Is YouTube Kids Safe? A YouTube Kids App Review for Parents

Harmful Content 😲

YouTube Kids does a decent job at filtering content based on age, but their algorithm isn’t perfect. The company admits to the fact that not all of its videos are manually reviewed, and it’s possible for inappropriate content to slip through the cracks. It’s also important to consider that not all age-appropriate videos will be right for every family.

Luckily, YouTube Kids gives parents the option of hand-picking specific videos or channels they want their child to watch. While this method is more time-consuming for the parent, who has to search and select each video and channel, it will ultimately reduce the risk of your child encountering mature content. Another aspect of YouTube Kids that parents should be mindful of is the advertisements. YouTube has stricter guidelines for what kind of ads can be shown on the platform and they don’t include click-through links, but nonetheless, if your child is on the app they’ll be seeing ads.

Predation 🚨

One of the best features of the YouTube Kids app is the lack of a comment section. There’s no way for your child to chat with strange people on the app, eliminating the risk of predation. No comment section also means less bullying and reduced exposure to inappropriate language.

Privacy 🔒

The only information parents are required to provide about their child is their age and first name. However, if you don’t want to use your child’s real name and age, you don’t have to. You can add fake information and you’ll still be given the same options to customize what your child can watch. Also, YouTube Kids accounts aren’t public, so there’s no way for a regular account to find them on YouTube.

Parental Controls ✅

As a parent, you can decide how much control you want over your child’s account. You can select one of the three different age categories to help filter videos, or you can select the specific videos and channels you want your child to watch. Further, you have the option of turning off the search bar, so your kid can’t look up specific content – just don’t forget to create a special PIN to lock the settings when you do. We suggest doing this immediately when you download the app. Open up your child’s profile, go to settings, and you’ll be prompted to answer a basic math equation before setting a custom PIN. 

In settings, you can also set a timer for your child’s account, but the maximum amount of time is 60 minutes. If you want to create more customized time limits and schedules, Bark can help.

With Bark, you can:

• Block YouTube Kids completely, if needed.
• Manage when your child can use YouTube Kids throughout the day.

So, should my kid download it?

Sure! YouTube Kids offers safer entertainment options, clean music, and educational content for kids of various ages. Since YouTube admits that their filtering algorithm isn’t 100%, we suggest customizing your child’s experience by hand-picking what channels and videos they can watch, as well as turning off the search bar in the settings. If you need ideas for age-appropriate YouTube channels, check out our content reviews!