The desktop app does not reach Ready
- Close other SwearSoap windows and launch it again.
- Make sure another application is not using SwearSoap’s local service port.
- Open Diagnostics in the SwearSoap window and record the displayed error code.
The Chrome extension cannot connect
- Launch the SwearSoap Windows application and wait for Ready.
- Install the extension from the official SwearSoap Chrome Web Store listing. Both the Windows app and extension are required.
- Confirm the SwearSoap extension is enabled at
chrome://extensions. - If you previously loaded an unpacked SwearSoap or CleanTube extension, disable that older copy and keep only the Store version enabled.
- Refresh the YouTube tab if the extension was installed or reloaded while that tab was already open.
Advertisements during cleaning
SwearSoap requires uninterrupted video playback. Videos interrupted by YouTube ads may not clean correctly. YouTube Premium or another ad-free viewing environment avoids this limitation. Let any opening ad finish before starting. If an ad appears while SwearSoap is cleaning, select Cancel. Do not rely on a filter created while an ad was playing.
A video cannot be cleaned
SwearSoap currently supports ordinary YouTube videos. Livestreams, premieres, unavailable/private videos, advertisements, protected media, or a player that has not finished loading may not work. Try another ordinary video before reporting the problem.
Where are the logs?
The rotating diagnostic log is normally located at %LOCALAPPDATA%\SwearSoap\logs\swearsoap.log. It does not intentionally contain captured audio or transcripts, but it can contain video identifiers. Review it before sharing and never post captured audio publicly.
Report a problem
Use the public GitHub issue tracker. Include the SwearSoap version, Windows version, Chrome version, the simple error code from Diagnostics, and the steps that produced the problem. Do not post private media, captured audio, passwords, browser cookies, or ownership tokens.