames. It does not transmit, sell, or analyze browsing activity.
No. Rules use exact hostnames for predictable behavior. example.com, www.example.com, and music.example.com can be controlled independently.
- Google Chrome Extensions API
- Chrome Manifest V3 service worker
- Vanilla JavaScript, HTML5, and CSS3
chrome.tabsandchrome.storage.local
.
├── assets/ Icons and store artwork
├── background.js Manifest V3 service worker
├── manifest.json Extension metadata and permissions
├── popup.html Popup markup and styles
├── popup.js Popup state and tab controls
├── scripts/validate.mjs Dependency-free repository checks
├── codemeta.json Search-friendly project metadata
├── CONTRIBUTING.md Contribution workflow
├── PRIVACY.md User-data disclosure
└── LICENSE MIT license
There is no build step and no package installation. Edit the source files, reload the unpacked extension from chrome://extensions, and test the popup in Chrome.
Run the repository checks with:
node --check popup.js
node --check background.js
node scripts/validate.mjsAll contributions are welcome. Read CONTRIBUTING.md and CODE_OF_CONDUCT.md before opening a pull request. Contributors whose work is merged will be acknowledged in this README.
Please report vulnerabilities privately as described in SECURITY.md, not through a public issue.
TabMuter Pro was created and is maintained by Hridoy Varaby — varabit.com.
Contributors are an important part of this open-source project. Every contribution is welcome, and contributors will be recognized in this section as the community grows.
- Hridoy Varaby — creator and maintainer
The source code, documentation, and project-owned artwork are available under the MIT License. See THIRD_PARTY_NOTICES.md for external tooling notices.
chrome-extension · chrome-extension-mv3 · manifest-v3 · tab-muter · website-muter · mute-tabs · audio-control · browser-extension · javascript · privacy-friendly · open-source · productivity