YouTube Kids and YouTube supervised experiences: Viewing options for families
Subscribe to the YouTube viewers channel for the latest news, updates and tips.
You can decide what YouTube experience is best for your family. Use the chart below to learn the differences between a supervised account on YouTube and the YouTube Kids app.
| Supervised account on YouTube | YouTube Kids | |
|---|---|---|
| What is it? |
A parent-managed version of regular YouTube with limited features and digital wellbeing protections. Comes with content settings for pre-teens and older. Learn more about supervised experiences on YouTube. |
A separate app that's a safer and simpler experience for children. Comes with tools for parents and caregivers to guide their children's viewing journey. Learn more at youtube.com/kids. |
| Who is it for? | Children under 13 (or the relevant age in their country/region) whose parents decide that they're ready to explore YouTube with parent-selected content settings applied. |
Children whose parents want to handpick content for them to watch. Children whose parents want to choose content for them to watch based on three age-based content settings:
|
| How much content is available for my child? |
Includes more videos and music than our separate YouTube Kids app. The amount of available content changes according to the content setting that you choose (in order):
|
Includes a smaller selection of videos than a supervised account on YouTube. The amount of available content changes according to the content setting that you choose (in order):
|
| What's different about each content setting? |
Supervised accounts offer content settings that generally align with content ratings for viewers ages 9+, 13+ or most of YouTube. Doesn't include age-restricted content. Learn more about content settings for families using supervised experiences. |
The YouTube Kids app offers content settings that align to different ages. Preschool aligns with ages four and under. Younger aligns with ages 5–8. Older aligns with ages 9–12. Parents can also define profiles for their children's viewing to handpick the videos that they have access to. Learn more about YouTube Kids content settings. |
| Can I decide exactly what videos my child sees? |
You can select the content setting for your child's Google Account, then YouTube does the work to appropriately filter out undesired videos. Note: We do our best to filter out undesired videos, but our systems aren't perfect and make mistakes. Some videos may be unsuitable for children. If you find something that you believe is inappropriate for YouTube, you can report it. |
You can handpick only the exact videos that you want your child to have access to. Learn more. |
| How can I set screen-time limits for my child? | Use the Google Family Link app to manage screen-time limits for your child's supervised devices. | Use the YouTube Kids app to directly define screen-time settings or use the Google Family Link app to manage screen-time limits for your child. |
| Is a Google Account for my child required? |
Yes. Learn how to create a Google Account for your child under 13 (or the relevant age in their country/region). You can manage your child's Google Account with Family Link. |
No, a Google Account isn't required. |
To learn more about creating a supervised account on YouTube, go to Get started with supervised accounts.
If you want more info about YouTube Kids, take a look at the YouTube Kids Parental Guide.