DevTools Unlock Open

English · 中文

Install from Chrome Web Store:
https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/devtools-unlock/cehphgjpnlhlonahcldfbomncionnhdo

Building a Chrome extension? Start from chrome-extension-boilerplate-ai — Vite 8 · MV3 · typical prod build ~100–300ms. Docs ·

A Chrome / Firefox extension that restores normal DevTools on sites that deliberately block inspection.

It injects before page scripts run and neutralizes anti-debug logic such as disable-devtool (and similar custom detectors), so opening DevTools no longer blanks the page, force-reloads, or redirects you away.

Why this project exists

Many sites ship front-end “anti-debug” libraries to discourage casual inspection. A common choice is disable-devtool: once DevTools opens, the page may wipe the DOM, reload, jump to a dead URL, or freeze the tab. Streaming and player sites often go further—detectors live inside cross-origin iframes, so the parent page looks fine while the player silently dies.

That is painful when you are a developer trying to understand how a page works: network calls, player pipelines, bundling, or embedding patterns. Manual workarounds (console snippets, userscripts, one-off breakpoints) break easily and do not survive a full reload before the detector wins.

This repo started from that exact friction—sites such as anikai.watch (player frames with their own detectors; notes under analysis/anikai/)—and grew into a small, per-host unlock tool:

• Patch known detection / punishment paths early (document_start, MAIN world)
• Opt-in per hostname (default off; also covers iframe hosts found on the tab)
• Keep research samples and console/Tampermonkey fallbacks outside the store package

Intended use: legitimate front-end research, learning, and debugging. It does not grant access beyond what the browser already loads for you.

Install

Channel	Link
Chrome Web Store	DevTools Unlock Open
Unpacked Chrome	pnpm build → load dist/chrome — see Local load
Firefox 128+	pnpm build:firefox — see Firefox
Source	github.com/webLiang/devtools-unlock

After install: open the target site → enable unlock in the toolbar popup → the page reloads → DevTools should work normally.

Layout

devtools-unlock/
├── src/pages/          ← background, popup, unlock IIFE, embedWatch
├── public/             ← _locales + icons (copied into dist)
├── manifest.js         ← MV3 source (version from package.json)
├── dist/chrome/        ← Chrome unpacked package
├── dist/firefox/       ← Firefox unpacked package
├── docs/
│   ├── firefox/        ← Firefox / AMO notes
│   ├── force-debug-blocked-sites.md
│   └── chrome-web-store/
├── analysis/           ← sample bundles / notes (not in store zip)
├── alternatives/       ← console / Tampermonkey fallbacks
├── demo-site-vite/     ← local disable-devtool victim page
├── scripts/            ← pack.sh, github-release, IIFE build, AMO source zip
├── releases/           ← versioned zip + release notes
├── SOURCE.md           ← AMO reviewer rebuild steps
├── STORE.md            ← publishing checklist
└── PRIVACY.md          ← privacy policy

Local load

Chrome

1. pnpm install then pnpm build (dev: pnpm dev)
2. Open chrome://extensions/ → enable Developer mode
3. Load unpacked → select the dist/chrome folder (not the repo root)
4. Open a target site, enable unlock in the popup (page reloads)
5. Console should show: [devtools-unlock] injected — DevTools should work normally

Firefox

1. pnpm build:firefox (dev: pnpm dev:firefox)
2. Open about:debugging#/runtime/this-firefox
3. Load Temporary Add-on… → select dist/firefox/manifest.json
4. Temporary add-ons disappear when Firefox closes. Persistent install: AMO zip from pnpm build:firefox:zip (Gecko id devtools-unlock@webliang, Firefox 128+).

Details: docs/firefox/README.md.

Per-site behavior

• Default: all sites off
• Toggle applies to the current hostname only
• Enabling also unlocks iframe hosts found on that tab (e.g. cross-origin video players)
• Enabling or disabling reloads the current http(s) page

Pack for the Web Store

pnpm build:all            # Chrome → dist/chrome, Firefox → dist/firefox
pnpm build:zip            # Chrome → releases/devtools-unlock_v{version}.zip
pnpm build:firefox:zip    # Firefox → releases/devtools-unlock_v{version}.firefox.zip
pnpm pack:firefox:sources # AMO source zip (no node_modules) → *.firefox-sources.zip

Store zips contain the contents of dist/chrome or dist/firefox (manifest at zip root). AMO also needs the source archive: SOURCE.md / docs/firefox/SOURCE.md. See STORE.md. Optional CRX (local dist.pem, not committed): pnpm build:crx.

Published listing:
https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/devtools-unlock/cehphgjpnlhlonahcldfbomncionnhdo

GitHub Release

Bump package.json version (copied into dist/chrome/manifest.json / dist/firefox/manifest.json at build), then:

pnpm release:github:dry    # pack Chrome + Firefox zips + preview notes
pnpm release:github:full   # zip → commit → tag → gh release → push

Cursor command: /github-release (see .cursor/commands/github-release.md).

Non-extension folders

Path	Contents	In zip
dist/chrome / dist/firefox	MV3 extension (per browser)	store zip
src/ + build configs	Add-on source	AMO *.firefox-sources.zip (no node_modules)
docs/	Technical docs	no (except firefox notes in source zip)
analysis/	Raw / deobfuscated JS	no
alternatives/	Console / userscript	no
demo-site-vite/	Local demo site	no

Docs

• How to force-debug a site that blocks DevTools (中文)
• Firefox add-on (中文)
• AMO source zip (中文)
• Privacy Policy (中文)
• Chrome Web Store publishing (中文)

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