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
-
Open Chrome
-
Go to whitelist.video/installer/WhitelistVideo-1.5.0-signed.pkg
If this link doesn't work or the version has changed, visit app.whitelist.video (opens in a new tab) and go to your child's profile to download the latest installer.
- 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
-
Open Finder
-
Click Downloads in the sidebar
-
Find WhitelistVideo-1.5.0-signed.pkg
-
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:
-
Click OK to dismiss the message
-
Open System Settings (or System Preferences on older Macs)
-
Go to Privacy & Security
-
Scroll down to find "WhitelistVideo-1.5.0-signed.pkg was blocked"
-
Click Open Anyway
-
Click Open in the confirmation popup
-
Enter your administrator password
Why does this appear? macOS Gatekeeper shows this for apps downloaded outside the App Store. WhitelistVideo is safe to install.
Close all browsers first
Close all Chrome and Edge windows completely before running the installer. The installer needs to modify browser configuration files, and open browsers may prevent changes from taking effect.
Complete the installation
-
Welcome screen: Click Continue
-
License agreement: Read and click Agree
-
Installation type: Click Install
-
Enter your Mac password: The installer needs administrator access
-
Wait for installation to complete (about 30 seconds)
-
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:
-
Restart Chrome (close all Chrome windows completely, then reopen)
-
Go to
chrome://extensions -
Find WhitelistVideo in the list
-
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
-
Press Cmd + Option + I (keyboard shortcut for developer tools)
-
Developer tools should not open, or you'll see a blocked message
Test guest mode block
-
Click the profile icon in Chrome's top right
-
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:
-
Open Terminal (Applications → Utilities → Terminal)
-
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
-
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