How to protect your child's Android device with WhitelistVideo
Set up WhitelistVideo on your child's Android phone or tablet to filter YouTube content. The app provides a safe, filtered YouTube experience where children can only watch videos from your approved channels.
What does WhitelistVideo for Android do?
The WhitelistVideo Android app is a safe YouTube viewer for your child's Android phone or tablet. It:
- Provides a filtered YouTube experience inside the app
- Only shows videos from channels you've approved
- Blocks access to unapproved content with a friendly message
- Lets your child request new channels for your approval
- Syncs with your parent account in real-time
Important: The WhitelistVideo app filters YouTube within the app only. Pair it with Google Family Link, then test the regular YouTube app, Chrome, and every alternative browser installed on the device.
What devices are compatible with WhitelistVideo?
- Android phones running Android 7.0 (Nougat) or later
- Android tablets running Android 7.0 (Nougat) or later
What do I need to set up WhitelistVideo on Android?
- Your child's Android phone or tablet
- A WhitelistVideo parent account (create one at app.whitelist.video (opens in a new tab))
- Access to the Parents' App on your phone
- About 5 minutes for setup
How to set up WhitelistVideo on your child's Android device
Quick start steps
- Install the app from Google Play Store on your child's device
- Activate the app using a code from your Parents' App
- Configure Family Link to block the regular YouTube app, apply YouTube site rules in Chrome, and block alternative browsers as apps
Why is Family Link required?
Critical: Without device-level restrictions, a child can use the regular YouTube app or a browser instead. Family Link supplies the Android supervision layer, but its website rules apply to Chrome—not every third-party browser.
Family Link provides the Android supervision layer that works alongside WhitelistVideo.
To close the common bypass routes, you should:
- Block the regular YouTube app using Family Link
- Block YouTube in Chrome and block alternative browsers as apps
- Whitelist WhitelistVideo in battery optimization settings
Set up Family Link and test the protection
How does WhitelistVideo work on Android?
Inside the app
- Your child opens the WhitelistVideo app instead of the YouTube app
- They can search and browse YouTube normally
- Videos from approved channels play immediately
- Videos from unapproved channels show a "Request" option
- All viewing is filtered according to your settings
What your child sees
- Approved videos: Play normally with full controls
- Unapproved videos: Blocked with a friendly message and option to request
- Channel requests: Sent to your Parents' App for approval
What you control
- Which channels are approved
- Auto-pilot content screening settings (Premium)
- Request limits and viewing schedules
Viewing Mode: Full YouTube or Curated Feed
The WhitelistVideo Android app supports two viewing modes, which you can configure from the Parents' App:
- Full YouTube (default) — Your child browses YouTube normally, with WhitelistVideo filtering applied. Videos from unapproved channels are blocked in real-time. Child can search and see recommendations, but only approved content plays.
- Curated Feed — Your child sees only a clean grid of videos from your approved channels and playlists. No YouTube homepage, no search bar, no algorithm recommendations. The child cannot discover or browse unapproved content at all. Best for younger children (ages 3-8) or parents who want maximum control.
How to switch to Curated Feed
- Open the Parents' App at app.whitelist.video (opens in a new tab)
- Select your child using the child switcher at the top
- Tap the Viewing Mode card on your dashboard
- Choose Curated Feed
- The change applies within seconds — no restart needed
Add channels first: Make sure you've approved some channels before switching to Curated Feed — otherwise your child will see an empty feed. How to approve channels →
Android troubleshooting
The app isn't available in Google Play Store
- WhitelistVideo is available worldwide
- Try clearing the Play Store cache
- Make sure your device meets the minimum Android version (7.0+)
- Contact support if the issue persists
My child can still watch YouTube in Chrome
- This is expected—WhitelistVideo only filters within its own app
- Use Family Link to block Chrome or restrict YouTube access
- Set up Family Link
The app was deleted from my child's device
- Reinstall from the Google Play Store
- Generate a new activation code from your Parents' App
- Recheck the device's Family Link supervision and app settings; available uninstall controls vary by Android version and device maker
The app keeps getting killed by battery optimization
- Some Android manufacturers aggressively kill background apps
- Set up battery optimization whitelisting
- This is especially important on Xiaomi, Huawei, and Samsung devices