YouTube Parental Controls: 4 Easy Ways to Put Parental Controls on YouTube App

YouTube parental controls are Google’s initiative to ensure an age-appropriate streaming experience for kids. It gives “helicopter parents” peace of mind while their little fellow is exploring the digital world of possibilities on the ultimate free video streaming platform. 

Though launched in 2015, ‘How to Put Parental Controls on YouTube?’ remains a mystery for many. 

So, join me as I take a dig into YouTube parental controls and discuss the four simple ways to enable parental controls on YouTube. 

Quick Answer!

YouTube offers a vast suite of parental controls that includes restricted mode and supervised accounts. You can enable parental controls on YouTube by: 

• YouTube Kids Settings
• Supervised Account
• Restricted Mode
• SaferLoop Parental Control App

What are YouTube Parental Controls, and How Do They Work?

YouTube parental controls are a comprehensive suite of tools to assist parents with managing their minors’ accounts and restricting inappropriate content. It allows the guardians to control what their kid should watch. 

Furthermore, parental supervision helps in creating a safer and more age-appropriate viewing experience for kids by filtering out harmful and explicit content. Here’s a quick overview of how parental controls on YouTube work!

• Monitors the minor’s activity to help the parent identify any concerning streaming behavior. 
• Supervised accounts to enable parents to watch activity and control content settings remotely. 
• Restricted mode filters the explicit and mature themes, which might not be appropriate for minors. 
• YouTube Kids settings for a more personalized and customized streaming experience. Here, the parents can set screen time limits, tweak content settings, and even block specific videos or channels.

4 Simple Ways to Enable Parental Controls on YouTube

You can set up parental controls on YouTube by enabling restricted mode, switching to a supervised account, installing YouTube Kids, or using third-party parental software such as SaferLoop parental control app . 

In the subsequent sections, I’ve comprehensively laid out all four methods to help you precisely filter content on your little one’s account. 

1. Install YouTube Kids

The YouTube Kids app is specifically designed for children 12 years old or under. Here’s how to put parental control on YouTube Android by setting up the YouTube Kids account. 

• Download the YouTube Kids app and tap on Get Started.

• Hit the “I’m a Parent” option.

• Solve the mathematical problem to continue. 

• Choose the content experience for the child.

• Press Select.

• Click on Done.

• Lastly, hit I Agree to the terms and conditions. 

2. Opt for a Supervised Account

You can set up a supervised account if your kid is 13 years or older. For that, you’ll also need to create your kid’s Google account and manage its controls via Google Family Link. 

The following steps will guide you on how to put parental controls on YouTube with a supervised account!

• Firstly, create a Google account for your child by navigating to accounts.google.com/signup. 

• Now, Google will ask you for whom you’re creating the account, select ‘For my child’ in this field. 

• Tap on the Yes, Continue option. 

• Enter first name, last name, and hit Next.

• Enter DOB and click Next. 

• Select the Gmail ID and press Next.

• Now, complete the phone number verification. 

• Proceed with the Parent sign-in and hit Next.

• Check the Terms and Conditions and press I agree.

• Tap Next.

• Open YouTube on your kid’s account and hit Get Started.

• Select Parents Supervised and hit Next.

• Choose a content setting.

• Tap Next and click on Finish Setup in the next tab. 

3. Enable Restricted Mode

To enable restricted mode on YouTube: 

• Launch YouTube on your respective device and tap go to your profile.

• Select Settings.

• Tap on the General option.

• Turn on the Restricted Mode.

4. SaferLoop Parental Control App

SaferLoop is one of the leading parental control applications known for its top-notch cybersecurity and parental control features. This supervision software will not only help you restrict explicit content on YouTube, but it will also provide more smart security.

Here is why Saferloop is a smart parental control app for your kids:

• Precisely filter the web for mature themes.
• Track the whereabouts of your little fellow.
• Create safe zones for your child with geofencing.
• Block harmful apps and messages from unknown people.
• Keep an eye on digital activity.
• Immediately notify you in case of a security breach or unusual activity.

Follow the steps given below to learn how to put parental controls on YouTube with SaferLoop:

• Navigate to SaferLoop and Log into your account. 

  

• Select Apps from the given menu. 

  

• Hit the Block option besides YouTube.

Also Read: What is Parental Advisory? Detent an Explicit Content So It Doesn’t Harm Kids 

Bonus Tip: How to Enable Restricted Mode on YouTube Without an Account?

Enabling YouTube parental controls without an account is not entirely possible, as you need an account for robust control. However, you can enable the restricted mode without creating an account for basic supervision. 

The steps below will educate you about how to put parental controls on YouTube without an account!

• Navigate to YouTube.com and click on the three dots beside your profile icon. 

  

• Hit the Restricted Mode: Off option. 

• Activate Restricted Mode button.

Potential Risks of YouTube for Kids That You Must Look Out For

YouTube is one of the leading video streaming platforms, with a fan base of 2.74 billion users each month. However, it is not an entirely safe platform, and you cannot blindly trust it with your teen’s safety. Here are a few potential risks that you must keep an eye out for!

• Privacy Concerns: YouTube Terms of Service clearly mention collecting user data, which includes their streaming behavior and content consumption. It can threaten children’s privacy, as the collected data might be provided to brands.

• Explicit Content: Parental controls on YouTube offer impressive content filtration to eliminate offensive and inappropriate content. But those filters are not fully effective and can sometimes fail to eliminate the violence and adult-themed videos even on YouTube Kids. 

• Ads and Commercials: The advertisements, commercials, and other sponsored content on YouTube can expose minors to misleading content and can inculcate unhealthy behaviors and body insecurity among them. 

• Comments Interactions: Your little fellow might be exposed to trolling, abusive language, and negative interactions through comments and community features on YouTube. 

Must-Know Things About YouTube Parental Controls 

The YouTube parental controls are quite helpful, but here are a few things that you must know to keep your children safe!

• The YouTube Kids app is specifically designed for younger viewers and automatically eliminates age-inappropriate content with strict screen time limits. But, it still needs supervision to shield your little fellow from predators online or brain-rotting content like CocoMelon, which can compromise their cognitive development.

• Restricted mode on YouTube is an optional setting that flags age-inappropriate content. However, it is not a 100% effective method for blocking explicit themes.

• The supervised Google account is for teens and gives the parents a bit of control over the type of content their minors can consume based on their maturity level. 

• You can subscribe to the YouTube Premium Family Plan to share the same features with your children. This will enable you to manage multiple accounts with one subscription only. 

• The parental controls on YouTube do have some loopholes, so for a foolproof cybersafety solution, you can go for third-party Android parental control software. 

Are YouTube Parental Controls Effective for Kids?—The Final Verdict

YouTube parental controls provide safety against some accidental exposure to explicit content for children, but they’re not entirely flawless. The tech-savvy kids of today’s generation can easily bypass the YouTube parental control restrictions or may even create new YouTube accounts.

Hence, as an effective measure, I recommend you to install the SaferLoop parental control app. It will keep an eye on your teen’s online activities and immediately alert you in case of any unusual activity or security breach. 

So get smart parental controls because parenting today isn’t about controlling kids but about guiding them!

Frequently Asked Questions