How it works
Pick the level that fits — every level includes everything below it. Only your accountability contact can approve a less restrictive level. The browser extension handles web filtering; the Windows companion adds installation policies and app controls.
A remotely-updated blocklist keeps pornographic and explicit sites out entirely — no page loads, nothing to scan. Circumvention tools (Tor, proxy VPNs) are blocked from running on Windows at every level.
Adds social platforms to the blocklist, and blocks streaming services — Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, Max, Prime Video — which your contact can switch back on if they choose. YouTube gets a lighter touch: title-only checks, so clearly fine content still plays. On Windows, social and dating apps are blocked from running at the OS level too, not just in the browser.
The level that adds image scanning. Supported page images are held while Shmira checks them. Automated filtering can make mistakes; it does not cover every kind of content or app. Includes everything in Level 2.
Screen-time limits, password-gated removal, remote uninstall and quiet-device alerts work at every level — they aren't tied to how strict the filtering is.
In your toolbar
The popup is the whole day-to-day interface: what's been scanned and blocked, the filtering level you're on, and a request to your contact if you need something changed. No dashboards to learn, no settings to get lost in.
Scanned, blocked and approved totals for this device, updating as you browse.
See exactly what's being filtered — and send a change request your contact approves.
Loosening anything routes through your accountability contact, not a hidden switch.
What's in it
The extension filters the page. The Windows software keeps it there. Your contact holds the key.
The blocklist updates itself, so new sites are covered without an update.
Facebook, Instagram, X, TikTok, Reddit and the rest stop loading.
Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, Max and Prime Video are blocked — unless your contact approves them. Turning them back off is instant and needs nobody.
Channels approved once, then they just play. Unknown ones are judged video by video. Shorts are hidden entirely.
Supported page images are hidden while scanning. Image scanning is available at Level 3.
A local model checks images first; some images are sent through Shmira to Google Gemini for further analysis.
Amazon, eBay and Marketplace are judged by what you searched for, not one blunt rule.
Say why something should be allowed and it re-checks, or asks your contact.
Daily minute caps and allowed hour windows, applied to sites and apps alike. Runs out and the site or app simply won't open.
Supported social and dating apps are restricted unless your contact grants time. Coverage varies by app and Windows configuration.
Install Chrome, Edge or Brave later and it stays blocked until Shmira is set up inside it.
Windows controls target known circumvention tools. Windows Widgets is restricted at Level 3.
Closing or uninstalling Shmira needs the password you don't hold.
Your contact can remove it without ever touching the device.
If the device stops checking in for a few days, your contact is told.
Set through a link sent to them, kept only as a hash on the server.
A daily cap (say 60 minutes of YouTube) and allowed hours (say 9am–9pm), per site and per app, from a web dashboard or by text.
Netflix and friends are off by default. They can switch them on for this device, and off again any time.
Including temporarily — drop to Level 2 for an hour and it returns on its own.
Requests arrive as a text or email. Replying YES or NO is the whole job.
LIMIT, ALLOW, STATUS, CONTACT, UNINSTALL. No app, no login, no password to remember.
Same person and same password across every device they oversee.
See it work
Illustrative previews of filtering, time limits, and approval requests. These are demonstrations, not live scans or product screenshots. SMS availability is pending carrier approval.
Getting set up
You never hold the password yourself — that's the whole point, and it's why setup starts with your accountability contact rather than a download.
Check release statusTheir email and phone, and the filtering level to start at. They get a link to set the password.
A six-character code that identifies this device. Enter it in the Shmira app after installation; your contact uses it to manage screen time.
Once downloads are available, your contact must set the password before you can continue.
Install the extension and Windows companion, then check the app's browser protection status for each browser and profile.
Questions
Shmira stores domain/app names and daily usage totals for screen-time features, plus approval requests and decisions. Some images and video details are sent for cloud analysis. Your contact can see screen-time information and requests. Read the privacy policy for what is processed and retained.
Not without the password. Both closing the tray app and running the uninstaller check the password against the server, and the server is the only place it exists. If the device simply goes quiet for a few days, your contact is notified.
They can request a password reset at any time from their own email or phone, and they can remove Shmira from a device remotely if it needs to come off. Nothing is designed to leave a device permanently stuck.
No — the extension alone does the filtering. The Windows software is what stops the filtering from being trivially removed, and adds app blocking and screen-time limits outside the browser. Most families want both.
Image scanning can delay images, particularly on slower devices or when cloud checks are needed. Local caching reduces repeat work. Performance depends on your device, connection, and the page.
Nothing. There's no paid tier and no feature is held back. Supporting it during setup is entirely optional and you can skip it in one click.
Free, always
There's no paid tier and nothing is locked behind a subscription. It does cost money to run and took a long time to build, so if it's been useful to your family you're welcome to put something toward that — any amount, monthly or once, cancel anytime.
New installations will open after the extension is published and Windows testing is complete.
Contact Shmira