How to Put Parental Controls on YouTube to Keep Your Kids Safe

You can set up parental control on YouTube through Restricted mode, supervised experiences, or YouTube Kids, and it isn’t as hard as you think. The internet can be a weird and unsafe place for kids, but setting up privacy controls can reduce the likelihood of your kid finding something that may be inappropriate.

If you’re looking for extra support, a parental control app can offer broader protection, not just from inappropriate YouTube content but also from other content across the web.

If you’re looking for tips on protecting your child on YouTube, we have them below.

What are the YouTube parental controls?

YouTube offers 3 parental control options to protect your child: Restricted mode, supervised experiences, and YouTube Kids. These allow parents to give their children access to approved content and protect them from everything else. By setting up YouTube’s parental controls, you can set applicable age restrictions and manage settings as your child ages.

One of the most unique features of YouTube parental controls is the limitation of potentially mature content. Users 17 and younger will have limitations on certain content, like social aggression and intimidation, that may be damaging for kids. It can also restrict certain YouTube features, such as live streams, that may not be age-appropriate.

Predatory content on YouTube can expose your child to many online threats. The following YouTube parental control options may help prevent cyberbullying, inappropriate content, malware, and data theft.

Restricted mode

Restricted mode allows you to filter out the most extreme content without much configuration. It’s often set by an administrator in offices, schools, and libraries.

Most of what is filtered out with Restricted mode is content considered Not Safe For Work (NSFW), but unfortunately, you don’t have much control over what’s blocked. While strong sexual themes and violence are hidden, your child may still be able to access channels you don’t deem appropriate.

However, it’s a good option for older children. It’s also a good idea to turn on Restricted mode if you’re watching videos with your child on your YouTube account and want to prevent inappropriate suggested videos.

On a browser

If you’re accessing YouTube on any web browser, here’s how to set up Restricted mode:

1. Navigate to YouTube and sign in.
2. Click your profile picture in the top right corner.
3. Scroll down to find Restricted mode and turn it on.

On a mobile device

These instructions are the same whether you’re on Apple or Android phones:

1. Open your YouTube app and sign in.
2. Click on your profile picture.
3. Go to Settings > General.
4. Toggle the Restricted mode off or on.

On a smart TV

1. Sign in on your YouTube app.
2. Select Settings.
3. Toggle Restricted Mode or Safety Mode on or off.

Supervised experience

If you want more customizable control over what your kid accesses, then setting up a YouTube supervised experience will allow you to choose from 3 content categories:

• Explore: Allows educational content, non-graphic cartoon violence, and mild displays of affection. Marked for children 9+.
• Explore more: Allows access to non-explicit romantic content, some age-appropriate violence, and stronger language. For teenagers 13+.
• Most of YouTube: Also for 13+, and grants access to most of YouTube except content marked 18+.

There are multiple ways to create a supervised experience for your child, and you can enable it on all of your household devices. It should be noted that before you set up any supervised account for your child, you’ll need to set up a Google Family Link with an account specifically for them.

On the child’s device

1. Sign in to the YouTube app or the YouTube Music app.
2. Use your child’s Google Account that’s linked to yours.
3. Select "Get Started" and follow the next steps.

On the parent’s device

1. ​Sign in to the parent account connected with your child’s Google account on the YouTube app or YouTube Music app.
2. Click on your profile picture.
3. Go to Settings > Parent Settings.
4. Select your child and follow the next steps.

Through the family group

1. Go to families.youtube.com.
2. Sign in to your Google account that’s connected to your child’s account.
3. Select a child from your family group and follow the next steps.

Using Family Link

1. Sign in to your Family Link app.
2. Select your child.
3. Select Controls > Content restrictions > YouTube > YouTube & YouTube Music.
4. Follow the on-screen instructions.

What can I change in YouTube’s supervised experiences?

On top of the content categories listed above, setting up a YouTube supervised experience will also allow you to customize the following content settings:

• Block content: If there is a channel you know your child shouldn’t be watching, you can choose to block it entirely.
• Review watch history: If you want to make sure your child hasn’t found something inappropriate to watch, you can review their watched videos.
• Clear history: You can erase the watch history on your child’s profile.
• Disable autoplay: YouTube’s autoplay can lead to drastically different videos than you search for. To prevent this for your child, you can turn it off completely.
• Pause watch history: You can pause the watch history to prevent videos on YouTube from being used to inform the algorithm on what your child wants to watch.
• Pause search history: Similarly, you can hide your search terms from the YouTube algorithm so it doesn’t recommend videos based on what you searched.

  YouTube Kids

  YouTube Kids is a separate app from YouTube or YouTube Music and was designed with children’s safety in mind. While the supervised experiences content is generally more for tweens aged 9 and up, the YouTube Kids app has content appropriate for children as young as 4.

  The app allows you to create different profiles for each child, set content by age, and even choose screen time limits. You’ll also be able to block certain videos on YouTube and share content directly with them.

  To keep up with what your kids watch, you can review their watch history to check for inappropriate videos. Then, in response to your child’s experience, you can tweak the YouTube Kids account settings.

  Filters are set up, and real humans review what's allowed on the platform. YouTube Kids encourages parent feedback and flagging to keep the community safe.

  How to use YouTube Kids

  First, you’ll need to verify your adult account with your birthday to show you’re over 18. Then, you’ll need to download the YouTube Kids app or visit YouTubeKids. Once you sign in, you’ll have full access to the platform.

  You don’t have to sign in to YouTube Kids, but you’ll get access to parental controls and other features if you do. For anyone who doesn’t want their personal information on Google, not signing in may work for you.

  With sign in

  1. Sign in with your Google account.
  2. Read the YouTube Kids’ parental consent info and enter your password.
  3. Set up a profile for your child.
  4. Select a content experience for your child.
  5. Select the child's profile using the app to get started.

  Without sign in

  1. Enter your birth year to verify that you’re an adult and watch the introduction video. 
  2. Skip sign-in and agree to the parental consent info. 
  3. Choose the content experience that is right for you.
  4. Turn the search on or off.
  5. Complete the parent's tour and your child can now use YouTube Kids.

  How to block a channel on YouTube Kids

  You may want to let your child explore science experiments on YouTube Kids or learn a new dance. However, that doesn’t mean you want them to view all the content on the app, even if it’s considered age-appropriate.

  Thankfully, YouTube Kids can block specific channels and fully customize what YouTube videos your child can access.

  Make sure you’re signed into your parent account linked to the child’s account. Then you can block specific channels on YouTube Kids by taking the following steps:

  On your computer:

  1. Go to the channel page for the YouTube channel you want to block.
  2. Go to the About tab on the channel page.
  3. Click Report user.
  4. Select "Block channel for kids".
  5. Select "Block" next to the child's account.

  On the YouTube app:

  1. Go to the channel page for the YouTube channel you want to block.
  2. Tap More.
  3. Select "Block channel for kids."
  4. Select "Block" next to the child's account.

  Can I use Google’s parental controls on YouTube?

  Yes, you can manage YouTube through Google’s parental controls via the Family Link option mentioned above. You also have the option to enter Restricted mode, as mentioned above, but that’s a general filter that might not catch everything you want.

  Google SafeSearch can help filter or blur images, but you won’t have as robust settings as you’d get with YouTube Kids or Supervised experiences. Still, it will offer another layer of protection to keep your child safe.

  How to turn on Google SafeSearch

  1. Open the Google homepage.
  2. Click Settings > Search.
  3. Under SafeSearch filters, turn on SafeSearch.
  4. Scroll down to the bottom of the page and save changes.

  How a parental control app can help

  There’s a lot involved in using parental controls for YouTube, and that’s just one app. Parental control services can help streamline that and give you more detailed reports on your child’s activity. Services like Bark, Aura, and Norton Family allow the following:

  • Access different profiles from a main dashboard. This is useful if you have multiple children, especially if you want to see all their analytics in one place. It will also allow you to set individual settings for each child quickly.
  • Monitor texts, emails, and other apps. Messaging services are one of the biggest dangers to children online, but YouTube doesn’t prevent kids from contacting others off the platform or joining a content creator’s Discord server.
  • Set time limits. Parental control apps allow you to set time limits per app or even per device. This will ensure that children get time away from their phones or other devices.
  • Identify threats. Some parental control apps can identify possible dangers to your child based on their messages. These threats can include predators contacting your child but can also pick up on talk of self-harm.
  • Location services. A good parental control app can track your child’s location so you know where they are at all times.

  These services are significantly more advanced than simple online protections. If you talk to your children in advance and discuss the need for these services, we think you can come to a healthy arrangement together.

  Best parental control apps for YouTube

  Parental Controls
  Best for	Best overall	Best bundled identity protection	Best for bundled antivirus protection
  Price	Plan costs $14.00/mo	Starts at $8.25/mo (billed annually)	Plans costs $49.99/yr
  Learn more	Get Bark Premium	Get Aura Parental Controls	Get Norton Family

  FAQs

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  How do I restrict age on YouTube?

  You can restrict age on YouTube through the YouTube Kids app or by setting up a supervised experience for your child. Otherwise, you can use a parental control app to set age limits for content across the internet.

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  Do I need to set up a YouTube channel for my child?

  Children from 13 to 17 can open their own channels with parental permission. Technically, if your child is under 13, YouTube doesn’t approve of them having their own channel. If your kids want to try their hand at broadcasting themselves, you can set up a channel that you can monitor by taking the following steps:

  1. Create a Gmail account for your child under 13 years old.
  2. Sign in to YouTube with the child’s credentials.
  3. Click "Select My Channel" on the left sidebar of the YouTube homepage.
  4. Do not use your child’s full name as it will be displayed.
  5. Turn off comments to protect your kid from people’s harsh or unkind commentary.

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  Can I restrict YouTube to certain channels?

  Through YouTube Kids you can block certain channels from your child’s account. This means you can restrict them to only watching the content you feel is appropriate.

  If you want to restrict the regular YouTube app, you may find it much more difficult. You can hide individual channels, but you’ll want to use the YouTube Kids app for broader controls.

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  Is YouTube safe for under 13-year-olds?

  YouTube Kids and supervised experience accounts can make YouTube a safer place for under-13-year-olds. YouTube does issue a warning that, while it has filters and real humans checking, it can’t 100% guarantee security. It still relies on parent feedback to help make the platform safer for children.

  Bottom line

  YouTube is a free-for-all that isn’t always the best place for your children. At the same time, there’s so much knowledge on the platform that it could be considered the modern-day Library of Alexandria. With parental controls, you can find the balance between those two so your child can enjoy YouTube videos and stay safe.

  It’s easy to set up restrictions so your child can safely browse the internet, but you’ll get a lot more out of parental control software. These dedicated protection apps extend beyond YouTube to make the internet a safer place.