How to Set Up YouTube for Your Family

Your child wants to watch cartoons. Your teenager watches tutorials for school. And you'd like both of them to see more of the good stuff and less of everything else. YouTube has several tools for this, but the names are confusing and the options change with your child's age.

This guide explains the main family options YouTube offers, in plain language, and helps you choose what fits each child. It's based on YouTube's own help pages; menus can differ slightly by country, device and app version.

Start with your child's age

YouTube's family options are organized by age. Here's the short version, based on YouTube's overview for families:

Age (varies by region)	Main option	What it is
Up to 12	YouTube Kids	A separate app with a smaller selection of videos made for children
Under 13	Supervised account	A parent-managed version of regular YouTube
13 and over	Supervised teen account or Restricted Mode	Lighter supervision; teens see most of YouTube

The exact age thresholds depend on the rules in your country.

Option 1: YouTube Kids (younger children)

YouTube Kids is a separate app designed for children, with a smaller selection of videos than regular YouTube. When you set it up, you choose a content level:

• Preschool (ages 4 and under)
• Younger (ages 5–8)
• Older (ages 9–12)

You can also choose to approve content yourself, so your child can only watch the videos, channels or collections you've picked. This is the most controlled option, and it suits young children who don't need the full YouTube app.

Option 2: Supervised accounts (children under 13)

When a child outgrows YouTube Kids but you're not ready for full YouTube, a supervised account gives them regular YouTube with parent-chosen limits. You pick one of three content settings:

• Explore — the most limited of the three
• Explore more — a wider range of videos
• Most of YouTube — almost all of YouTube, except age-restricted content

As a parent, you can block specific channels and report videos. Supervised accounts are managed through Google's family tools and YouTube's Family Center, where YouTube says you can also set a Shorts feed limit.

Option 3: Supervised teen accounts

For teens, YouTube offers a voluntary supervised experience that parent and teen set up together. Teens can explore YouTube without content settings, except for age-restricted videos. Parents get some insight into the teen's channel activity, but don't choose what the teen watches.

This option is more about staying connected than controlling, which often fits teenagers better.

Option 4: Restricted Mode (any account or device)

Restricted Mode is an optional setting that helps screen out potentially mature content. According to YouTube's help page, it uses signals such as video titles, descriptions and age restrictions, and it also hides comments on the videos you watch.

Two things parents should know:

• It works per browser or device. You need to turn it on separately on each browser, app and profile your child uses.
• It isn't perfect. YouTube notes that filtering quality may vary across languages.

To turn it on from a computer: click your profile picture, choose Restricted Mode, then turn it on. On phones and tablets, it's in the app's settings.

Beyond settings: habits that help

Settings do part of the job. A few family habits do the rest:

1. Watch together sometimes. Especially with younger children, sitting together for a few minutes shows you what they like and lets you talk about it.
2. Keep screens in shared spaces. A tablet in the living room is easier to keep an eye on than one in a bedroom.
3. Agree on times, not just limits. "After homework" or "before dinner" is easier to follow than a number of minutes.
4. Turn off autoplay. It removes the automatic "one more video." Our guide to studying on YouTube shows where the switch is.
5. Limit Shorts if they're a problem. YouTube's Shorts feed limit is explained in our guide to reducing YouTube Shorts distractions.
6. Explain, don't just block. Children who understand why a rule exists are more likely to follow it when you're not around.

Quick setup checklist

1. Decide which option fits each child's age.
2. For young children: install YouTube Kids and choose a content level.
3. For children under 13 on regular YouTube: set up a supervised account and choose a content setting.
4. For teens: talk about a supervised teen account together.
5. Turn on Restricted Mode on shared browsers and devices if you want an extra filter.
6. Turn off autoplay on the devices your children use.

FAQ

Is YouTube Kids completely safe? No filter is perfect. YouTube Kids is designed for children and gives parents more control, but it's still worth staying involved and reporting anything inappropriate you see.

Will Restricted Mode follow my child to other devices? Not by itself; it works per browser or device. For a child's account managed through Google's family tools, a parent can lock it on across devices the child signs into, according to YouTube.

What's the difference between a supervised account and Restricted Mode? A supervised account is a parent-managed account with content settings for a child under 13. Restricted Mode is a filter that anyone can turn on in a browser or app.

A calmer YouTube for everyone

You don't need to choose between banning YouTube and leaving it wide open. The right setting for each child, plus a few simple habits, can make it a useful and calmer place for your whole family.

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