I built ByteGuard because I realized that browsers don’t give clear visibility into how much data individual websites consume. For people using mobile hotspots, limited data plans, or working remotely on unstable connections, unexpected data usage can be frustrating and expensive. Most tools either: Show total browser usage only Focus on network-level monitoring Or send data to external servers I wanted something that: Tracks per-site bandwidth directly in the browser Works entirely locally (privacy-first) Lets users set budgets and automatically react when limits are reached Initially, I started with simple bandwidth tracking using Chrome’s webRequest API just to display usage per domain. While building it, I realized tracking alone isn’t enough — users need control. That’s when I added: Daily and monthly budgets Real-time alerts Low-Data Mode using declarativeNetRequest to block images and videos Export tools for backup and reporting The project evolved from a basic usage monitor into a full data budgeting system inside the browser. The biggest challenge was managing state persistence and dynamic rule updates cleanly under Manifest V3’s service worker model. The goal was to make it lightweight, privacy-first, and genuinely useful — not just another dashboard. I’m continuing to improve performance, UI clarity, and automation based on feedback.

ByteGuard

ByteGuard – Track and control your browser data usage

ByteGuard – Track and control your browser data usage