5 things parents can do to make YouTube more kid-friendly

Your kids love the internet, especially video sites like YouTube™, which help them make sense of the wider world. But there’s so much out there, finding safe, age-appropriate videos can feel impossible.

That’s where we come in. At Asurion, we take care of you and your tech—and that includes giving you peace of mind, knowing that your kids are having fun online without running into anything they shouldn't. Here are five simple ways to make YouTube more kid-friendly.

Dismiss videos

YouTube offers a world of learning and fun, but not everything on the site is suitable for your kids. Fortunately, you can filter what they see using the “Not Interested” feature on videos you decide are inappropriate. This simple feature sends a strong signal to YouTube's algorithm about your preferences, helping to filter out similar videos in the future.

To get rid of a suggested video from your YouTube homepage:

1. Hover over the video you want to remove or the X for a section you wish to delete.
2. Tap More (the three dots icon) next to the video or playlist title.
3. Choose Not interested to delete the video from your feed.
4. If you want to provide feedback, click on Tell us why and select either I’ve already watched the video or I don’t like the video. This helps tweak future recommendations.
5. To prevent videos from certain channels from appearing in your recommendations, click on the Menu (three lines), then select Don’t recommend channel.

Use Restricted Mode

One of the easiest and most effective tools on YouTube is Restricted Mode. This setting helps screen for videos you might not want popping up on your child's feed. 

To activate Restricted Mode: 

Click on your profile picture, select Settings> General> and then turn on Restricted Mode. 

This feature isn't perfect, but it's a good way to avoid inappropriate videos.

Try YouTube’s supervised accounts

You also may want to consider setting up a supervised account for your kids. This feature allows you to create a Google® account for them, which you can manage and control. It’s a great way to give your children some freedom to explore while keeping an eye on what they watch and restricting certain features. 

Check out YouTube Kids

YouTube Kids is a standalone app specifically designed for younger audiences. It offers a more limited set of videos that are suitable for children. Using this app with parental control features, you can even set viewing time limits and handpick the videos and channels your children can access. It’s an excellent choice for parents of younger children.

Manage YouTube with Google's Family Link app

Google’s Family Link app not only lets you manage your children’s YouTube access and settings but also approve or block the apps they download, monitor their screen time, and even lock their device remotely when it's time for a break. 

Talk to you kids about what they watch

Settings and controls are important, but so is having open and honest conversations with your kids about what they watch, how often they do so, and how to stay safe online. 

Remember, technology is a tool, and with the right guidance, it can have an effect on a child's life. But the opposite is also true. 

For more on tech and your kids, check out Asurion’s tips on the best tech for traveling with kids, the best parental control apps for online learning, and more on how to help kids navigate life online.