YouTube Kids & YouTube supervised experiences: Viewing Options for Families
You can decide what YouTube experience is best for your family.
| Supervised experience on YouTube | YouTube Kids | |
|---|---|---|
| Whom is it for? |
Parents that decide their children (under the age of 13 or the relevant age in their country/region) are ready to explore YouTube can set up a supervised account. Comes with content settings for pre-teens and older. Features are limited, and there are digital well-being protections. |
A separate app for kids built to be a safer and simpler experience for them to explore. Comes with tools for parents and caregivers to guide their viewing journey. |
| How much content is available for my kid? |
Includes many videos from the rest of YouTube, and is larger than our separate YouTube Kids app. More videos become available with the content setting options (in order):
|
A diverse but smaller selection of videos than a supervised account on YouTube. More videos become available with the kids content setting options (in order):
|
| What’s exactly different about each content setting option? |
Those with supervised accounts can watch videos that generally align with content ratings for viewers ages 9+, 13+, or most of YouTube. Doesn’t include age-restricted content. View our supervised account content settings for more info. |
The YouTube Kids app offers content settings that align to Preschool (4 & under), Younger (5—8), and Older (9—12). Parents can also define profiles for their kids’ viewing to handpick the videos they go to. View our YouTube Kids content settings for more info. |
| Can I approve exactly what videos my kid sees? |
You can select the content setting option for your child’s Google Account. YouTube then does the work to appropriately filter out undesired videos. We do our best to filter out undesired videos, but our systems are not perfect and will make mistakes. Some videos may be unsuitable for kids. If you find something you believe is inappropriate for YouTube, you can report it. |
The YouTube Kids app allows you to handpick the exact videos you’d like your kid to get. Learn more. |
| How can I set screen time limits for my kid’s viewing? | Use the Google Family Link app to manage screen time limits for your child’s supervised devices. | Use the YouTube Kids app to directly define screen time settings, or use the Google Family Link app to manage screen time limits for your child. |
| Is a Google Account for my child required? |
Yes. Learn how to create a Google Account for your child under 13 (or the relevant age in your country/region). You can manage it using Family Link. |
No. |
If you’d like to learn more about creating a supervised account on YouTube, get started here.
If you’d like to learn more about YouTube Kids, get started here.