WhitelistVideo troubleshooting guide
Solve common WhitelistVideo problems with these quick solutions.
How to find your issue
What are the most common WhitelistVideo problems?
Why aren't videos being blocked?
Quick fix: Refresh the YouTube page and check that "Protection Active" shows in the extension.
- Click the WhitelistVideo icon in Chrome
- Look for "Protection Active" status
- If you see "Not Activated," follow the activation steps
Why won't approved channel videos play?
Quick fix: Wait 30 seconds for the change to sync, then refresh YouTube.
- Check that you saved the channel approval in the Parents' App
- Wait 30 seconds
- Refresh the YouTube page
- If still not working, restart Chrome
Why did the WhitelistVideo extension disappear?
Quick fix: The extension may still be installed but unpinned.
- Click the puzzle piece icon in Chrome's toolbar
- Look for WhitelistVideo in the list
- Click the pin icon to keep it visible
If it's not in the list, reinstall the extension.
Why can't I connect my phone to WhitelistVideo?
Quick fix: Make sure both devices are online and try generating a new activation code.
- Check that the computer has internet
- Check that your phone has internet
- In the Parents' App, go to your child's profile and tap Connect Device to generate a new 6-digit code
- Enter the code in the extension popup
How did my child bypass WhitelistVideo protection?
Quick fix: Add Advanced Protection to prevent bypassing.
Without Advanced Protection, children can:
- Disable the extension
- Use a different browser
- Use incognito mode
On computers, Advanced Protection only covers Chrome and Edge: give each child a separate Standard account and block other browsers in Microsoft Family Safety or Mac Screen Time.
On mobile devices, complete the platform-native protection setup:
- iOS: Allow WhitelistVideo's 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. Recommended: Deleting Apps: Don't Allow. Never block youtube.com in Screen Time; no need to block Safari
- 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). Set the parent PIN
- Optional: block google.com (Google results play video snippets) and set DuckDuckGo (privacy-focused) as the default search engine
Why does my dashboard show WARNING or UNPROTECTED?
Quick fix: Open the browser on your child's device and visit YouTube.
These alerts appear when the extension hasn't communicated with our servers:
- WARNING (amber): 24-72 hours since last check-in
- UNPROTECTED (red): 72+ hours since last check-in
Common causes: browser closed, device off, no internet connection. Learn more →
Still need help?
How to contact WhitelistVideo support
Email us at support@whitelist.video
Include:
- Your account email
- What you were trying to do
- What went wrong
- Any error messages you saw
What is WhitelistVideo support response time?
We respond to most emails within 24 hours on business days.