When you use Family Link to manage a Google Account for your child, you can set up parental controls on:
- YouTube Kids: If available in your location. Learn where YouTube Kids is available.
- YouTube: With a supervised experience. Learn where supervised experiences on YouTube are available.
What you need
Option 1: YouTube Kids
How YouTube Kids works
The YouTube Kids app includes popular children's videos and new content, delivered in a way that’s safe and easy to use for children.
If you let your child download the YouTube Kids app, you must set up the app for your child before they can use it.
Through Family Link, you can:- Choose a content level setting
- Choose to let your child use the search function in the app
- Unblock videos
Change YouTube Kids settings
Important: Before you’re able to update settings, you must grant your child access to YouTube Kids.
With the Family Link app
- On your device, open the Family Link app
.
- Select your child.
- Tap Manage settings
YouTube
- Under “YouTube Kids Settings,” you can:
- Update content level settings.
- Turn “Search” on or off.
- Remove access to the YouTube Kids App.
With the YouTube app
- On your device, open the YouTube app
.
- In the top right, tap your profile picture or initial.
- Tap Settings
Parent settings.
- Select your child.
- Under “YouTube Kids Settings” you can:
- Update content level settings.
- Turn “Search” on or off.
- Remove access to the YouTube Kids App.
Option 2: YouTube supervised experience
Important: If your child is over 13 years old (or the applicable age in your country) and chooses to manage their own account, you won't be able to supervise their experience on YouTube with these controls. If you add supervision to their account, you can use Restricted Mode to filter out potentially mature content.
How YouTube supervised experiences work
Supervised experiences on YouTube let your child transition from YouTube Kids to YouTube with parental controls. With a supervised account, you can choose how much access to give your child on YouTube, filter out unwanted content, and manage your child’s screen time.
Through Family Link, you can:
- Choose between 3 YouTube content level settings: Explore, Explore more, or Most of YouTube.
- Pause Watch or Search history.
- Unblock videos: clear the selection of videos and channels you blocked on YouTube Kids.
- You can only block or unblock videos if you've set up YouTube Kids. When you block or unblock videos on YouTube Kids, the same videos are blocked on your child’s YouTube supervised account.
Learn more about all settings for supervised experiences on YouTube.
Change content level settings on YouTube
Important:
- Your child must have a Google Account managed by Family Link.
- Some features on YouTube aren’t currently available for children under 13 years old (or the applicable age in your country) with a supervised Google Account. Learn more about supervised experiences on YouTube.
With the Family Link app
- On your device, open the Family Link app
.
- Select your child.
- Tap Manage settings
YouTube.
- Under “YouTube Settings” tap Edit.
- Choose the content setting you want to change.
- To confirm, tap Select.
With the YouTube app
- On your device, open the YouTube app
.
- In the top right, select your profile picture or initial.
- Select Parent settings.
- Choose your child.
- Under “YouTube Settings,” tap Edit.
- Choose the content setting you want to change.
- To confirm, tap Select.
Update general settings for YouTube and YouTube Kids
These settings apply to both YouTube and YouTube Kids.
With the Family Link app
- On your device, open the Family Link app
.
- Select your child.
- Tap Manage settings
YouTube
- Under “General Settings,” you can:
- Turn Pause watch history or Pause search history on or off
- Clear Search and Watch history
- Unblock videos
- You can only block or unblock videos if you have set up YouTube Kids. When you block or unblock videos on YouTube Kids, the same videos are blocked on your child’s YouTube supervised account.
With the YouTube app
- On your device, open YouTube app
.
- In the top right, select your profile picture or initial.
- Select Parent settings.
- Select your child.
- Under “General Settings,” you can:
- Turn Pause watch history or Pause search history on or off
- Clear Search and Watch history
- Unblock videos
- You can only block or unblock videos if you have set up YouTube Kids. When you block or unblock videos on YouTube Kids, the same videos are blocked on your child’s YouTube supervised account.
Tip: To review your child’s watch history, you must be on your child’s device.
Add supervision to an existing Google account
If you add supervision to an existing account for a child under 13 (or the applicable age in your country), Google deletes subscriptions and this content on the account:
- YouTube videos, chats, and comments.
- Live chats, posts, playlists, and stories.
- Purchased and rented YouTube videos.
Turn Restricted Mode on or off
Once your child turns 13 (or the applicable age in your country), they’ll have access to YouTube without supervision. To help your child avoid most mature content, you can turn on Restricted mode.
To turn Restricted Mode on or off from Family Link:
- On your device, open the Family Link app
.
- Under “Settings,” select Manage settings
Filters on YouTube.
- Turn Restricted Mode on or off.