Raising Is YouTube Kids safe? What parents of kids 4–7 should know
Is YouTube Kids safe? YouTube Kids filters videos automatically, and YouTube says no automated system is perfect: unwanted videos can get through, and videos found through search aren't reviewed by people. Parents can choose an age setting, turn off search, set a timer, block channels, or allow only videos they approve. In 2019, Google and YouTube paid $170 million to settle FTC claims about collecting children's data on the main YouTube site.
YouTube Kids at a glance
- –Official rating above age 7
App Store: 4+ - –Contact with other players or strangers
No comments or chat for kids - –Purchases with real money
Ads, no purchases - –Paid random items
None - –Violence or scary content in rating descriptors
None listed - ✓Government lawsuits, fines, or safety warnings
FTC settlement over YouTube, $170 million (2019)
Each flag is a yes-or-no fact from the sources on this page. The number is a count of flags, not a safety score. How we count.
| Type | YouTube's separate app for children, launched in 2015 |
|---|---|
| Age settings | Preschool (4 and under), Younger (5–8), Older (9–12), or Approve content yourself source |
| Filtering | Automatic; YouTube says no automated system is perfect, and videos found through search aren't reviewed by people source |
| App Store (iOS) | 4+; contains ads source |
| FTC settlement (2019) | Google and YouTube paid $170 million over collecting children's data on the main YouTube site source |
Checked October 2026. Ratings and settings change; check the official source before you decide. What do these ratings mean?
Facts for parents, not medical or legal advice. If you're worried about your child, talk to your pediatrician.
Is YouTube Kids safe? How the filtering works
Short answer: It's filtered by software, not checked by people, so unsuitable videos can get through. The strictest setting, where parents approve every video, limits your child to videos you chose.
According to YouTube's help center, YouTube Kids uses automated filters to choose videos, and "no automated system is perfect." Videos found through search "are not subject to human review." With search turned off, children see only channels YouTube Kids has verified, but YouTube says unwanted content is still possible. Parents can block or report any video.
YouTube Kids age settings and parental controls
YouTube Kids offers four content levels:
- Preschool: ages 4 and under.
- Younger: ages 5 to 8.
- Older: ages 9 to 12.
- Approve content yourself: your child sees only videos, channels, and collections you pick, and can't search.
Parents can also set a timer, turn search off, block videos or channels, pause or clear watch history, and set a parent passcode.
Ads on YouTube Kids
YouTube Kids shows limited paid ads, labeled as ads, and its ad policy excludes some categories, such as food and beverages. Videos made by users that feature toys or products aren't counted as ads.
The 2017 "Elsagate" videos
In 2017, news reports showed disturbing videos dressed up as children's cartoons, with popular characters in violent or inappropriate scenes, on YouTube; some reached YouTube Kids. YouTube removed many such channels in late 2017.
The FTC settlement
In September 2019, Google and YouTube agreed to pay $170 million to the FTC and the New York attorney general. The FTC said YouTube had collected data from viewers of child-directed channels on the main YouTube site without parents' consent and used it for targeted ads. YouTube had to create a way for creators to mark videos as made for kids. The case was about data and ads, not about video content.
The habit kids may copy: one more video
Videos end, and the next one is already there. For some kids, stopping is the hardest part.
Try tonight: pick three first
Before the app opens, pick three videos together. When the third one ends, say: "That's enough for today." In our program, this is the lesson "Enough": noticing what's already here.
What the research says
The American Academy of Pediatrics' 2016 guidance for ages 2 to 5 suggests limiting screen use to about an hour a day of high-quality programs and watching together with your child. For school-age children, it suggests consistent limits on time and type of media, so that screens don't replace sleep, physical activity, and other healthy habits.
A 2022 meta-analysis of 87 studies with about 159,000 children ages 12 and under found that more screen time was linked to slightly more behavior problems; the link was small and doesn't show cause and effect. More in screen time and child development.
Why you can trust this page: the main facts link to their sources, a separate reviewer checks each page before it goes live, and the date shows when we last checked. How we review · Report an error
FAQ
Is YouTube Kids safe?
It's filtered automatically, and YouTube says no automated system is perfect; videos found through search aren't reviewed by people. Parents can turn off search or approve every video themselves.
What age is YouTube Kids for?
It has settings for ages 4 and under, 5 to 8, and 9 to 12. Apple's App Store rates the app 4+.
Can I turn off search on YouTube Kids?
Yes. In parent settings, you can turn search off; then your child sees only channels YouTube Kids has verified. To limit it further, choose "Approve content yourself."
Does YouTube Kids have ads?
Yes, limited paid ads labeled as ads. Some categories, such as food and beverages, aren't allowed.
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