This article discusses troubleshooting solutions for issues encountered while installing the Bark browser extensions or the Bark for Chromebooks app on a computer.
For troubleshooting mobile screen time & filtering or in-home filtering on iOS, click here.
(What is the difference between screen time, filtering, and monitoring?)
Overview
You can find answers to the following questions in this article. Click on one to jump right to it:
- Monitor Chrome and Edge
- Can Bark monitor other browsers?
- How do I know Chrome or Edge monitoring is working?
- Chrome or Edge not appearing on dashboard
- How do I know the Bark for Chromebooks app is working?
- Alert about Accessibility Disabled on Chromebook
- Chromebook is not filtered properly
- Does my child's Chromebook support the Bark for Chromebooks app?
- Will the Bark for Chromebooks app need to remain open?
- I cannot install the Chrome extensions.
- Am I able to use Family Link and Bark at the same time?
- Do I need to do this for each child on a shared computer?
- How do I disable Chrome Guest Mode?
- What alerts may I receive?
FAQs
How does Bark monitor Chrome and Edge browsing?
Bark monitors web browsing on Chrome and Edge — including website visits, searches, and incognito browsing — when you install the two Bark extensions for the Chrome and Edge browsers on your child's Chromebook, Mac, or Windows computer. Click here for instructions! This is available on the Bark Premium subscription plan.
Phones and tablets get their web browsing monitored in a different way. To get Chrome monitored on a mobile Android device, check out our instructions Android devices.
Can Bark monitor more than just Chrome browsing?
Consider the Bark Home! You can block sites/apps on any internet-connected device in the home (including gaming consoles, computers, and smart TVs) whether they access that site on Chrome or on another app. Learn more about Bark Home. If you've already activated the Bark Home device, now all you need to do is identify the computes and devices to start enforcing your rules!
In addition, the Bark for Chromebooks app is available for select Chromebooks. When the Bark for Chromebooks app is in place, it can filter Chrome browsing according to your Screen Time rules, as well as monitor the images and videos saved to the Chromebook device storage.
How do I know it's monitoring their Chrome or Edge web browsing?
If Bark is monitoring your child's Chrome or Edge browsing on their computer, you should see at least one Chrome or Edge icon on the list of connected accounts when you click Monitoring > Devices & Apps under the child.
I'm not seeing that Chrome or Edge is monitored on my dashboard.
If you are not on the Bark Premium subscription plan, then you will not be able to take advantage of the Bark for Chrome or Bark for Edge extensions.
If you are on Bark Premium, then check out the potential culprits below.
The Bark for Chrome extension needs a monitored email to finalize the connection. (Otherwise, it doesn't know whose computer it is we're monitoring!)
You can tell if you've connected your child's Gmail account for example, by looking at the email account(s) connected when you click Monitoring > Devices & Apps for a child:
For instructions on connecting an email account for monitoring, see here.
If your child's email is connected to Bark for monitoring already, make sure that your child’s monitored email account is signed into their Chrome and/or Edge browser of their computer.
Lastly, it can take 15 minutes to an hour after the first web browsing activity occurs for the Chrome or Edge connection to show up on the dashboard, so please allow some time for it to reflect on your dashboard!
How do I know the Bark for Chromebooks app is set up correctly?
If Bark is monitoring your child's saved photos and videos on their Chromebook, you should see a Chromebook connected under Monitoring > Devices & Apps with a green checkmark ✅.
In addition, if Bark is filtering your child's Chrome browsing according to your Screen Time rules, you should see a Chromebook connected under Screen Time > Devices with a green checkmark ✅.
My child's Chromebook has Accessibility disabled.
In order for the Bark for Chromebooks app to fully monitor your child's Chromebook, we will need to have the Accessibility setting enabled for Bark. Luckily, it's an easy fix. Click here for instructions!
My child's Chromebook is not being filtered properly.
If you've set up web filtering for the child's Chromebook, you may have noticed that the Chrome browser on Chromebook may be inconsistently filtered. In recent months, Chromebook introduced a new setting that can cause that behavior, but luckily it's an easy fix!
- On your child's Chromebook, open Chrome.
- Click the three-dot menu ⋮ on the top right > Settings.
- Select Privacy and security > Security.
- Under Advanced, find and turn off Secure DNS.
How do I know if my child's Chromebook supports the Bark for Chromebooks app?
If your child's Chromebook does not have the Google Play Store as an available option in the Chromebook Settings, then your child's Chromebook cannot support the Bark for Chromebooks app. Most Chromebooks developed after 2019 are able to support the Bark for Chromebooks app. If your child's Chromebook is older, check this list to see if it supports the app.
Will the Bark for Chromebooks app need to be open the whole time?
After setup, you can click the X to close out the Bark for Chromebooks app. Rest assured, the app will be running in the background to monitor your child's saved photos and videos.
I cannot install the Chrome extension. I get an error message saying, "This type of account cannot currently install extensions."
This is a limitation placed by Google on the account. It can be due to a couple of reasons:
-
Family Link is supervising the Google account that is signed into the Chromebook.
If you cannot install a Chrome extension on a Chromebook that is supervised by Family Link, it may be because you're on an older version of Chrome OS. Chrome OS 83+ supports Chrome extensions on Chromebooks supervised by Family Link. Learn how to check for updates to Chrome OS here. - OR a school or organization is supervising the Google account that is signed into the Chrome browser on the Windows, Mac, or Chromebook computer. If your school is supervising your child's Google account, then good news, they likely have a digital safety solution in place, which is why they're blocking the installation of Chrome extensions.
- OR the child's Google account is under 13. As of August 2021, Google seems to disable the Chrome Web Store (extensions store) for Google accounts under 13 years old, even if the parent allowed Chrome extensions in their Family Link settings. This is a bug we were able to replicate only for Google accounts under 13 (Google accounts over 13 can still install Chrome extensions). Please reach out to Google with feedback over this issue.
Am I able to use Family Link and Bark at the same time?
You can continue using Family Link and Bark. If you cannot install a Chrome extension on a Chromebook that is supervised by Family Link, it may be because you're on an older version of Chrome OS. Chrome OS 83+ supports Chrome extensions on Chromebooks supervised by Family Link. Learn how to check for updates to Chrome OS here.
NOTE: As of August 2021, Google seems to disable the Chrome Web Store (extensions store) for Google accounts under 13 years old, even if the parent allowed Chrome extensions in their Family Link settings. This is a bug we were able to replicate only for Google accounts under 13 (Google accounts over 13 can still install Chrome extensions). Please reach out to Google with feedback over this issue.
Do I need to install the Bark for Chromebooks app on each profile of a shared computer?
If the computer is a shared device that has different logins (e.g. Bob has a profile, Renee has a profile, etc) then you'll want to follow the same steps for each child's profile!
Do I need to install the extensions on each profile of a shared computer?
If the computer is a shared device that has different logins (e.g. Bob has a profile, Renee has a profile, etc) then you'll want to follow the same steps for each child's profile!
How do I disable Guest Mode, Incognito Mode, and/or Secure DNS?
Guest Mode is a feature on Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, and Chromebook that allows someone to browse the web without being signed in to an account. Because Bark's Chrome monitoring follows your child's account, disabling guest mode ensures Bark will be monitoring their Chrome web browsing.
While the Bark extensions work on incognito mode, you may wish to also disable Incognito Mode entirely, so we have instructions for that as well!
Each platform has different steps for disabling these settings so we've put together guides for Windows, Mac, and Chromebooks:
Chrome
- Disable Chrome Guest Mode on Chromebooks
- Disable Chrome Guest Mode, Incognito Mode, & Secure DNS on Mac
- Disable Chrome Guest Mode, Incognito Mode, & Secure DNS on Windows
Edge
- Disable Edge Guest Mode, Incognito Mode, & Secure DNS on Mac
- Disable Edge Guest Mode, Incognito Mode, & Secure DNS on Windows
Will I get alerts for worrisome web browsing and web searches?
If you've installed the Chrome or Edge extension on your child's computer, and Bark detects instances of bullying, sexual content, self-harm, or other worrisome content in your child's web browsing or searches, we will send you an alert.
If you've installed the Bark for Chromebooks app on your child's Chromebook as well, and Bark detects potential problems in your child's saved photos or videos, we will also send you an alert.
If you've set up the computer with in-home and/or on-the-go web filtering, you'll also get alerts for blocked sites that were categorized as Sexual Content.
Learn more about what makes Bark's content monitoring unique.
Will I get alerted if the extension is removed?
Yes! As of May 2021, we have introduced uninstall alerts for both extensions. If we detect either extension has been removed, we will alert you! Here's an example of what that alert may look like in your dashboard:
Need help or have additional questions?
We are happy to assist! Reach out to Bark Support, and we'll help every step of the way.
