Explained: What is YouTube Kids?
YouTube Kids is an app specifically designed for kids, makes it easier for children and parents to find content they are interested in. The child-friendly video sharing app is free to download for Android and iOS.
What’s the difference between YouTube and the YouTube Kids app?
The app will feature popular local children’s brands like Morph, Teletubbies, Wallace & Gromit, and The Magic Roundabout. While YouTube haven’t indicated a specific age range for the app, it does appear to be suitable mainly for children aged 3-8 years old.
Parents should be aware the app does feature advertisements. The video sharing app has insisted that the advertisements selected for the site go through a review process to ensure they are age appropriate.
However, if you or your child come across any inappropriate content you can flag it in the same was you would on the original YouTube app. For more info on flagging videos go to: google.com/youtubekids
Getting Started
Parental setup is required to ensure the best experience possible for your child. The app doesn’t require a sign-in or Google account. Once the app is downloaded, YouTube will ask parents/adults to insert a code to ensure you are an adult, it will then check what settings you would like to use.
These settings include restricting your child’s experience by turning search off. This means your child can’t search for content, which reduces the chances that they will encounter a video you don’t want them to watch.
Another option offered for parents is the timer function. Parents can limit screen time by telling kids when it’s time to stop watching. The timer will display a friendly alert and stop the app when the session is over. For more info on the timer function go to: support.google.com/youtubekids/
These settings can be easily updated once the app is live. Parents simply tap the lock icon on the app screen.
Once set-up, users can view videos via four categories on the homepage (Shows, Music, Learning and Explore). When the account has been active for a certain period of time users will also be given recommendations on what to watch based on previously viewed content.
There is also a search option similar to YouTube, however if users insert any inappropriate terms the app will simply suggest they try searching for something else.
For more info go to the YouTube Kids parental centre: google.com/youtubekids/
Updated New features: Collections, Parent Approve Mode, Search Off Corpus
YouTube Kids has made a series of improvements, making it a safer experience for young children. Parents can now choose collections of programmes created by YouTube Kids and trusted third party partners. YouTube Kids has also made improvements to the ‘search-off’ feature in order to offer a more contained experience. YouTube Kids are also working on a parent-approved content option that will allow parents to select every channel and video available in the app later in the year. You can read more about it in this blog post.
Parental Sign-In in EU
YouTube Kids will also be shortly launching a sign in feature for parents on the YouTube Kids app. Signing in will enable parents to customize content their kids can see in the app and set this across all devices. If a parent blocks a video, that specific video will no longer be shown/viewable the YouTube Kids app when signed in. If a user is signed in when they report a video, that video will also be blocked from the YouTube Kids app when signed in.
Additionally, parents will also soon have the ability to set up a customized user interface for each child in their family. The app will allow signed in parents to create a separate experience for each child in their household. Each can have a separate set of viewing preferences and recommendations, allowing multiple children to get the most out of the YouTube Kids app. This is especially handy on a shared device that more than one child uses. Please take a look at the YouTube Kids parent guide for more information.
YouTube Family Link allows you to control settings on YouTube Kids including the content level setting you want for your child, and if you want your child to use the search function. Find out more here:
In 2021 YouTube will introduce Supervised Experiences on YouTube. This feature is for parents who want to allow their child to transition from YouTube Kids to supervised access to the main YouTube platform. Via a Supervised Google Account the feature will offer parents the ability to choose from 3 different content settings on YouTube.
Explore: For children ready to move on from YouTube Kids and explore content on YouTube, this setting will feature a broad range of videos generally suitable for viewers ages 9+, including vlogs, tutorials, gaming videos, music clips, news, educational content and more.
Explore More: With content generally suitable for viewers ages 13+, this setting will include an even larger set of videos, and also live streams in the same categories as “Explore.”
Most of YouTube: This setting will contain almost all videos on YouTube, except for age-restricted content, and it includes sensitive topics that may only be appropriate for older teens.
Find out more about Supervised experiences on YouTube.
