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How to Allow an App or Site

Updated
Paola

This article will show you the step-by-step process on how to allow an app or site on your child's device.

Before we get started, make sure that you've set up mobile or in-home screen time & filtering on your kid's devices.


child_profile_avatar.png Child profiles

These are the kids you've added to Bark. They have a Screen Time tile under their name in your parent app / dashboard.

Allow apps and sites 

  1. From your parent app / dashboard, click on the Screen Time tile.
  2. Tap Settings under the active routine. 
  3. Tap Apps & websites.
  4. Use the search bar to find the app or site:
    sites and apps - search bar.png
  5. Allow it, if applicable.
  6. Wait a few minutes for changes to take effect.

Add URL exceptions

If you don't see a toggle for a particular app or site, it's likely covered by a category like Social Media or Games.

  1. Search the website at the top (e.g. "discord.gg") and Bark will show its category.
  2. If that URL is not categorized in our system, you will see the option to add it as an exception:
    sites_and_apps_-_exceptions.png
  3. You also have the option to set how Bark handles future uncategorized sites with the Unknown Sites & Apps category.
  4. Wait a few minutes for changes to take effect.

Allow recently blocked activity

Review the text instructions below to allow an app or site that is reflecting as blocked in the Insights of child profiles.

  1. From your dashboard, click on the Insights tile.
  2. Scroll down to Recently blocked.
    insights - recently blocked discord cropped.png
  3. Click on the activity to see why it was blocked.
    insights - recently blocked discord info access.png
  4. If applicable, tap on Allow.
  5. If asked whether you want to allow the whole app (e.g. Discord) or just allow the domain (e.g. discord.com), we suggest selecting the whole app.
    insights - allow recently blocked - app or domain.png
  6. Wait a few minutes for changes to take effect.

home_profile_avatar.png Home profiles

Home profiles are found under the Bark Home on your parent app / dashboard with a 👋 or 🏠:

Allow apps and sites

  1. From your parent app / dashboard, tap Bark Home at the top.
  2. Tap on the home profile (e.g. Shared, Guest).
  3. Tap Rules at the top.
  4. Tap Settings under the active routine. 
  5. Tap Apps & websites.
  6. Use the search bar to find the app or site:
    sites and apps - search bar.png
  7. Allow it, if applicable.
  8. Wait a few minutes for changes to take effect.

Add URL exceptions

If you don't see a toggle for a particular app or site, it's likely covered by a category like Social Media or Games.

  1. Search the website at the top (e.g. "discord.gg") and Bark will show its category.
  2. If that URL is not categorized in our system, you will see the option to add it as an exception:
    sites_and_apps_-_exceptions.png
  3. You also have the option to set how Bark handles future uncategorized sites with the Unknown Sites & Apps category.
  4. Wait a few minutes for changes to take effect.

Allow recently blocked activity

Review the text instructions below to allow an app or site that is reflecting as blocked in the Exceptions section of home profiles.

  1. From your parent app / dashboard, tap Bark Home at the top.
  2. Tap on the home profile (e.g. Shared, Guest).
  3. Tap Rules at the top.
  4. Tap Settings under the active routine. 
  5. Tap Exceptions.
  6. Scroll down to choose from recently-blocked activity:
  7. Tap More Info to see why that activity was blocked.
  8. If applicable, tap Allow. Consider allowing the whole category as well in their App & Site rules.

Need more help?

Check out our screen time troubleshooting guide. If still no luck, don't hesitate to reach out to us!

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