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Help & FAQ

Everything you need to set up ParentalView and keep it humming. Three minutes to protected.

Getting started — three steps

Step 1

Sign in with Google and pick a family style (or build your own rules). Every template stays fully editable.

Step 2

Write your rules: tick the concerns that matter and set the strictness dial. Plain English, editable any time.

Step 3

Link your child's browser: install the extension on their Chrome, open its popup, and type your link code. If you told us your child is under 13, this is where we ask for a 50¢ card check. Done — YouTube is now checked against your rules.

How blocking works

When a video is opened on a linked browser, ParentalView checks its title, channel, and description against your rules. If it doesn't fit, a calm block screen appears — showing the house rule it matched, in your words — and you get an alert in your dashboard naming the video, the rule it matched, and one plain-English sentence on why. No fit issue? The video just plays. Verdicts are cached, so repeat checks are instant.

Frequently asked

Does it watch the actual video?

No. ParentalView judges the video's title, channel, and public description — the things you'd see before pressing play — read against your rules. It doesn't watch the picture or listen to the audio, so a video that hides what it really is behind an innocent title can get through. That's why Ask a Parent and your alerts feed matter.

Can my child just ask for a video?

Yes — that's the point. The block screen has an Ask a Parent button. The request lands in your dashboard with the video, our summary, and why it was blocked. One tap approves or declines. Arguments become requests.

A video was blocked that shouldn't have been.

Open the alert, read which rule it matched, and either approve the video from the request, or soften that rule in your dashboard. Your rules are plain English — editing "no scary content" to "mild spooky is fine, no horror" changes future verdicts immediately.

A video got through that I'd have blocked.

Add what you saw as a rule — e.g. "no videos glamorizing pranks on strangers." The very next check enforces it. Rules are your levers; specific beats broad.

What does ParentalView see about my family?

Almost nothing, on purpose: video checks on YouTube only, a random device code, and your own settings. No browsing history, no child accounts, no data sales, ever. Full plain-language breakdown: what we see — and what we never see.

Why did you ask for a card?

Only if you told us your child is under 13. U.S. children's-privacy law (COPPA) requires verifiable parental consent before we collect anything from a young child's device, and a card charge is proof an adult is at the keyboard. We charge 50¢ and refund it right away. Stripe handles the charge, so we never see or store your card number, and no subscription starts. Parents of 13-and-over never see this step. If a refund ever doesn't land, email us and we'll chase it.

Can my child just uninstall the extension?

On an ordinary Chrome profile, yes — any extension can be removed from chrome://extensions, and we'd rather tell you that than pretend otherwise. Two things help. First, watch your dashboard: if alerts and activity go quiet when you know they shouldn't be, check that the extension is still installed. Second, if you need it locked down, Chrome can force-install an extension through enterprise policy, which needs Chrome Browser Cloud Management or a managed device profile rather than the consumer Family Link setup. Email us and we'll walk you through it.

What's free, and what's Pro?

Free protects one device with the full rules engine. Pro ($6.99/mo) adds unlimited devices — everything else is already in Free. Cancel anytime from Settings — no phone calls, no guilt trips.

I have two kids — what do I need?

Pro ($6.99/mo) links as many devices as you like, so both kids' browsers are covered. One thing to know before you upgrade: your rules and your strictness setting are a single family-wide set applied to every linked device — there aren't separate profiles for a 7-year-old and a 15-year-old. If your kids are far apart in age, we'd suggest writing rules for the younger one and leaning on Ask a Parent for the older one. Separate per-child rules aren't built yet; email us if that's what you need.

Does it work on phones or other browsers?

Today ParentalView protects Chrome on computers (and Chromebooks). More platforms are on the roadmap.

How do I unlink a device or delete everything?

Settings → unlink any device. Deleting your account removes every byte we hold — rules, activity, devices — immediately.

Troubleshooting

  • Extension won't link: generate a fresh code in your dashboard (codes expire), and make sure the child's browser is Chrome with the extension installed.
  • Blocks feel slow the first time: the first check of a brand-new video takes a few seconds while the AI reads it; repeats are instant.
  • Very little to go on: when a video's title and description are vague, ParentalView leans cautious and blocks rather than guesses.
  • Child switched browsers: blocking lives in Chrome. If they use another browser, install Chrome policies or ask us about roadmap timing.

Contact

Stuck, or found a bug? Email markkaminsky99@gmail.com — a human (the founder) reads every message.