Frequently Asked Questions

WhitelistVideo is a parental control for YouTube that blocks all videos by default. Only channels you approve can be watched. Designed for kids ages 8-15 who need educational content with real parental oversight.

Works on Windows, macOS, and Chromebook (Chrome/Edge browser extension), plus iPhone/iPad (iOS Child App), Android phones and tablets (Android Child App), and Android TV / Google TV (TV App). Manage everything from your phone using the Parent App (Android/iOS) or web dashboard.

We block ALL YouTube content by default. When your child clicks a video, Auto-pilot checks it against your rules (takes 5-8 seconds). Content matching your rules plays; everything else is blocked. You can also manually approve entire channels. Your child only watches what you've approved.

YouTube Kids is aimed at younger children. WhitelistVideo is designed for school-age children who need educational channels and more room to grow.

Ages 8-15. These kids have outgrown YouTube Kids but still need parental guidance. They're ready for educational content like science, math, history, and coding - but benefit from parents deciding which channels are appropriate.

About 3 minutes:

Changes sync instantly.

Your whitelist syncs automatically across all devices.

The WhitelistVideo Mac installer protects Chrome and Edge. Safari does not use those browser policies, so on Mac restrict Safari separately with Screen Time and test youtube.com from the child's Standard account.

Brave doesn't let us enforce YouTube's Restricted Mode by default. We use Restricted Mode as an extra safety layer alongside our whitelist filtering.

Chrome and Edge allow us to lock down Restricted Mode so kids can't turn it off. Brave doesn't, so we don't support it.

Yes, a small desktop app for Windows and Mac. Install it from a parent administrator account, then keep the child on a Standard account. It enforces WhitelistVideo in Chrome and Edge; alternative browser apps require Family Safety or Screen Time restrictions.

Yes. Basic and Premium are billed per child, so add as many children as you need. Each child gets their own profile, whitelist, and settings.

Yes, but you have two options depending on your needs:

Technically yes, but not recommended. You would lose age-based content filtering.

Our AI applies age-appropriate filtering based on each child's profile. If siblings share the same browser, your younger child might see content that's okay for your teenager but not appropriate for their age.

We strongly recommend maintaining separate browsers (Chrome for one child, Edge for another) with separate child profiles. This ensures each child only sees content suitable for their age group.

Not without your credentials, as long as you judge the pairing rather than the app alone. WhitelistVideo is built to run on top of the parental control you already have (Screen Time, Family Link, Family Safety, or your school's Google Admin console), and that pairing cannot be removed without the parent's credentials.

If the app or extension cannot sync or verify it is activated, it blocks all of YouTube rather than letting anything through. The one rule: keep your child on a Standard account and keep the administrator and parent-account passwords yours.

On iPhone and iPad, WhitelistVideo restricts YouTube through other browsers after you approve its required Screen Time access. Keep Safari and Chrome, and remove or restrict other browsers. On Windows and Mac, the installers enforce WhitelistVideo in Chrome and Edge; use Family Safety or Screen Time for other browsers. On Android, Family Link can approve or block alternative browser apps and restrict YouTube sites in Chrome.

It depends on who controls the Chromebook, not on the extension. ChromeOS lets any user remove any extension, so WhitelistVideo runs on top of the control you already have:

The Chromebook guide at whitelist.video/chromebook walks through all three.

Only with your credentials. The thing to judge is WhitelistVideo plus the native control on that device, not the app alone. On Windows and Mac the installer force-installs the Chrome and Edge extension through administrator-only browser policy, so removal requires the administrator password; on Windows a watchdog service also restores the policy within about a second if it is edited. On iPhone and iPad, revoking WhitelistVideo's Family Controls access requires your Apple Account password when your child has a Child Apple ID in Family Sharing; set Screen Time's Deleting Apps to Don't Allow so the app itself stays put. On Android, Family Link's 'require approval' setting stops your child uninstalling or reinstalling apps without you. On a Chromebook the extension is un-removable when the device is managed (school Admin console or a ChromeOS Enterprise Upgrade licence); with Family Link alone the child can remove it and re-adding needs your approval.

Yes. We don't collect any personal information from children. All account management is done by parents. Auto-pilot analyzes video metadata (title, description, channel) and the spoken-word transcript to screen content — never your child's personal data.

Because the Advanced Protection Suite blocks new extension installs so your child cannot add a tool that bypasses WhitelistVideo. Existing extensions keep working; only new installations are blocked.

This extra step ensures your child can't install bypass tools while keeping your browser functional.

Yes, on Windows. The Advanced Protection Suite applies browser controls to all user accounts on the device - including parent/admin accounts. This means YouTube filtering and extension restrictions will affect everyone who uses that computer.

Note: This only applies to Windows. On macOS, protection is applied per-user, so your own account remains unaffected.

No. Only one device can be active per child at a time. If your child opens the browser on a different computer, they'll be automatically logged out from the previous device.

This prevents bypassing filters by switching between devices. You can activate the same child profile on multiple computers (e.g., home desktop and laptop), but only one can be actively protected at any moment.

Channel approvals and settings sync across all activated devices - your child just can't use them simultaneously.

You approve entire channels, not individual videos. Once you approve a channel (like Khan Academy), your child can watch any video from it.

New videos from approved channels are automatically accessible. You can approve channels by searching in the dashboard or reviewing your child's requests.

When your child finds a video from a non-approved channel, they click 'Request Access'. You get a notification on WhatsApp, Telegram, or the app. Approve or deny with one tap — or message the AI bot to add channels, set rules, and manage everything from chat. If approved, the channel unlocks instantly.

Yes. Shorts are blocked by default on every plan because short-form feeds encourage compulsive scrolling. If you want to allow Shorts for a child, you can turn Shorts blocking off from the parent dashboard.

Auto-pilot (Premium) screens each video your child opens against your category rules in about 5-8 seconds, plays what matches, and blocks the rest. You can override any decision from the dashboard.

Step by step, when your child clicks a video:

Auto-pilot learns from your approvals over time.

Yes. You'll get instant notifications on WhatsApp, Telegram, or the Parent App when your child requests a new channel. Approve or deny with one tap directly from the notification. You can also manage channels, playlists, and settings by chatting with our AI bot.

Yes. Each child has their own profile with their own approved channels and settings. A 9-year-old can have science channels while a 14-year-old has broader access.

Yes. In your dashboard, toggle off protection for supervised watching. Remember to re-enable it when done. Useful for family movie nights or exploring new content together.

Yes. You can hide all YouTube comments to protect kids from inappropriate language and interactions. Toggle this in YouTube Controls in your dashboard.

Yes, by default. Live content can't be pre-screened and exposes kids to unmoderated chat. You can allow live streams from specific trusted channels if needed.

The Blacklist lets you block specific channels or keywords you don't want your kids to see - even if they're part of an approved category or channel.

Channel Blacklist: Block entire channels regardless of other settings Keyword Blacklist: Block videos containing specific words in titles or descriptions

Blacklist rules take priority over whitelist rules. For example, if you approve 'Gaming' but blacklist 'Fortnite', videos with 'Fortnite' in the title will still be blocked.

This feature is available on all plans for a limited time.

Manual mode means you approve every channel yourself; Auto-pilot (Premium) finds and screens channels for you based on categories you choose. Both keep you in control of the final list.

In Manual mode, you add every YouTube channel yourself — full hands-on control.

With Auto-pilot (Premium), you set categories like Educational, Science, or Art, and Auto-pilot finds and screens channels that match your rules. You can review every suggestion and override any decision.

No. You set the rules — categories, age range, content standards, and appropriateness level (Off, Mild, or Strict). Auto-pilot only screens content against YOUR rules. Unlike social media algorithms that optimize for engagement, Auto-pilot enforces your family's standards. You can override any decision instantly from your dashboard.

The Appropriateness control is an AI-powered content sensitivity filter available on Premium plans. It analyzes the actual spoken words in each video — not just titles and descriptions — and scores them across 7 dimensions: profanity, violence, sexual content, drugs, scary/mature themes, hate speech, and negative behavior.

It catches profanity in any language, including bleeped or censored words. Set it per child based on their age and your family's standards.

Yes! You have four options:

Approve requests, manage channels, and adjust settings from anywhere. Changes sync instantly to all your child's devices.

Yes! Connect our AI messaging bot from Settings. You get complete management — add or remove channels, manage playlists and content categories, block keywords or channels, adjust safety levels (strict/moderate/relaxed), pair new devices, view activity summaries, approve or deny channel requests, and manage your subscription. 28 actions total. The AI bot understands natural language in 7 languages. Just message it like you'd text a friend: 'add Khan Academy for my son' or 'block gaming channels for my daughter.'

Yes. Approve a channel on your phone and it's instantly accessible on your child's computer. All devices share the same whitelist per child.

Your dashboard monitors device activity automatically. When everything is working normally, you'll see the standard 'Manage Whitelist' button on your child's card.

If the extension hasn't communicated with our servers for an extended period, you'll see alert buttons:

Tap the alert button to see details and troubleshooting steps.

These alerts appear when your child's browser extension hasn't communicated with WhitelistVideo for an extended period:

Tap the alert button to see when the device was last seen and get troubleshooting guidance.

Yes. Tap the WARNING or UNPROTECTED button on your child's card to open the status modal. Use the slider to select a snooze duration (1-7 days), then tap 'Snooze'.

While snoozed, the alert button is hidden and you'll see the normal 'Manage Whitelist' button instead. Alerts automatically resume when the snooze period ends.

Useful for vacations, device repairs, or when you know your child won't be using the device for a while.

YouTube recommends videos based on what your child watches. If they watch clickbait, YouTube shows more clickbait.

WhitelistVideo flips this: by ensuring your child only watches quality educational content, you train YouTube to recommend better videos over time.

Most parents notice improvements within 2-4 weeks. After 2-3 months, YouTube's recommendations are dramatically better - more educational content, fewer clickbait thumbnails.

Partially. YouTube retains some learned preferences, but new viewing behavior will influence recommendations again. WhitelistVideo provides ongoing protection to maintain the algorithm training.

All paid plans include WhatsApp/Telegram management and the Parents Community. Annual plans: Basic $69.99/yr, Premium $119.99/yr. Free 2-hour test period to confirm it works on your child's device, no credit card required; there is no day-count free trial. Prices are set per country, so your local price may differ from the US price. In most countries, WhitelistVideo costs less than a burger.

Yes, every new account gets a free 2-hour test period to try the setup and see how WhitelistVideo works on your child's device. No credit card required. After the test, choose Basic ($6.99/mo), Premium ($14.99/mo), or Lifetime ($299.00).

Choose Basic for hands-on control. Choose Premium for Auto-pilot and deeper visibility.

Yes, with no fees. You keep access until your billing period ends. Your channel lists are saved if you resubscribe later.

We don't offer refunds because we provide a free 2-hour test period to test everything first. Cancel anytime during the test and you won't be charged.

A free 2-hour test period, no credit card required. It lets you confirm WhitelistVideo works on your child's device and see how the whitelist behaves before choosing a plan. There is no multi-day free trial.

Your access stops but your data stays intact — child profiles, whitelists, and settings are all preserved. Subscribe to Basic, Premium, or Lifetime anytime to restore access.

Yes — you can request an additional 2 hours automatically if you need more time to test. Just tap the extension option when your test period is about to expire.

WhitelistVideo works in direct conjunction with Apple Screen Time, Google Family Link, and Microsoft Family Safety to enforce time limits and device lockouts. Rather than relying on an easily bypassed standalone timer clock, WhitelistVideo binds into the operating system's native parental control perimeter. Parents use Family Link, Family Safety, or Apple Screen Time to enforce device and app time limits, while WhitelistVideo enforces zero-trust YouTube channel filtering and Shorts blocking.

Yes. WhitelistVideo filters YouTube content in supported browsers, while Family Safety can set time limits and restrict alternative apps on Windows. They are separate products that can be configured together.

Yes. On iPhone and iPad, approve WhitelistVideo's required Screen Time access, but keep youtube.com and related YouTube domains permitted—never add them to Never Allow, because approved videos need access. Use Screen Time to set limits, prevent app deletion and unapproved installs, and restrict browsers other than Safari and Chrome. On Mac, Screen Time can set limits and restrict other apps while WhitelistVideo filters YouTube in Chrome and Edge.

Check your dashboard to confirm the channel is approved. Try refreshing the page or clearing Chrome's cache. Premium users can override Auto-pilot decisions instantly. Still stuck? Contact support@whitelist.video.

The extension syncs data periodically (every 1-24 hours depending on the setting). To see changes immediately, click the SYNC button in the WhitelistVideo extension. This pulls the latest data from your dashboard instantly.

Log into app.whitelist.video, go to your child's profile, and select 'Manage Channels'. Search for channels to add, or click 'Remove' on existing ones. Changes sync instantly.

Email support@whitelist.video. Premium users get responses within 24 hours. Basic users within 24-48 hours. Check whitelist.video/docs first - most issues are covered there.

This happens when the browser extension hasn't communicated with our servers. Common causes:

Open the browser on your child's device and visit any YouTube page. The extension will automatically reconnect and the alert will clear within a few minutes.

Follow these steps:

Still seeing the alert? The extension may need to be reinstalled. Follow the setup guide at whitelist.video/docs or contact support@whitelist.video.