OS native parental controls
Strengthen WhitelistVideo's protection by configuring your operating system's built-in parental controls.
Important: On desktop computers, WhitelistVideo's Advanced Protection locks the extension in Chrome and Edge, and the operating system's own controls complete the pairing: a Standard child account and other browsers blocked in Family Safety or Screen Time are required. On phones, tablets and Chromebooks, native parental controls are required too.
Disclaimer: The guides in this section are provided as general guidance and may not reflect the latest changes to each platform's interface or policies. Apple Screen Time, Google Family Link, and Microsoft Family Safety are third-party services not affiliated with WhitelistVideo. Please refer to the official documentation for each platform for the most accurate and up-to-date instructions.
These guides are current as of May 2026. Operating system interfaces change with updates — if a step doesn't match what you see on your device, check Apple Support (opens in a new tab), Google Support (opens in a new tab), or Microsoft Support (opens in a new tab) for the latest instructions.
Why configure OS parental controls?
Native parental controls help you:
- Prevent app deletion - Stop your child from removing WhitelistVideo
- Restrict browser bypass routes - On iOS, WhitelistVideo does this after Screen Time access is approved; never block youtube.com in Screen Time. On Android, block youtube.com in Chrome and every other browser
- Restrict app installation - Prevent downloading alternative browsers or apps
- Set time limits - Control overall device usage
- Manage content - Additional filtering at the OS level
Setup process overview
For each operating system, there are two steps:
- Create a Child Account - Set up a separate account for your child with appropriate restrictions
- Configure Parental Controls - Set up the native parental control app to restrict browsers and apps
iOS (iPhone & iPad)
WhitelistVideo requires Screen Time access on iOS to block youtube.com in Safari and other browsers. A child Apple ID provides the strongest authorization.
Required for iOS: install and activate WhitelistVideo, allow Screen Time access, block the YouTube app (the app's picker in 1.4.8; newer versions ask you to delete it), let the YouTube access check pass, and set the parent PIN. Never block youtube.com in Screen Time (Never Allow, Limit Adult Websites or Allowed Websites Only); there's no need to block Safari. Recommended: Deleting Apps: Don't Allow.
Official Documentation: Use Screen Time on iPhone (opens in a new tab)
Android
Google's Family Link provides parental controls for Android phones and tablets.
Required for Android: in Family Link, block the YouTube, YouTube Music and YouTube Kids apps, block every browser except Chrome, and block youtube.com in Chrome (Google Chrome → Manage sites → Blocked). Then set the parent PIN in the WhitelistVideo app.
Official Documentation: Google Family Link (opens in a new tab)
Windows
Microsoft's Family Safety provides parental controls for Windows 10 and 11.
Official Documentation: Microsoft Family Safety (opens in a new tab)
Chromebook
Google's Family Link provides parental controls for Chromebooks.
Official Documentation: Family Link on Chromebook (opens in a new tab)
Mac
Apple's Screen Time provides parental controls for Mac computers.
Official Documentation: Apple Screen Time (opens in a new tab)
Quick comparison
Scroll horizontally to see all columns.
| Feature | iOS | Android | Windows | Chromebook | Mac |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Parental Control App | FamilyControls + Screen Time | Family Link | Family Safety | Family Link | Screen Time |
| Block app deletion | Set Deleting Apps to Don't Allow | Yes | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Block youtube.com | Never in Screen Time; WhitelistVideo blocks it in Safari and other browsers while authorized | Yes, in Chrome (required) | No (the extension needs it) | No (the extension needs it) | No (the extension needs it) |
| Block app installation | Optional | Yes | Yes (limited) | Yes | Yes |
| Block browsers | No need to block Safari or other browsers | Every browser except Chrome | Every browser except Chrome and Edge | Guest mode and Incognito | Safari and every browser except Chrome and Edge |
| Control native YouTube app | Block it (the app's picker in 1.4.8; newer versions ask you to delete it) | Block YouTube, YouTube Music, YouTube Kids | No | No | No |
| Time limits | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Content filtering | WhitelistVideo app; YouTube domains must remain permitted | Chrome only | Edge only | Chrome only; turn off Family Link's YouTube restrictions | Safari (turn it off: required) |
| Optional: google.com + DuckDuckGo | google.com in Screen Time; DuckDuckGo in Safari | google.com in Chrome; DuckDuckGo in Chrome | Browser settings | Family Link + Chrome settings | Screen Time + browser settings |
| Age restrictions | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Key goals
For WhitelistVideo to work effectively, configure these settings on your child's device:
1. Prevent App Deletion (Mobile Only)
Goal (iOS/Android): Lock the WhitelistVideo app in place so your child cannot delete it.
Native parental controls (Screen Time or Family Link) provide the app protection layer that ensures WhitelistVideo stays installed.
2. Restrict to One Browser (Desktop Only)
Goal (Windows/Mac): Only allow the browser that runs WhitelistVideo (Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge) in the child's own OS account. Block all other browsers in Microsoft Family Safety (Windows) or Screen Time (Mac). A Chromebook only runs Chrome.
Why? On computers, the WhitelistVideo installer (from whitelist.video/download, run as administrator) locks the extension in Chrome and Edge and blocks Incognito, Guest mode and new profiles. It doesn't block other browsers, so block Safari, Firefox and the rest in Family Safety or Screen Time. Don't block youtube.com: the extension needs it to play approved videos.
3. Direct YouTube Through WhitelistVideo
Goal: Ensure your child accesses YouTube only through WhitelistVideo.
- iOS (mobile app): Allow Screen Time access, block the YouTube app (the app's picker in 1.4.8; newer versions ask you to delete it), let the YouTube access check pass, and set the parent PIN. Never block youtube.com in Screen Time; there's no need to block Safari. Recommended: Deleting Apps: Don't Allow
- Android (mobile app): In Family Link, block the YouTube, YouTube Music and YouTube Kids apps, block every browser except Chrome, and block youtube.com in Chrome (Google Chrome → Manage sites → Blocked; the app is unaffected). Set the parent PIN
- Windows/Mac (extension): Separate OS account per child, extension in Chrome or Edge, the desktop installer run as admin; use Family Safety or Screen Time to block other browsers. Don't block youtube.com
- Chromebook (extension): In Family Link, block Guest mode and Incognito, require app approval, and turn off Family Link's own YouTube restrictions. You're alerted by email if the extension is uninstalled; to make it un-removable, buy a Google Workspace subscription (about US $5 per month; check Google's pricing for your region) and force-install from the Google Admin console. Don't block youtube.com
- Every device (optional): block google.com (Google results play video snippets) and set DuckDuckGo (privacy-focused) as the default search engine
4. Block App Installation
Goal: Require parental approval for any new app or software installation.
Why? Without this, your child could download a new browser or app to bypass WhitelistVideo.
5. Set Time Limits (Optional)
Goal: Control how much time your child spends on the device overall.
This complements WhitelistVideo by managing total screen time, not just YouTube content.
Need help?
If you're having trouble configuring native parental controls:
- iOS (iPhone/iPad): Apple Support (opens in a new tab)
- Android: Google Families Help (opens in a new tab)
- Windows: Microsoft Support (opens in a new tab)
- Chromebook: Google Families Help (opens in a new tab)
- Mac: Apple Support (opens in a new tab)
For WhitelistVideo-specific questions, contact support@whitelist.video.
VPN and proxy bypass
A tech-savvy child could install a VPN app to bypass web filtering. To prevent this:
- iOS: Use Ask to Buy or set Installing Apps to Don't Allow; a child Apple ID provides the strongest WhitelistVideo authorization
- Android: Family Link requires approval for all app installs
- Windows: Family Safety can restrict app installation
- Chromebook: Family Link controls app installation
- Mac: Screen Time can restrict app installation
Multiple children sharing one device
- Windows/Mac: Create a separate OS user account for each child. Install WhitelistVideo extension and desktop lockdown on each account separately.
- Android: Each child needs their own supervised Google account via Family Link.
- Chromebook: Each child needs their own supervised Google account. They sign in to their own profile on the shared Chromebook.
- iOS: iOS devices are typically single-user. Use Guided Access or dedicate one device per child.