How to install WhitelistVideo PKG on Mac
Lock the WhitelistVideo extension so your child cannot remove or disable it. The PKG installer adds managed preferences that prevent tampering.
Prerequisite: Install the Chrome extension first before running the PKG installer.
What do I need to install the PKG?
- Your child's Mac (macOS 10.15 Catalina or later)
- Administrator password for the Mac
- Chrome extension already installed
- About 5 minutes
How to download the WhitelistVideo PKG
From your child's Mac
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Open Chrome
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Go to whitelist.video/installer/WhitelistVideo-1.5.0-signed.pkg
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The file downloads to your Downloads folder
[PLACEHOLDER: Screenshot of whitelist.video download page in Chrome]
How to run the PKG installer
Find the downloaded file
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Open Finder
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Click Downloads in the sidebar
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Find WhitelistVideo-1.5.0-signed.pkg
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Double-click the file to open the installer
[PLACEHOLDER: Screenshot of Finder Downloads folder with PKG file]
If macOS blocks the installer
You may see: "WhitelistVideo-1.5.0-signed.pkg can't be opened because Apple cannot check it for malicious software"
To allow it:
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Click OK to dismiss the message
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Open System Settings (or System Preferences on older Macs)
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Go to Privacy & Security
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Scroll down to find "WhitelistVideo-1.5.0-signed.pkg was blocked"
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Click Open Anyway
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Click Open in the confirmation popup
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Enter your administrator password
Why does this appear? macOS Gatekeeper shows this for apps downloaded outside the App Store. WhitelistVideo is safe to install.
Complete the installation
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Welcome screen: Click Continue
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License agreement: Read and click Agree
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Installation type: Click Install
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Enter your Mac password: The installer needs administrator access
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Wait for installation to complete (about 30 seconds)
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Done: Click Close
[PLACEHOLDER: Screenshot of macOS installer completion screen]
What does the PKG installer do?
The installer configures managed preferences for Chrome:
| Protection | What It Does |
|---|---|
| Force install extension | WhitelistVideo automatically installs and cannot be removed |
| Block other extensions | Prevents installing bypass tools or VPN extensions |
| Block developer tools | Prevents using the browser console to manipulate pages |
| Disable guest mode | Prevents opening an unprotected guest browser session |
| Background sync | Keeps extension policies updated |
Where files are installed
| Location | Purpose |
|---|---|
/Library/Managed Preferences/com.google.Chrome.plist | Chrome policy that forces the extension |
/Library/LaunchAgents/com.whitelistvideo.agent.plist | Background sync service |
/Applications/WhitelistVideo.app | Main application |
How to verify the PKG is working
After installation:
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Restart Chrome (close all Chrome windows completely, then reopen)
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Go to
chrome://extensions -
Find WhitelistVideo in the list
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Look for the "Managed" badge or text
[PLACEHOLDER: Screenshot of chrome://extensions with Managed badge on WhitelistVideo]
- Try to click the Remove button - it should be grayed out or show a warning
Test developer tools block
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Press Cmd + Option + I (keyboard shortcut for developer tools)
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Developer tools should not open, or you'll see a blocked message
Test guest mode block
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Click the profile icon in Chrome's top right
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Guest mode option should be hidden or disabled
PKG protection levels
The PKG provides medium-high protection:
| Attempt | Result |
|---|---|
| Remove extension in chrome://extensions | Blocked - extension reinstalls |
| Disable extension | Blocked |
| Use incognito/private browsing | Extension still works |
| Use guest mode | Guest mode disabled |
| Open developer tools | Blocked |
| Delete the app from Applications | Extension still works (policy persists) |
| Delete managed preferences file | Requires admin password |
Admin password required: Anyone with the Mac's administrator password can uninstall the PKG. For children who know the admin password, consider setting up a child account with Screen Time.
How to uninstall the PKG
If you need to remove the PKG protection:
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Open Terminal (Applications → Utilities → Terminal)
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Run these commands (you'll need to enter your admin password):
sudo rm /Library/Managed\ Preferences/com.google.Chrome.plist
sudo launchctl unload /Library/LaunchAgents/com.whitelistvideo.agent.plist
sudo rm /Library/LaunchAgents/com.whitelistvideo.agent.plist-
Restart Chrome
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The extension can now be removed normally
The extension itself will still work after uninstalling the PKG - it just won't be locked anymore.
Next steps
For even stronger protection, especially for younger children:
Mac PKG troubleshooting
The installer won't open
- Follow the Gatekeeper steps above to allow the installer
- Make sure you downloaded the correct .pkg file
- Try downloading the file again
"Installation failed" error
- Make sure you have administrator access on the Mac
- Check that you have enough disk space
- Try restarting the Mac and running the installer again
Extension doesn't show "Managed" badge
- Restart Chrome completely (close all windows)
- Check that the plist file exists:
ls /Library/Managed\ Preferences/ - Try restarting the Mac
Chrome isn't reading the managed preferences
- Chrome installed in ~/Applications won't read /Library/Managed Preferences
- Reinstall Chrome to /Applications (system-wide installation)
I forgot the admin password
- You'll need the admin password to install or uninstall the PKG
- Reset your Mac password (opens in a new tab) through Apple Recovery
FileVault is enabled
- FileVault disk encryption doesn't affect the PKG
- Installation works normally with FileVault
Apple Silicon (M1/M2/M3) Macs
- The PKG works on both Intel and Apple Silicon Macs
- No special steps needed