Watch Cub← Parent controls

OPTIONAL · CHROME COMPUTER

An easier way back.

Time streaming windows from your child’s shelf and optionally make selected sites start from Watch Cub.

The app works on its own. To add the tab timer, install the companion below, then refresh this page.

A Watch Cub family account is required. Account creation is not yet open to the public. Installing the companion does not create an account.

One install, where your child watches

Install the companion once on each computer where your family watches. It follows the profile selected in Watch Cub, including each child’s shelves and schedule.

The Chrome Web Store release is being prepared. Until it is available, download the current companion below for your existing family account.

Already installed? Pin Watch Cub from Chrome’s puzzle-piece menu, then choose your profile.

Install the companion
  1. Download the Watch Cub Companion, then unzip it. Keep the folder somewhere permanent.
  2. Open chrome://extensions in Chrome and turn on Developer mode.
  3. Choose Load unpacked and select the unzipped folder containing manifest.json.
  4. Pin the companion from Chrome's puzzle-piece menu. Refresh this page to check the connection, then open the child's shelf.

Open the pinned companion, choose Browser setup, and select the sites you want to start from the shelf. Allow those sites when Chrome asks, then confirm in Watch Cub. If you’re already signed in as the parent, you won’t need to enter your password again.

Updates

Chrome updates store installations automatically. For a private unpacked installation:

Replace the files in the same permanent folder, then click the companion’s Reload button at chrome://extensions. You don’t need a second install. Keep using that folder for every update.

Choose Parent in Watch Cub and enter your PIN for parent browsing. Choose a child to restore their shelf rules. Parent access expires after 30 minutes. The companion checks the current permission automatically.

Sign into Disney+, Netflix or other providers directly in that Chrome profile. Watch Cub never sees those logins.

What it does

A shelf pick opens in its own window. The companion closes that tab at the shelf deadline, or after it can no longer confirm the pick is allowed. Use the pinned companion's Back to my shelf button to return sooner.

What parents should know

Playback remains launch-only. With site settings enabled, selected sites must start from an open shelf or a parent’s one-time watch. Children can still browse within the timed provider window. Provider profiles and parental controls still matter. The companion cannot tell when an episode ends.

Chrome can delay timers while asleep or busy. If Chrome fully restarts, selected sites return to the shelf for a fresh pick. Without site settings enabled, close restored streaming tabs yourself. Disabling the extension, removing its site permissions, or using another browser bypasses these controls.

Choose only the sites you want covered. Prime Video covers primevideo.com, not Amazon shopping/video pages. Other domains and native apps remain outside this setup. Store availability does not change these playback limits.

Back to the shelf →

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