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Introducing the newest member of our family, the YouTube Kids app--available on Google Play and the App Store
Monday, February 23, 2015
Like most parents, I love helping my kids learn more about something they're interested in. For example, right now, I spend a lot of time on YouTube with my 3-year-old son, who loves watching videos of car washes,
Super Simple Songs
, and about the universe. We’re not the only ones: Families worldwide are watching millions of videos on YouTube. And lately, those of us at YouTube have been working on a new way for our kids—and yours—to discover and explore videos on every topic in, well, the universe.
Today, we’re introducing the YouTube Kids app,
the first Google product
built from the ground up with little ones in mind. The app makes it safer and easier for children to find videos on topics they want to explore, and is available for free on
Google Play
and the
App Store
in the U.S.
Bright and playful design
Your 4-year-old may already be a swiping expert, but the app’s design makes it even easier to find
Pocoyo
or the latest episode of
Sesame Street
’s
The Furchester Hotel
. With larger images, bold icons and more, it’s fast and simple for little thumbs to navigate. And we’ve built in voice search so that even if your child can’t spell or type, they can still find videos of things they’re curious about.
Family-focused content
For years, families have come to YouTube, watching countless hours of videos on all kinds of topics. Now, parents can rest a little easier knowing that videos in the YouTube Kids app are narrowed down to content appropriate for kids. You can browse channels and playlists in four categories: Shows, Music, Learning and Explore. Or search for videos of particular interest to your family, like how to build a model volcano, math tutorials, the amazing (and endless) world of trains—and everything in between.
Along with favorites from
DreamWorksTV
,
Jim Henson TV
,
Mother Goose Club
,
Talking Tom and Friends
and more, your kids can watch new series from YouTube channels they already like. Discover new facts about
dinosaurs
from
National Geographic Kids
; learn about technology from
Reading Rainbow
; or watch
Thomas the Tank Engine
leave the world of Sodor for the first time in 70 years to travel the globe. Plus, more new videos are coming soon from beloved YouTubers like John and Hank Green of the
Vlogbrothers
and
Stampylonghead
.
Parental controls
We realize every family is different, so we’ve built options into the app that help you control the experience for your kids:
Timer
: Let the app be the bad guy with a built-in timer that lets you limit kids’ screen time. The app alerts your child when the session is over, so you don’t have to. (You’re welcome. ;) )
Sound settings
: Sometimes you need a little peace and quiet! You have an option to turn off background music and sound effects, so your kids can keep watching while you catch a breather.
Search settings
: If you’d rather limit your children to just the pre-selected videos available on the home screen, you can turn off search.
Product feedback
: Our goal is to improve YouTube Kids all the time, so we’ve included a space for you to give us your feedback.
YouTube Kids is available for free starting today in the U.S. on
Google Play
and the
App Store
, and will soon be available on Kurio and nabi kids’ tablets.
This is the first step toward reimagining YouTube for families, but with your help, the app will continue to get better over time. We’re excited to start this chapter with you—so from our family to yours, enjoy!
Shimrit Ben-Yair, mother of two and YouTube Kids Group Product Manager, recently watched
“How Big is the Universe”
with her kids, along with countless “car wash” videos.
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