Your child is growing rapidly and, almost without your realizing it, is already able to use the Internet and access the contents of YouTube. Although it is your care to continuously follow him in the use of electronic devices, you are however aware of the fact that a moment of distraction is enough for the little one to access videos that are inappropriate for his age, which could hurt his sensitivity and expose him to images that he should not see. : it is for this reason that, worried, you started looking for a method for block YouTube videos for children, so as to be able to set an additional security level and protect its safety.
Well, I am happy to inform you that you are reading the tutorial that is right for you: below, in fact, I intend to provide you with a series of simple solutions to set limits to the content that can be viewed through the Google video portal. In this case, I will explain how to use both the restricted mode integrated in the service on smartphones and tablets, as well as on PC, but also how to configure and use the app YouTube Kids, specially designed for the little ones. Finally, it will be my responsibility to present you some solutions designed for parental control that can further "strengthen" these protections.
So what else are you waiting to get started? Take a few minutes of free time, make yourself comfortable and read very carefully everything I have to explain in this guide: I'm sure that, at the end of the reading, you will be perfectly able to choose (but above all, to apply) the most suitable solution. suited to your needs. I just have to do not wish you a good reading and a good job!
Index
- How to block YouTube videos for children on smartphones and tablets
- How to block YouTube videos for kids on PC
- How to use parental control solutions
How to block YouTube videos for children on smartphones and tablets
As anticipated, for block YouTube videos for children acting from smartphone and tablet it is possible to activate the Restricted mode on YouTube.
Alternatively, as I will explain in the following chapters, you can take advantage of YouTube Kids, a "version" of YouTube developed by Google and dedicated specifically to children. Read on to learn more about both solutions.
Enable restricted mode
To block unsuitable content for minors on YouTube you can apply the Restricted mode, available both in the app of the service for Android and iOS / iPadOS, and on the website. Keep in mind, however, that this operation must be carried out on any device used by the person to be "protected".
Thanks to this filter, in fact, it is possible to limit the viewing of content that is potentially unsuitable for minors: in practice, YouTube automatically analyzes some characteristic elements of the videos (such as title, description, age limits, metadata, CRC and so on), to identify the potentially harmful ones and skim them a priori.
Furthermore, YouTube also relies on the control of a “human” team, that is, made up of real employees, who can analyze the videos published on the platform as quickly as possible, blocking inappropriate ones as needed.
However, given the volume of videos uploaded to the portal every second, it is extremely difficult to guarantee 100% accuracy, therefore it may happen that some videos temporarily “escape” control; furthermore, the Restricted mode it does not work the same in all countries (as one content may be judged suitable for one geographic area and not appropriate for another).
Finally, it is good that you know that this approach is only effective at the browser or device level, therefore, ideally, it should be activated on all browsers or devices that could be used by the subjects to be protected. All clear? OK, so let's get started!
To set the block in the YouTube app, first start it from the drawer of Android or from the screen Home di iOS / iPadOS, tap onprofile picture collocata in alto a destra e seleciona la voce Settings give the purpose menu.
At this point, fai tap sulla voce Generali and locate the voice Restricted mode: to activate it, move up ON the corresponding lever and that's it.
If it is your intention to activate the Restricted mode in the mobile version of the YouTube site, connect to it and tap on the icon your profile located at the top right.
Next, tap on the items Settings> Accounts and, to enable the lock, move up ON the lever corresponding to the wording Restricted mode. That's all!
Note: if, in both cases, you should notice a video that you do not think is suitable for your child, press the button (⋮) corresponding to it and presses on the voice I'm not interested in the menu shown on the screen.
Use YouTube Kids
A great alternative to the Restricted mode of YouTube and the app YouTube Kids, available free of charge for Android and iOS / iPadOS: in this case, it is a version of the Google video portal specially designed for the little ones, both in the interface and in the contents made available (suitable for the age of the child, choice during configuration).
Also in this case, it is not possible to guarantee the 100% probability that the videos made available in the app do not contain inappropriate images (given the range of videos in transit on YouTube), however the internal filter is quite efficient and gives a good level safety.
to take advantage of this solution, first download the app on your smartphone or tablet, open it and press the button I am a parent, to start the configuration phase of a parent profile.
Once this is done, point to yours year of birth, pigia sul pulsating Confirmation and first button> to associate the Google account already configured on the device with the parent profile using the button Log in (if you don't want to, you can tap the button Ignore present in the proposed screen).
At this point, scroll down i terms of service to confirm acknowledgment and acceptance, enter the Password of your necessary Google account, and then fill in the next window with the information about the child (such as the name,age and you want it, the month of birth).
When you are done, click on the button > located at the bottom right, indicates whether activate the search videos or turn it off (in this way, only the contents chosen by YouTube Kids) and, to conclude and immediately start watching movies through the app, presses the buttons Confirmation e Start.
The interface of YouTube Kids it is extremely simple to use: you can browse the proposed categories (Programs, Music, Games, Explore) using the icons located at the top or, if you wish, search by name of the movies using the button in the shape of magnifying glass located in the upper right corner (if you haven't, you will be asked to activate the search by entering the Password of your Google account).
To add a new "child" profile or access the app settings (by setting, for example, a timer for use), presses onprofile picture of the child located at the top left, tap on the icon in the shape of padlock located at the bottom right, solve theguessing game proposed and press the button Send.
Alternatively, you can set a pass code to access the app settings, by pressing on the item Set my passcode.
How to block YouTube videos for kids on PC
To block YouTube videos for kids from PC you can use the same native solutions of the video sharing platform I told you about in the previous chapters: the Restricted mode or the platform YouTube Kids, designed for the use of videos designed specifically for an audience of children.
Therefore, refer to the indications I give you in the following chapters, to make use of them.
Enable restricted mode
Does your child usually enjoy YouTube content on their computer? To prevent him from running into inappropriate videos, you can activate the Restricted mode integrated into Google's video sharing platform.
To activate YouTube restrictions on your computer, then connect to the home page of the service via the browser you prefer and, if you have not already done so, press the button Log in located at the top right and log in with your Google account (you can create an ad-hoc one, if you don't already have it).
Once this is done, press onavatar of your account (the profile picture, so to speak) located at the top right, click on the item Restricted mode: not active located at the bottom of the new menu shown on the screen and, for activate restricted modesposta su ON the corresponding lever.
Once this is done, as an additional security measure, you can block the restricted mode in your browser: in this way, even if someone were to use YouTube by logging in with a different Google account (or without logging in at all), the limitations on the contents they will remain active.
To do this, click on yours picture profile, then on the voice Restricted mode and finally on the option Block Restricted Mode in this browser. If prompted, enter the again Password Google account to confirm the operation.
At this point, you can log out of your account by clicking on the avatar at the top right and selecting the option Logout; as needed, you can remove YouTube restrictions by clicking on the button (⋮), then on the rumors Restricted mode: active e Unlock Restricted Mode in this browser and entering, where requested, the credentials of your Google account.
Note: as already mentioned, this option is active only in the browser through which the procedure is carried out. If you have multiple Internet browsing programs installed on your computer, I recommend that you perform the steps just described in each of them.
Use YouTube Kids
Also acting from PC you can set up a child profile on the web platform of YouTube Kids, to ensure that only content suitable for minors is used.
Therefore, to get started, connect to the official YouTube Kids website and press the buttons I am a parent e NEXT. Then, start configuring the service by setting yours year of birth and premium tasto Send.
Then continue using the button NEXT, and log in with your Google account, using the buttons Log in e NEXT. Then create your child's profile, setting their personal data (name e age) and press the button again NEXT, selecting the recommended age range for customizing the videos shown on the platform YouTube Kids.
Also, optionally, active o deactivate the search, choosing whether to allow the child to use the search engine (the magnifying glass) to search for new videos on YouTube Kids.
At the end of the configuration you will be shown the initial interface of the video sharing platform and it will be possible to play all the videos present in it, which are divided into categories (Programs, Music, Explore, Toys). Easy, right?
How to use parental control solutions
You are not completely convinced by the level of protection offered by the Restricted mode YouTube and the app YouTube Kids?
In this case you could try to rely on solutions that offer more "powerful" and, why not, more effective filters, such as parental control applications: these, in particular, offer additional protection against inappropriate content on YouTube and, in general, on the entire web.
Among the best known and most effective solutions of this type are Qustodio (available for Windows, macOS, Android, FireOS and iOS / iPadOS) e Mobile Fence (for Android): both allow you to block the activity carried out by a user, monitor web browsing, limit online searches, view content, device usage time and much more.
Qustodio allows you to control only one device for free: to bypass this limitation, you need to subscribe to a Premium subscription per service, with prices starting from 42,95 € / year. Mobile Fence, on the other hand, provides a free trial period of one month, after which it is necessary to subscribe to the service, with prices starting from $ 36 / year.
If you are interested in using solutions of this type, I recommend reading my tutorials on how to best use Qustodio and Mobile Fence: always keep in mind that a 100% effective filter does not exist, however such software could represent a excellent ally to the restrictions already enforceable through the YouTube systems.
