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 blocks youtube.com in Safari and 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:

Scroll horizontally to see all columns.

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, block the regular YouTube app in WhitelistVideo's setup (the picker in version 1.4.8), or delete it if a newer app version asks you to. 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 → Screen Time
2. Tap your child's name (under Family)
3. Tap Content & Privacy Restrictions
4. Tap App Store, Media, Web & Games
5. Tap Web Content
6. Review the Never Allow list
7. Remove youtube.com, m.youtube.com, youtu.be, youtube-nocookie.com, and any other YouTube domains
8. Limit Adult Websites is fine. If you use Only Approved Websites, add youtube.com and m.youtube.com to the approved websites, or it blocks YouTube

Keep Safari available; you don't need to block it. After WhitelistVideo has Screen Time access, it blocks youtube.com in Safari and other browsers whenever it isn't on screen.

Optional: add google.com to Never Allow (Google results play video snippets), and set DuckDuckGo (privacy-focused) as Safari's search engine on the child's device (Settings → Apps → Safari → Search Engine).

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 (optional)

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

There's no need to block Safari or other browsers. Once Screen Time access is approved, WhitelistVideo blocks youtube.com in every browser whenever it isn't on screen. Ask to Buy or Installing Apps: Don't Allow is optional if you want new apps to need your approval.

Recommended Screen Time settings

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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 block it
2. Repeat the test in any other installed browser
3. Confirm the regular YouTube app is blocked (or deleted on newer app versions) and the YouTube access check in WhitelistVideo passes
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 blocked or deleted
3. Test Safari and any other browser separately
4. Keep YouTube domains out of Screen Time's web restrictions (keep it off Never Allow; with Only Approved Websites, approve youtube.com and m.youtube.com; Limit Adult Websites is fine)

WhitelistVideo can't load YouTube

If YouTube won't load inside the WhitelistVideo app:

1. On your iPhone, check Settings → Screen Time → your child's name → Content & Privacy Restrictions → App Store, Media, Web & Games → Web Content
2. If it is set to Only Approved Websites, add youtube.com and m.youtube.com to the approved websites, or switch to Limit Adult Websites
3. Check the Never Allow list and remove every YouTube domain
4. On the child's device, reopen WhitelistVideo. If it shows Unblock YouTube in Screen Time, tick I will NOT block youtube.com in Screen Time and tap Check again (the app does not re-check by itself after a change on your phone), then 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
• The regular YouTube app is blocked, the YouTube access check passes, and the parent PIN is set
• Screen Time prevents app deletion (recommended)
• YouTube domains are never blocked in Screen Time, so approved videos can play
• WhitelistVideo blocks youtube.com in Safari and other browsers while it remains authorized