My daughter is a serial procrastinator and the lure of youtube and buzz feed on her laptop is too much and she gets easily distracted and wastes hours. There are various chrome extensions that can block in normal mode but can easily be fooled by going incognito. The widely published way of disabling incognito via the registry doesn’t seem to work. Chrome on windows 10.
Are there any solutions to enable me to allow restricted access and track her history so she feels we can track what she is doing. She is fully aware and wants help. Solutions gratefully received! Happy to install an obscure browser etc.

Parental controls on the router ?

modify her hosts file. Don’t tell her what you’ve done exactly or she’ll find out how to put it back…

I’ll tell you in a bit.

https://www.opendns.com/

Kids get distracted or “glued” by internet very easily.

My niece and nephew were “glued” to internet during almost all of their waking hour when they were teens.

😆 at Drac.

What registry key are you changing?

https://www.chromium.org/administrators/policy-list-3#IncognitoModeAvailability

What router controls do you have. I can block specific mac addresses accessing specific sites. Worth a look.

@torso yep those are the ones I have been trying
If I cant get that to work might have to use the router and block that way.

@Jam modifying hostsfile looks like a good one, will try that

Used this many years ago with our (then) small boy
It’s easily customisable

Maybe you are treating symptoms and not causes?

A bizarre technological arms race of blocking things/finding ways around it… is it really the way to go about it?

We use microsoft family (free), but you then need to use edge browser or i.e. (I still use chrome on my acct but is disabled on the kids accts).

Gives you loads of controls including:
– Blocking inPrivate browsing (same as incognito)
– Limit screen time (child can request extension which sends the adult an email)
– Limit time of day that device can be used
– Web search history
– Web site history
– Block inappropriate sites
– Block adult content
– Safesearch
– Allow list & block list

Works well for us!

Engage with said daughter, take up a hobby together, buy a potters wheel. Trying to block her without an alternative fix is a fools errand.

Make her do her homework in the kitchen instead of in her bedroom. No phone until she’s finished, and you check it. Maybe allow her to stream Spotify over a BT speaker while she’s doing her work, but no touching the phone.

How old is your daughter?

Have she been assessed for any disorders in relation to this? Sounds like someone I know TBH.

Who’s your provider?
We’re with plusnet and I think you can block individual websites via logging in to your account online.
Only issue is that it then blocks it for everyone connected to that wifi.

Edit: Confirmed that you can block sites individually rather than just by category.

Extra edit: If you block youtube/buzzfeed she’ll just find alternatives. Maybe blocking category would be better?

Open DNS is probably best or as some else said Microsoft Family, but she’ll be stuck with Edge or IE.

2 routers in my house, one bridged to the other

Adults get the 24hr access, kids are on a timed network

Not perfect but helped when mine were becoming overenthusiastic

Thanks for all the advice! Interesting challenge to help out my 16 year old who actively wanted me to help her.
The easiest solution was actually to use a chrome extension blocksite that can be enable to work in incognito and protect with password. It also has a premium version which protect against uninstalling. Not tried that.

Wonder if missy has downloaded Firefox yet?