YouTube Kids: A Safe and Fun App for Children

YouTube Kids: A Safe and Fun App for Children

YouTube is one of the most popular platforms for watching videos online, but not all of its content is suitable for young audiences. That’s why YouTube created YouTube Kids, a separate app that offers a more contained environment filled with family-friendly videos on all different topics, igniting your kids’ inner creativity and playfulness. YouTube Kids also gives parents and caregivers more control over what their kids can watch and how they can interact with the app.

In this blog post, we will explain what YouTube Kids is, how to set it up, and how to use the parental controls and settings to customize your child’s experience.

What is YouTube Kids?

YouTube Kids is an app that was created especially for children. It features videos from various categories, such as music, learning, arts and crafts, animals, sports, gaming, and more. The app also has a kid-friendly design that makes it easy to navigate and explore.

YouTube Kids uses a mix of automated filters, human review, and user feedback to select the videos that are shown on the app. However, no system is perfect, and some inappropriate videos may still slip through. That’s why YouTube Kids also allows parents and caregivers to block or report any videos that they find unsuitable for their kids.

YouTube Kids is available for free on Android and iOS devices. You can download it from the Google Play Store⁶ or the App Store. You can also access YouTube Kids on the web at www.youtubekids.com.

How to set up YouTube Kids?

To use YouTube Kids, you need to sign in with a Google account that is linked to your child’s profile or supervised account. A supervised account is a Google Account for your child where you can grant them access to YouTube Kids and/or a supervised YouTube experience on YouTube. A supervised YouTube experience lets you choose from three content settings (Explore, Explore More, or Most of YouTube) based on your child’s age and interests.

If you don’t want to create a supervised account for your child, you can create a YouTube Kids profile instead. A YouTube Kids profile lets your child use YouTube Kids on their own devices with the content level setting that you choose (Preschool, Younger, Older, or Approved Content Only).

To set up YouTube Kids, follow these steps:

• Download the YouTube Kids app or visit www.youtubekids.com on your browser.
• Sign in with your Google account.
• Choose whether you want to create a supervised account or a YouTube Kids profile for your child.
• Follow the instructions on the screen to select your child’s name, age, content level setting, and other preferences.
• Review the privacy notice and terms of service.
• Tap Done to start using YouTube Kids.

How to use the parental controls and settings?

YouTube Kids offers several parental controls and settings that let you adjust your child’s experience on the app. You can view and change these controls and settings at any time using YouTube Kids, YouTube, or Family Link.

Family Link is an app that lets you create and manage Google Accounts for your kids under 13 (or the applicable age in your country). You can also use Family Link to set screen time limits, view activity reports, remotely lock devices, and more.

Some of the parental controls and settings that you can use on YouTube Kids are:

• Block or share content: You can block any videos or channels that you don’t want your child to watch by tapping the three dots icon next to them and selecting Block. You can also share any videos or channels that you like with your child by tapping the Share icon and choosing Add to approved content.
• Change your child’s content level setting: You can change the content level setting for your child’s supervised account or YouTube Kids profile at any time. The content level setting determines what types of videos are shown on the app based on your child’s age and interests. You can choose from Preschool (ages 4 and under), Younger (ages 5-7), Older (ages 8-12), Explore (ages 9+), Explore More (ages 13+), or Most of YouTube (ages 13+). To change the content level setting, go to Parent Settings in your linked parent account’s YouTube settings or Family Link app.
• Turn off the Search feature: You can turn off the Search feature for your child’s YouTube Kids profile if you want to limit their access to only the videos that are shown on the home screen. To turn off the Search feature, go to Parent Settings in your linked parent account’s YouTube settings or Family Link app.
• Review your child’s watch history: You can review what videos your child has watched on YouTube Kids by going to their device and tapping the lock icon at the bottom right corner of the app. Then enter your passcode or answer the math question and tap Watch it again.
• Clear your child’s history: You can clear your child’s watch and search history on YouTube Kids by going to Parent Settings in your linked parent account’s YouTube settings or Family Link app. Then tap Clear history under your child’s name.
• Disable autoplay: You can disable the autoplay feature that automatically plays the next video after the current one ends. To disable autoplay, go to Parent Settings in your linked parent account’s YouTube settings or Family Link app. Then tap Autoplay under your child’s name and toggle it off.
• Pause your child’s watch and search history: You can pause your child’s watch and search history on YouTube Kids by going to Parent Settings in your linked parent account’s YouTube settings or Family Link app. Then tap Pause watch history or Pause search history under your child’s name and toggle them on.
• Turn on YouTube Premium benefits: You can turn on YouTube Premium benefits for your child’s supervised account or YouTube Kids profile if you have a YouTube Premium subscription. YouTube Premium lets you enjoy ad-free videos, offline downloads, background play, and more. To turn on YouTube Premium benefits, go to Parent Settings in your linked parent account’s YouTube settings or Family Link app. Then tap YouTube Premium under your child’s name and toggle it on.

Conclusion

YouTube Kids is a great app for children who love watching videos online. It provides a safe and fun environment that caters to their interests and curiosity. It also gives parents and caregivers more options and tools to guide their kids’ journey as they discover new and exciting things along the way.

We hope this blog post has helped you understand what YouTube Kids is, how to set it up, and how to use the parental controls and settings to customize your child’s experience. If you have any questions or feedback, please let us know in the comments below. Thank you for reading!