Documentation
Troubleshooting
Channel Blocking Issues

Troubleshooting Channel Blocking Issues

Common problems with blocked channels and how to resolve them.

Channel Still Accessible After Blocking

If a blocked channel is still accessible to your child:

Wait for Sync

Changes take 30-60 seconds to sync across devices. Wait a moment and refresh the YouTube page.

Verify Protection Mode

  1. Open the Parents' App
  2. Check that protection is set to Manual (SAFE) or AI Shield (SECURE)
  3. If it shows Unprotected (OFF), blocking won't work

Confirm the Block

  1. Go to your child's Manage tab
  2. Expand the Blocklist section
  3. Verify the channel appears in the list
  4. Check the @handle matches exactly

Refresh the Browser

On your child's device:

  1. Close all YouTube tabs
  2. Clear browser cache (Ctrl+Shift+Del)
  3. Reopen YouTube

Quick Fix: Most blocking issues are resolved by waiting 30 seconds and refreshing the YouTube page.

Can't Find a Channel to Block

If you can't find a channel when trying to add it to the blocklist:

Search by @Handle

  1. Go to the channel's YouTube page
  2. Look for the @username below the channel name
  3. Copy the exact handle (including @)
  4. Paste it in the WhitelistVideo search box

Search by Channel Name

  1. Try the full channel name exactly as it appears on YouTube
  2. Use fewer words if the full name is long
  3. Try common variations

Verify Channel Exists

  1. Open YouTube in a browser
  2. Search for the channel
  3. If it doesn't appear on YouTube, it can't be blocked
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Tip: Some channels use special characters or non-English names. Copy/paste the name directly from YouTube for best results.

Block Not Syncing Across Devices

If blocks work on one device but not others:

Verify Extension is Active

On each device:

  1. Click the WhitelistVideo extension icon
  2. Check it shows "Protection Active"
  3. Verify the correct child account is selected

Check Device Connection

  1. Open the Parents' App
  2. Go to your child's Devices tab
  3. Verify all devices show as "Connected"
  4. Reconnect any devices showing "Disconnected"

Force a Sync

On your phone:

  1. Pull down on the child's profile to refresh
  2. Wait 10 seconds
  3. Check the device again

Child Bypassed the Block

If your child accessed a blocked channel, check these:

Verify Advanced Protection

  1. Is Advanced Protection enabled?
  2. Without it, blocks can be bypassed via:
    • Incognito mode
    • Different browser
    • Uninstalling the extension

Check for Multiple Accounts

  1. Is your child signed into a personal Google account?
  2. Check if they created a separate WhitelistVideo child profile
  3. Review all child profiles in your Parents' App

Review Browser List

  1. Open your child's computer
  2. Check for browsers you didn't install (Firefox, Opera, Brave)
  3. Either install WhitelistVideo extension on those browsers or enable Advanced Protection
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Important: Without Advanced Protection, children can bypass blocks by using incognito mode or other browsers. We strongly recommend enabling Advanced Protection for ages 8-15.

Whitelist and Blocklist Conflicts

Which Takes Priority?

Blocklist wins. If a channel is on both lists:

  • The channel will be blocked
  • Remove it from the blocklist if you want it accessible

Removing Conflicts

  1. Open the Parents' App
  2. Go to Manage tab
  3. Check both Whitelist Channels and Blocklist
  4. Remove the channel from whichever list you don't want it on

Videos Blocked but Channel is Whitelisted

If individual videos are blocked from a whitelisted channel:

Check Video-Level Blocks

  1. The specific video may be blocked by keyword
  2. Go to BlocklistKeywords
  3. Check if any keyword matches the video title
  4. Remove the keyword if needed

Check AI Shield Settings

If using AI Shield mode:

  1. AI may have flagged the specific video
  2. The channel is approved but video content triggered filtering
  3. Videos with mature themes can be blocked even from whitelisted channels

Verify Video is on YouTube

  1. Try accessing the video from your own device
  2. It may have been removed by YouTube
  3. It may be age-restricted by YouTube (requires sign-in)

Extension Shows "Not Connected"

If the browser extension shows "Not Connected":

Check Internet Connection

  1. Verify the device is online
  2. Try loading other websites
  3. Restart the browser

Re-authenticate

  1. Click the extension icon
  2. Tap "Reconnect"
  3. Enter your parent email if prompted
  4. Select the child profile

Reinstall Extension

  1. Remove the WhitelistVideo extension
  2. Go to Chrome Web Store
  3. Reinstall the extension
  4. Connect to your parent account

Blocked Message Not Appearing

If blocked videos play instead of showing the block message:

Verify Protection is Active

  1. Click the WhitelistVideo extension icon
  2. It should show "Protection Active" with a green indicator
  3. If it shows "Unprotected," enable protection from Parents' App

Check for Extension Conflicts

  1. Other extensions may interfere with WhitelistVideo
  2. Try disabling other YouTube-related extensions
  3. Test if blocking works with other extensions disabled

Update the Extension

  1. Go to chrome://extensions
  2. Enable "Developer mode"
  3. Click "Update" to get the latest version

Still Having Issues?

If none of these solutions work:

  1. Check our FAQ for additional troubleshooting tips
  2. Email support: support@whitelist.video
  3. Include: Your device type, browser, and description of the issue

Response Time: We typically respond within 24 hours on business days.

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