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 you're alerted by email if the extension is uninstalled.

Required: install the WhitelistVideo extension; in Family Link, block Guest mode and Incognito and require approval for apps and extensions; turn off Family Link's own YouTube restrictions. Don't block youtube.com. Optional: block google.com (Google results play video snippets) and set DuckDuckGo (privacy-focused) as Chrome's default search engine.

What Family Link can and cannot do

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Why use Family Link with WhitelistVideo?

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

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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:

1. Download the Family Link for parents app on your phone

2. Open the app and tap Get Started

3. Select your Google account (parent account)

4. Tap Yes to add your child's existing account

5. Enter your child's Google account email

6. Follow the prompts to send a supervision invitation

7. On your child's Chromebook, have them accept the invitation

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

1. Open the Family Link app on your phone

2. Tap Create account for your child

3. Enter your child's name and birthdate

4. Create a username and password for them

5. Follow the setup wizard to complete account creation

Step 2: Sign into the supervised account on Chromebook

1. On the Chromebook, click the time in the bottom-right corner

2. Click Sign out

3. Click Add person at the sign-in screen

4. Enter your child's supervised Google account email and password

5. 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

1. On the child's Chromebook, go to the Chrome Web Store

2. Search for WhitelistVideo

3. Click Add to Chrome

4. A message appears: "Ask a parent"

5. On the parent's phone, open the Family Link app

6. You'll see a notification: "[Child Name] wants to install WhitelistVideo"

7. Tap the notification and review the extension details

8. Tap Approve

9. Extension installs on the child's Chromebook

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

1. Open the Family Link app on your phone

2. Select your child's account

3. Tap Manage settings → Google Chrome

4. Tap Manage extensions

5. Search for WhitelistVideo

6. Tap Install or Approve

Step 4: Activate the extension

1. On your child's Chromebook, click the WhitelistVideo extension icon

2. Enter your PAC code from the Parents' App

3. Click Activate

4. Extension connects to your WhitelistVideo account

How to get your PAC code

Recommended Family Link settings for maximum protection

Configure these settings in the Family Link app for your child:

Require approval for extension installation

1. Open Family Link app on your phone

2. Select your child's account

3. Tap Controls → Google Chrome and Web → Advanced settings → Extensions

4. Ensure extension installation requires your approval

5. This means your child cannot install alternative extensions without your permission — and if they remove WhitelistVideo and want to re-install it later, they need your approval again

Restrict guest browsing

1. In Family Link app, select child's account

2. Tap Manage settings → Chrome OS

3. Disable "Guest browsing"

4. This prevents your child from using guest mode to access YouTube without the extension

Block Incognito

In Family Link, keep Incognito mode blocked for the supervised account (supervised accounts can't open Incognito windows by default; don't turn this on). Incognito windows can run without the extension.

Turn off Family Link's own YouTube restrictions

In Family Link, turn off the YouTube restrictions Family Link applies to your child's account (supervised YouTube settings and any youtube.com block in Chrome). They conflict with WhitelistVideo, which handles YouTube filtering. Don't block youtube.com on a Chromebook.

Optional: block google.com and use DuckDuckGo

1. In Family Link → Google Chrome → Manage sites → Blocked, add google.com (Google results play video snippets)
2. On the Chromebook, set DuckDuckGo (privacy-focused) as the default search engine: Chrome → Settings → Search engine

Set screen time limits (optional)

1. In Family Link app, tap Daily limit

2. Set maximum Chromebook usage per day

3. Set bedtime hours when device locks

4. Configure Bonus time for special occasions

Block app installation from Play Store (optional)

1. Tap Manage settings → Google Play

2. Set "Require approval for apps" to ON

3. Review and approve any app your child wants to install

4. This prevents installation of Android apps that might bypass filtering

Family Link features for WhitelistVideo protection

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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

1. Keep the supervision password secure: Don't share your parent account password

2. Enable re-authentication: In Family Link, require password for any supervision changes

3. Monitor notifications: Family Link sends alerts when supervision settings change

4. Talk to your child: Explain the boundaries and consequences of removing supervision

How Family Link affects WhitelistVideo

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Protection levels on Chromebook

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Next steps

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:

1. Check the email alert we sent you (the dashboard also shows the device as "Inactive")
2. Have a conversation with your child about why they removed it
3. Re-install: the child will need to request it again through Family Link (or you install remotely)
4. 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: Buy a Google Workspace subscription (about US $5 per month; check Google's pricing for your region), set yourself up as the administrator and force-install from your own Google Admin Console
• 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)