Your kid's school laptop.
Without the YouTube rabbit hole.
The same Chromebook she needs for homework is one click from an endless YouTube feed. Homework Mode keeps it for school — homework videos still play, everything else is blocked.
Install Homework Mode freeControl back in your hands
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1
Install using your kid's school chromebook
On your kid's school laptop, open Chrome and install Homework Mode.
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2
Connect parent's Google account
Sign in with your (parent) Google account to activate parental control.
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3
Non-school related YouTube is blocked
Every non-school related video is blocked automatically. It's that easy.
This is a national problem.
"Chromebooks at School Damaged Kids' Brains, Lawsuits Claim"
88% of U.S. schools issue personal devices to students — and the same device that lets your kid do their math homework is also a direct portal to YouTube's algorithm. Parents across the country are stuck with the same problem you are.
Why isn't this already blocked at home?
Schools intentionally keep YouTube open — teachers use video clips for lessons every day, so it has to be available on the school Chromebook.
That same setting just comes home with the laptop. The school's job is the classroom; what happens at home is the parent's call. Homework Mode is the simple tool that fills that gap.
Schools stay neutral. You get control.
Homework Mode is the parent-side answer to a problem the school district doesn't want to solve. The district keeps YouTube available during the school day. You decide what happens at home.
- The school doesn't have to filter anything. ✓
- Teachers can still embed videos in assignments. ✓
- Your kid can still watch "Cell Division — AP Biology." ✓
- "Minecraft speedrun world record" doesn't load. ✓
- You see every decision in a transparent log. ✓
Why the usual fixes don't work.
Every other option either blocks all of YouTube (and breaks homework) or nothing at all. Only Homework Mode can tell a biology lesson apart from a gaming stream.
| Router / DNS block | Turn off Wi-Fi | Family Link | Homework Mode | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Homework videos still play | No | No | No | Yes |
| Blocks the YouTube feed & entertainment | All or nothing | All or nothing | All or nothing | Yes |
| Works on a school-managed account | Yes | Yes | Often can't | Yes |
| Doesn't kill homework too | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Shows you what was blocked | No | No | Limited | Yes |
See the full breakdown: Homework Mode vs. Family Link.
Your kid's privacy stays private.
Homework Mode is a homework filter, not spyware. We don't track your child, build a profile on them, or sell anyone's data — ever.
- We never collect or store your kid's personal information.
- We only look at the video being opened — just long enough to decide if it's school-related — then move on.
- No browsing history, no location tracking, no data sold to anyone.
- You stay in control: every allow/block decision is visible to you.
The things parents ask first.
Can I even block YouTube on a school Chromebook?
Yes. The district leaves YouTube open for classroom use, but a parent can still install Homework Mode on the device. It allows school-relevant videos and blocks the rest — no district permissions needed. Here's the full walkthrough: how to block YouTube on a school Chromebook.
Won't this break the videos my kid's teacher assigns?
No. Homework Mode looks at each video and lets school-relevant ones play. If it ever blocks one it shouldn't, you can allow that exact video in a tap from your dashboard.
Do I need the school's permission or the district's help?
No. You install it yourself on the Chromebook and sign in once with your own Google account. Nothing changes on the school's side. More on school Chromebook parental controls.
Is this spyware? What about my kid's privacy?
It's a homework filter, not spyware. It only looks at the video being opened — just long enough to decide if it's school-related — then moves on. No browsing history, no location tracking, no data sold to anyone.
Does it work alongside Google Family Link?
Yes. Many families use Family Link for their kid's personal phone and Homework Mode for the school Chromebook. See Homework Mode vs. Family Link.
What does it cost?
$4.99 a month or $50 a year — cheaper than a school lunch. There's a 14-day free trial with no card required up front, so you can watch the block list fill up before you pay anything.
Cheaper than a school lunch.
14-day free trial — no card up front. Cancel anytime.
- Block non-school YouTube on every device your kid uses
- Per-video whitelist for false positives
- Decision log of every block / allow
- Cancel anytime
- Everything in monthly
- Two months free
- One charge a year — no surprises