Account & billing
Troubleshooting common problems
In short
Most issues fall into four groups: a specific video will not play (usually embedding restrictions), content is missing (usually the content filter), a PIN is locked (reset it), or a time limit is behaving unexpectedly (usually extra time or a viewing window).
A video will not play
Almost always one of these four, in rough order of likelihood.
- The creator disabled embedding
- Some creators switch off playback on other sites. Those videos can only be watched on YouTube itself, and no third-party player can override that. There is no workaround — this is the creator’s setting.
- The video is age-restricted
- Age-restricted videos cannot be embedded anywhere. This is a YouTube platform rule and applies to every embedded player, not just ours.
- The video was removed or made private
- If the creator deleted it or switched it to private, it stops playing everywhere. Remove it from the library.
- It is region-blocked
- Some videos are unavailable in some countries. If it plays for you but not for a relative abroad, this is usually why.
Something is missing from the library
- The content filter held it
- Check the review queue in the dashboard. Anything held is listed there with the pattern that triggered it, and you can override the decision.
- A large addition is still processing
- Adding a big channel or a long playlist runs in the background and fills in progressively. Give it a few minutes and refresh.
- Video release pacing is limiting what is visible
- If you set a cap on active videos, only part of the library is available at a time by design. Raise the cap or turn rotation off to show everything.
- It was added to a different profile
- Libraries are per child. Adding something while the wrong profile was selected is a common and easily fixed mistake — check the other profiles.
PIN and profile problems
- A profile is locked after failed attempts
- The lock clears on its own after a cooling-off period. You do not have to wait — resetting the PIN from the dashboard clears it immediately.
- Nobody remembers the PIN
- PINs are stored hashed and cannot be displayed. Reset it from the dashboard; the new one works immediately, including on any device that is currently open.
- The PIN prompt appears when you did not expect it
- Requiring the PIN is a per-profile toggle. Turn it off for that profile if you would rather the profile picker went straight in.
Time limits behaving unexpectedly
- Your child has more time than you expect
- Check whether extra time was granted for today. Extensions apply to that day only, but a forgotten one explains a longer session than the cap implies.
- Playback is unavailable at a normal time
- Check the viewing windows for that profile. A window set for weekdays applies at weekends too unless you set weekend days separately.
- A break arrives sooner than expected
- Intermission breaks are on by default at 5 minutes every 30. Both numbers are adjustable per profile, and breaks can be turned off entirely.
- Time is being used up on another device
- The daily allowance is per child, not per device. Time spent on a tablet and on a laptop draw from the same budget — that is intentional, but it surprises people the first time.
Common questions
Why do some videos refuse to play in Watchly but work on YouTube?
Because the creator disabled embedding on other sites, or the video is age-restricted. Both are YouTube-side settings that apply to every embedded player, and no third-party app can override them.
I added a channel but only some of its videos appeared.
Either the addition is still processing in the background, or the content filter held some of them. Check the review queue in the dashboard — anything held is listed there with the reason.
My child says their time ran out but they only watched a little.
The daily allowance is per child rather than per device, so time on another device counts toward the same total. Check the watch history, which shows what was played, when, and on how many separate sessions.
The screen is blank when my child opens Watchly.
Usually a very old browser or a network filter blocking video. Try a current version of Chrome or Safari. On a school-managed device, the district’s web filter may be blocking the site or the video host, which is outside what we can change.
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