How to protect your child's Mac with WhitelistVideo
Set up WhitelistVideo on your child's Mac to filter YouTube videos. Choose the right protection level based on your child's age and tech skills.
What do I need to protect a Mac?
- Your child's Mac (macOS 10.15 Catalina or later)
- Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge installed
- A WhitelistVideo account
- About 5-15 minutes depending on protection level
Required Mac setup
- A separate macOS account for each child (Standard, not administrator)
- The WhitelistVideo extension in Chrome or Edge inside that account
- The desktop installer from whitelist.video/download (opens in a new tab), run as administrator. It locks the extension and blocks Incognito, Guest mode and new browser profiles
- Block Safari and every other browser in Screen Time. The installer doesn't block them
Don't block youtube.com: the extension needs it to play approved videos.
Optional: block google.com (Google results play video snippets) and set DuckDuckGo (privacy-focused) as the default search engine.
How do I choose the right protection level?
WhitelistVideo offers three protection levels for Mac. Each adds stronger safeguards against bypassing.
Scroll horizontally to see all columns.
| Protection Level | Setup Time | Can Child Remove? | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Extension Only | 2 minutes | Yes, easily | Testing only |
| PKG Installer | 5 minutes | No (needs admin password) | Part of the required setup |
| PKG + Child Account | 15 minutes | No (multiple layers) | Every child (the required setup) |
⚠️
Recommendation: Complete the required setup above (PKG Installer + a separate Standard child account + Safari and other browsers blocked in Screen Time). Extension-only protection can be easily bypassed by removing the extension.
Protection level comparison
Extension only (basic protection)
- Install the Chrome extension from the Web Store
- Child can remove it by going to chrome://extensions
- Parent receives notification when extension is removed
- Best for: testing WhitelistVideo before you complete the required setup
PKG installer (standard protection)
- Download and run the WhitelistVideo installer
- Extension shows "Managed" badge and cannot be removed
- Blocks developer tools and guest mode in Chrome
- Requires admin password to uninstall
- Required for every child, together with a separate Standard account and Safari and other browsers blocked in Screen Time
PKG + macOS child account (the required setup)
- Install PKG plus set up Screen Time parental controls
- Child uses a Standard (non-admin) Mac account
- Safari and other browsers blocked via Screen Time
- Extension cannot be removed, and child cannot access admin settings
- Best for: every child; this is the required Mac setup
What does each protection method do?
Scroll horizontally to see all columns.
| Feature | Extension Only | PKG Installer | PKG + Child Account |
|---|---|---|---|
| Filters YouTube videos | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Extension removal blocked | No | Yes | Yes |
| Developer tools blocked | No | Yes | Yes |
| Guest mode blocked | No | Yes | Yes |
| Other browser apps restricted separately | No | No | Via Screen Time |
| Admin access required to remove installer protection | No | Yes | Yes |
| App installation blocked | No | No | Yes |
Quick start guides
Which setup should I choose?
For every child
The required Mac setup:
- Give your child their own Standard macOS account
- Install the extension in Chrome or Edge in that account
- Run the PKG installer as administrator to lock it in place
- Block Safari and other browsers with Screen Time
For young children or tech-savvy teens
For maximum protection:
- Create a child account with Screen Time
- Install the extension in Chrome or Edge
- Run the PKG installer to lock the extension
- Block Safari and other browsers in Screen Time
Mac protection troubleshooting
My child removed the extension
- If you only installed the extension, they can remove it anytime
- Install the PKG to prevent this
- You will receive a notification when extensions are removed
The PKG installer won't run
- Make sure you have administrator access on the Mac
- See PKG installation troubleshooting
My child uses Safari to watch YouTube
- WhitelistVideo works in Chrome and Edge, not Safari
- Set up Screen Time to block Safari
My child installed Firefox
- Block it in Screen Time (required: the installer doesn't block other browsers), and block new app installs
- Or remove Firefox from the Applications folder