iOS Screen Time setup

Configure Apple Screen Time to complement WhitelistVideo's protection on your child's iPhone or iPad.

What is Screen Time?

Screen Time is Apple's built-in parental control system that lets you:

• Prevent app deletion - Stop your child from removing WhitelistVideo
• Support WhitelistVideo's browser protection - WhitelistVideo restricts YouTube through other browsers after you approve Screen Time access
• Control app installation - Require your approval for new apps
• Set time limits - Manage how long your child uses specific apps
• Filter content - Restrict adult content and purchases

Official documentation: Use Screen Time on your iPhone or iPad (opens in a new tab)

What do I need?

• Your child's iPhone or iPad with WhitelistVideo installed and activated
• Family Sharing set up with a child Apple ID (Create one here)
• Your own iPhone or iPad to manage settings remotely
• A Screen Time Passcode (different from your device passcode)
• About 10 minutes to configure settings

Key settings for WhitelistVideo

For WhitelistVideo to work effectively, configure these critical settings:

How to set up Screen Time (via Family Sharing)

On your (parent's) iPhone or iPad:

1. Go to Settings → tap your name → Family Sharing
2. Tap your child's name
3. Tap Screen Time
4. Tap Turn On Screen Time (if not already enabled)
5. Tap Continue
6. Select This is My Child's iPhone/iPad
7. Set up Downtime if desired (optional schedule when only allowed apps work)
8. Set up App Limits if desired (optional time limits per app category)
9. Tap Continue through the setup screens
10. Create a Screen Time Passcode when prompted

Official guide: Set up Screen Time for a family member (opens in a new tab)

How to prevent app deletion

This is the most critical setting to prevent your child from deleting WhitelistVideo.

Before enabling the restriction, uninstall the regular YouTube app from the child's device. Then follow the steps below to prevent app deletion.

On your (parent's) device:

1. Go to Settings → tap your name → Family Sharing
2. Tap your child's name
3. Tap Screen Time
4. Tap Content & Privacy Restrictions
5. Turn on Content & Privacy Restrictions if not already enabled
6. Tap iTunes & App Store Purchases
7. Under Deleting Apps, tap and select Don't Allow

Verify the setting:

On your child's device, press and hold any app icon. The delete option (X or minus sign) should not appear, or attempting to delete should be blocked.

Keep YouTube domains permitted

WhitelistVideo needs YouTube domains to remain permitted so approved videos can play inside its app.

On your (parent's) device:

1. Go to Settings → tap your name → Family Sharing
2. Tap your child's name
3. Tap Screen Time
4. Tap Content & Privacy Restrictions
5. Tap Content Restrictions
6. Tap Web Content
7. Review the Never Allow list
8. Remove youtube.com, m.youtube.com, youtu.be, youtube-nocookie.com, and any other YouTube domains

Keep Safari and Chrome available. After WhitelistVideo has Screen Time access, it restricts YouTube access through those browsers.

How to add WhitelistVideo to Always Allowed

Ensure WhitelistVideo works during Downtime and isn't affected by app limits.

On your (parent's) device:

1. Go to Settings → tap your name → Family Sharing
2. Tap your child's name
3. Tap Screen Time
4. Tap Always Allowed
5. Find WhitelistVideo in the app list
6. Tap the green plus (+) button to add it to Always Allowed

How to block app installation

Require your approval for any new app downloads.

Option 1: Enable Ask to Buy (Recommended)

If your child is under 18 with a child Apple ID:

1. Go to Settings → tap your name → Family Sharing
2. Tap your child's name
3. Tap Ask to Buy
4. Turn on Ask to Buy

Your child will need to request permission for any app or purchase, and you'll receive a notification to approve or deny.

Option 2: Block all app installation

For stricter control:

1. Go to Settings → tap your name → Family Sharing
2. Tap your child's name
3. Tap Screen Time
4. Tap Content & Privacy Restrictions
5. Tap iTunes & App Store Purchases
6. Under Installing Apps, tap and select Don't Allow

How to manage browsers

Keep Safari and Chrome available. Remove or restrict other already-installed browsers unless you have included them in your tested setup. Use Ask to Buy or set Installing Apps to Don't Allow so a child cannot add another browser or VPN app without approval.

Recommended Screen Time settings

How to verify your Screen Time settings

After configuration, test that everything works:

Test app deletion blocking:

1. On your child's device, press and hold the WhitelistVideo app icon
2. Attempt to delete the app
3. You should see a message like "Deleting apps is not allowed" or the delete option should be missing

Test YouTube access:

1. Open Safari and try visiting youtube.com — WhitelistVideo should restrict access
2. Repeat the test in Chrome
3. Confirm the regular YouTube app is uninstalled
4. Open WhitelistVideo — an approved video should play normally within the app

Test WhitelistVideo works:

1. Open the WhitelistVideo app
2. Search for a video from an approved channel
3. The video should play normally

Troubleshooting

My child can still delete apps

1. Verify Content & Privacy Restrictions is turned on
2. Check that Deleting Apps is set to Don't Allow
3. Make sure you're managing the correct child's device
4. Restart your child's device

My child can still access YouTube in Safari

1. Confirm WhitelistVideo still has Screen Time access
2. Confirm the regular YouTube app is uninstalled
3. Test Safari and Chrome separately
4. Remove or restrict unapproved third-party browsers
5. Keep YouTube domains out of Screen Time's Never Allow list

WhitelistVideo can't load YouTube

If YouTube won't load inside the WhitelistVideo app:

1. Check Screen Time → Content & Privacy → Content Restrictions → Web Content
2. Use a broader Web Content setting appropriate for your family
3. Check the Never Allow list and remove every YouTube domain
4. Reopen WhitelistVideo and test an approved video

Screen Time settings aren't syncing

1. Make sure both devices are connected to the internet
2. On your child's device, check Settings → Screen Time → Share Across Devices is on
3. Wait a few minutes for settings to sync
4. Restart both devices

My child figured out the Screen Time Passcode

1. Immediately change the passcode:
   • Go to Settings → your name → Family Sharing → child's name → Screen Time
   • Tap Change Screen Time Passcode
   • Enter a new, harder-to-guess passcode
2. Choose something unrelated to birthdates or common patterns

I forgot the Screen Time Passcode

1. Go to Settings → your name → Family Sharing → child's name → Screen Time
2. Tap Change Screen Time Passcode
3. Tap Forgot Passcode?
4. Enter your Apple ID and password to reset it

WhitelistVideo was deleted despite Screen Time

1. Re-install WhitelistVideo from the App Store
2. Verify Deleting Apps is set to Don't Allow
3. Check if your child signed out of their Apple ID (requires your passcode)
4. Consider using Guided Access for younger children as an additional layer

Official resources

• Use Screen Time on your iPhone or iPad (opens in a new tab)
• Set up Screen Time for a family member (opens in a new tab)
• Block apps, app downloads, websites, and purchases (opens in a new tab)
• Use Content & Privacy Restrictions (opens in a new tab)
• If you forgot your Screen Time passcode (opens in a new tab)

Screen Time setup complete

Your child's iPhone or iPad is now protected:

• WhitelistVideo filters YouTube within the app
• Screen Time prevents app deletion and controls new app installations
• YouTube domains remain permitted so approved videos can play
• WhitelistVideo restricts YouTube through Safari and Chrome while it remains authorized