Parenting GuidesUpdated 10/29/2026

YouTube and Video Apps

If your child watches YouTube, Google offers a few ways to fit it to their age.

YouTube Kids

YouTube Kids is a separate app with content for kids under 13. A parent chooses a content level:

Preschool, designed with kids 4 and under in mind

Younger, for kids ages 5 to 8

Older, for kids ages 9 to 12

Approve content yourself, where your child can only watch the videos and channels you've picked

You can also turn search off, and set a timer: when time is up, the app locks.

A supervised account on regular YouTube

When a child under 13 is ready to explore more, a parent can set up a supervised kid account: a parent-managed version of regular YouTube. YouTube's content settings for kids and teens are Older kids (9+), Teens (13+) and Older teens (16+).

Teens

In most countries a teen can have their own account from 13. A parent and teen can choose to link their accounts for supervision: both have to agree, and either can turn it off. YouTube then gives the parent insights into the teen's channel activity, such as how many videos they've uploaded and how many comments they've posted, and lets the parent set take-a-break and bedtime reminders. Those reminders are turned on automatically for teens.

Google's guide: Supervised experiences on YouTube.

What ParentSEE shows

ParentSEE shows that your child's device reached YouTube, when, and roughly for how long. It never sees which videos they watched or what they searched for. To know what they're watching, watch together sometimes: the AAP calls watching alongside your child the best way to know what they're watching and how they respond.

Talking about it

Ask your child to show you a channel they love, and why they like it. Turning off autoplay, which the AAP suggests, can make it easier to stop at the end of a video.