Last verified: April 2026. Platform settings may change — visit this page for the latest version.
YouTube Kids: up to 12 | Supervised YouTube: 13+
YouTube Kids vs. supervised YouTube
For children under 13, YouTube Kids provides a controlled environment with curated, filtered content. For teens, supervised accounts on regular YouTube let you apply content restrictions without the child-oriented YouTube Kids experience.
Setting up YouTube Kids
- Download YouTube Kids on your child's device.
- Sign in with YOUR Google account (the parent's account).
- Select the age profile: Preschool (up to 4), Younger (5–8), or Older (9–12).
- Turn on Restricted Mode in settings.
- Turn off Autoplay to prevent automatic video playback.
- Set a timer to limit how long your child can watch.
Setting up supervised YouTube (13+)
- From Family Link, go to Controls > YouTube.
- Select the content level: Explore, Explore More, or Most of YouTube.
- Set up Bedtime reminders and Take a Break reminders.
- Set a Shorts time limit (you can set it to zero to disable Shorts entirely).
- Turn off search history if you prefer.
What's new in 2025–2026
Parents can now set the daily Shorts feed limit to zero from Family Link — an industry-first feature that completely disables the Shorts feed. Customizable Bedtime and Take a Break reminders were added for supervised teen accounts. Parents can block specific channels directly from their linked account. Watch and search history can be cleared remotely across all linked devices.
Settings checklist
Important: Restricted Mode is not perfect. Some inappropriate videos may slip through the filters. Check your child's watch history regularly.
YouTube Kids setup guide →