YouTube has updates in store for its YouTube Kids service that will provide parents with more granular control over what their children can find and watch.
Beginning immediately, Google’s partners will cull together “collections of trusted channels” that range across topics such as music, sports, and arts and crafts so parents can pick and choose which their children are allowed to watch. This tool is located in the Profile Settings, where parents can toggle access to collections from Sesame Workshop, PBS Kids, and more.
Malik Ducard, Global Head of Family and Learning Content for YouTube:
“Over the last three years, we’ve worked hard to create a YouTube Kids experience that allows kids to access videos that are enriching, engaging and allows them to explore their endless interests. Along the way, we’ve never stopped listening to feedback and we’re continuing to improve the app. In addition to all the work our teams are doing behind the scenes to make the experience the best it can be, we’re also offering parents even more options to make the right choice for their family and for each child within their family.”
James Beser, Product Director for YouTube Kids:
“At YouTube Kids we believe every family is unique so we’ve worked hard to build personalization features into our platform. Kids love the recommended videos in the app – and parents have told us they are also interested in more ways to personalize the app for their specific style. Throughout this year we’ll roll out a more robust suite of tools for parents to customize the YouTube Kids experience. From collections of channels from trusted partners to enabling parents to select each video and channel themselves, we’re putting parents in the driver’s seat like never before.”
Also starting this week, YouTube will give parents more power over the search function. Turning off the search function will limit the YouTube Kids app to only those channels and programs that have been verified by the YouTube Kids team. When search is set to off, it will not include recommendations from the broader selection of the YouTube Kids app.
Later this year, parents will be able to take even more direct control over content. A new feature called parent-approved content will let parents “specifically handpick every video and channel” their kids are allowed to watch. This feature will be added in the months ahead.
YouTube said the current version of YouTube Kids will remain available to those parents who are comfortable with its design and feature set. YouTube Kids is free to download from the Google Play Store.
