How to use Family Link with WhitelistVideo on Chromebook

Pair Google Family Link with WhitelistVideo on your child's personal Chromebook for layered protection: Family Link controls what gets installed, WhitelistVideo filters YouTube, and the parent dashboard alerts you if anything changes.

What is Family Link? Google Family Link is a free parental control service from Google that lets you supervise your child's Google account, manage app permissions, and set screen time limits. It's different from WhitelistVideo but works together with it.

What Family Link can and cannot do

Family Link CAN	Family Link CANNOT
Require your approval before your child installs or re-installs an extension	Prevent your child from disabling or removing an already-installed extension
Block guest mode and incognito mode	Force-install an extension (that requires Google Admin Console)
Set screen time limits and bedtime	Lock the extension toggle in Chrome settings
Send you a notification if supervision is removed	Stop a child from toggling an extension off with one click

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Why this matters: On a personal Chromebook, ChromeOS allows any user — including a supervised child — to disable or remove an extension at any time. Google states that removing an extension does not require parent permission; only re-installing it does. This is a ChromeOS limitation, not a WhitelistVideo limitation.

Want tamper-resistant extension enforcement on Chromebook? Managed device enrollment can force-install the extension. This requires a school administrator or your own ChromeOS Enterprise management; Family Link alone cannot do it. See School-managed Chromebook setup for details.

Why use Family Link with WhitelistVideo?

Even though Family Link cannot prevent extension removal, it adds meaningful friction and detection:

Protection Layer	What It Does
Install approval	Child cannot quietly re-install alternative extensions or YouTube apps
Guest mode blocking	Child cannot bypass by switching to a guest profile
Re-install deterrent	If child removes WhitelistVideo and wants it back (e.g., for approved content), they need your approval again
WhitelistVideo sync monitoring	Parent dashboard shows when the extension last synced — if removed, status changes to "Inactive" within minutes
Supervision removal alert	You're notified immediately if the child attempts to remove Family Link

What do I need to set up Family Link?

Your child's Chromebook (personal, not school-managed)
A Google account for your child (can be existing or new)
Your own Google account (for parent supervision)
The Family Link app on your phone (iOS or Android)
About 10-15 minutes

How to set up Family Link for Chromebook

Step 1: Create or configure a supervised account

If your child already has a Google account:

Download the Family Link for parents app on your phone
Open the app and tap Get Started
Select your Google account (parent account)
Tap Yes to add your child's existing account
Enter your child's Google account email
Follow the prompts to send a supervision invitation
On your child's Chromebook, have them accept the invitation

If your child doesn't have a Google account yet:

Open the Family Link app on your phone
Tap Create account for your child
Enter your child's name and birthdate
Create a username and password for them
Follow the setup wizard to complete account creation

Child account age restrictions: Google accounts for children under 13 (or applicable age in your country) must be supervised by Family Link. Accounts for teens 13+ can optionally use supervision.

Step 2: Sign into the supervised account on Chromebook

On the Chromebook, click the time in the bottom-right corner
Click Sign out
Click Add person at the sign-in screen
Enter your child's supervised Google account email and password
Follow any additional Family Link setup prompts on the Chromebook

Step 3: Install WhitelistVideo extension via Family Link

Now that supervision is active, you can approve the extension:

Option A: Child requests, parent approves

On the child's Chromebook, go to the Chrome Web Store
Search for WhitelistVideo
Click Add to Chrome
A message appears: "Ask a parent"
On the parent's phone, open the Family Link app
You'll see a notification: "[Child Name] wants to install WhitelistVideo"
Tap the notification and review the extension details
Tap Approve
Extension installs on the child's Chromebook

Option B: Parent installs remotely (if available in your region)

Open the Family Link app on your phone
Select your child's account
Tap Manage settings → Google Chrome
Tap Manage extensions
Search for WhitelistVideo
Tap Install or Approve

After installation: The extension is installed and your child needs your approval to install new extensions. However, your child CAN still disable or remove the extension — if they do, your WhitelistVideo parent dashboard will show the device as "Inactive" so you know immediately.

Step 4: Activate the extension

On your child's Chromebook, click the WhitelistVideo extension icon
Enter your PAC code from the Parents' App
Click Activate
Extension connects to your WhitelistVideo account

How to get your PAC code

Family Link features for WhitelistVideo protection

Family Link Feature	How It Helps
Require approval for extension installation	Child cannot install alternative YouTube apps or extensions; re-installing WhitelistVideo after removal requires your approval
Block guest mode and incognito mode	Ensures extension is active on all browsing sessions
Set screen time limits and bedtime	Controls overall device usage
Approve/block Android apps	Prevents alternative YouTube apps from Play Store
Filter websites	Adds extra layer of general web protection
Activity reports	Monitor overall device usage patterns

How they work together: Family Link provides device-level supervision and install controls while WhitelistVideo provides specific, channel-based YouTube filtering. Together they offer comprehensive protection — and WhitelistVideo's dashboard monitors extension health so you're never in the dark.

How to prevent your child from removing supervision

Children may try to remove Family Link supervision to regain unrestricted access:

What happens if supervision is removed?

Child can install extensions without approval
Screen time limits stop working
Content filtering stops
Guest mode becomes available again
Parent receives notification of supervision removal

How to prevent supervision removal

Keep the supervision password secure: Don't share your parent account password
Enable re-authentication: In Family Link, require password for any supervision changes
Monitor notifications: Family Link sends alerts when supervision settings change
Talk to your child: Explain the boundaries and consequences of removing supervision

Best practice: Family Link works best when combined with open communication about family values and internet safety. Discussing expectations with your child helps reinforce the protection.

How Family Link affects WhitelistVideo

Scenario	Result
Family Link supervision active, extension installed	YouTube filtering active; dashboard shows "Active"; child can disable/remove extension but you'll see it go "Inactive"
Child disables or removes the extension	Dashboard sync stops; device status changes to "Inactive" — you're alerted
Child wants to re-install extension after removing it	Requires your Family Link approval — acts as a deterrent
Family Link supervision removed	Child can install/remove anything freely; you receive a notification
Family Link website filtering enabled	May conflict with YouTube access — disable recommended
Family Link screen time limit reached	Chromebook locks — WhitelistVideo inactive during lock

Protection levels on Chromebook

Setup	Can child remove extension?	Best for
Extension only (no supervision)	Yes, instantly	Quick setup, older teens you trust
Extension + Family Link (this page)	Yes, but you're alerted and re-install needs approval	Most families with personal Chromebooks
School-managed device	No — force-installed, cannot be removed	School-issued devices, highest protection
ChromeOS Enterprise enrollment	No — force-installed via your own Google Admin Console	Parents who want tamper-proof on a personal device (~$50/yr)

Recommendation: Extension + Family Link provides supervision and detection, not locked enforcement. Your child can remove the extension. For tamper-resistant force-install, managed device enrollment is the appropriate setup.

Next steps

Activate the Extension Configure Your Whitelist School-Managed Setup (Tamper-Proof)

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Limitation: On personal Chromebooks, a child with physical access could factory reset (Powerwash) the device to remove Family Link supervision. School-managed Chromebooks can disable Powerwash via Google Admin Console. For personal devices, combine technical controls with clear conversations about digital boundaries.

Family Link troubleshooting

My child removed the extension

This is expected behavior on personal Chromebooks — Family Link does not prevent extension removal. Here's what to do:

Check your WhitelistVideo parent dashboard — the device should show "Inactive"
Have a conversation with your child about why they removed it
Re-install: the child will need to request it again through Family Link (or you install remotely)
For tamper-resistant force-install, consider managed device enrollment or ask your child's school IT to force-install the extension

Family Link and WhitelistVideo are both blocking YouTube

Family Link has its own YouTube restrictions separate from WhitelistVideo
Disable Family Link's YouTube filtering to avoid conflicts
Let WhitelistVideo handle YouTube filtering specifically
Use Family Link for device-level controls only

My child keeps getting "Ask a parent" messages

This is normal when supervision is active — it means install controls are working
Review requests in the Family Link app
Approve legitimate requests promptly
Set expectations with your child about approval times

Supervision was removed after a powerwash

Powerwash (factory reset) removes all device data including supervision
Re-add supervision following the setup steps
Reinstall and reactivate the WhitelistVideo extension
Consider discussing boundaries with your child

Can I force-install WhitelistVideo via Family Link?

No — force-install is only available through managed device enrollment:

School-managed Chromebook: Ask your school's IT admin to force-install — see our IT request guide
Personal Chromebook with Enterprise enrollment: Enroll the device in your own Google Admin Console with a ChromeOS Enterprise license for managed force-install
Family Link alone: Can require approval for installing extensions, but cannot prevent removal of already-installed extensions

More Family Link help from Google (opens in a new tab)

Install Extension School Devices