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 browser installed
- A WhitelistVideo account
- About 5-15 minutes depending on protection level
How do I choose the right protection level?
WhitelistVideo offers three protection levels for Mac. Each adds stronger safeguards against bypassing.
| Protection Level | Setup Time | Can Child Remove? | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Extension Only | 2 minutes | Yes, easily | Older teens (16+) who respect boundaries |
| PKG Installer | 5 minutes | No (needs admin password) | Most children (8-15) |
| PKG + Child Account | 15 minutes | No (multiple layers) | Younger children (under 12) or tech-savvy teens |
⚠️
Recommendation: For most families, we recommend the PKG Installer option. 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: Teens who understand and respect the boundaries
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
- Best for: Most families with children ages 8-15
PKG + macOS child account (maximum protection)
- 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: Young children or tech-savvy teens who might try to bypass
What does each protection method do?
| 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 browsers blocked | No | No | Yes |
| Admin access required to bypass | No | Yes | Yes |
| App installation blocked | No | No | Yes |
Quick start guides
Which setup should I choose?
For older teens (16+)
If your teenager understands and respects your family's YouTube rules:
- Install the extension from Chrome Web Store
- Trust works both ways - if they remove it, you'll be notified
For most children (8-15)
For typical family protection:
- Install the extension first
- Run the PKG installer to lock it in place
- Optionally set up a child account 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
- 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 only works in Chrome
- Set up Screen Time to block Safari
My child installed Firefox
- Set up Screen Time to block app installation
- Remove Firefox from Applications folder