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YouTube Parental Controls: YouTube Kids vs Supervised Accounts, and the Settings Parents Can Change

YouTube offers parents three options. YouTube Kids is a separate, simpler app where parents can even handpick videos. A supervised kid account is a parent-managed YouTube account, which YouTube says is required for kids under 13 (or the relevant age where you live). A supervised teen account is voluntary. Whichever you choose, YouTube says age-restricted content isn’t available to anyone under 18. This guide is for parents and only explains YouTube’s settings.

Reviewed 3 min read 1 fixes Disabled & restricted accounts

Quick answer

Pick the option that fits your child. YouTube Kids has three levels: Preschool (4 and under), Younger (5 to 8) and Older (9 to 12). Supervised accounts on YouTube have Older kids (generally 9+), Teens (13+) and Older teens (16+). Manage a supervised account in Family Center in the YouTube app (You > Settings) or in the Family Link app (Controls > Content restrictions > YouTube). There you can block channels, change the content level, review, pause or clear watch history, turn autoplay off, set a daily Shorts limit, and set take a break and bedtime reminders.

What do you want to do?

Does this match what you see?

  • Your child wants to use YouTube and you’re not sure which option to use.
  • Your child is seeing videos you don’t think suit their age.
  • You want to limit Shorts or set a bedtime.

iPhone & iPadAndroidComputer (browser)

Based on YouTube Help pages read directly from support.google.com. Ages can differ by country or region.

Why this happens: the possible causes

The three options YouTube offers families.

YouTube Kids vs supervised accounts
OptionWho it’s forContent levels
YouTube Kids (separate app)Kids whose parents want to choose their contentPreschool (4 and under), Younger (5–8), Older (9–12)
Supervised kid accountRequired for kids under 13 (or local age)Older kids (9+), Teens (13+), Older teens (16+)
Supervised teen accountVoluntary, for teens over 13Teens (13+), Older teens (16+); teens placed automatically by age
  • The wrong option for your child’s ageCheck this first

    YouTube says supervised kid accounts are required for kids under 13, or the relevant age in their country.

  • The content level needs changingPossible

    YouTube says parents can preview each level and change it at any time.

Try these 60-second checks first

  • Check which account type your child uses: the YouTube Kids app, or YouTube with a supervised account.

How to fix it, step by step

Work through these in order. They start with the quickest, safest checks and only move to steps that sign you out or remove data later.

Fix 1: Change the controls on a supervised account

Safe & reversible5 miniPhone & iPadAndroidComputer (browser)

YouTube says parents manage supervised accounts in Family Center or the Family Link app.

  1. Open Family Center in the YouTube app (You > Settings), or the Family Link app (Controls > Content restrictions > YouTube).
  2. Block channels you don’t want your child to watch.
  3. Choose or change the content level. YouTube says you can preview what each level includes.
  4. Pause or clear watch history, and pause search history so new searches don’t shape recommendations. To review what your child watched, YouTube points to My Activity (YouTube History).
  5. Turn autoplay off. YouTube says the child can’t turn it back on.
  6. Set a daily Shorts limit. YouTube says when it’s reached, the Shorts feed is blocked for the rest of the day, and it resets each morning.
  7. In Time management, set take a break and bedtime reminders.

Our note: take a break and bedtime reminders are reminders, not hard limits. YouTube says children can dismiss a bedtime reminder or choose Remind Me Again in 15 minutes, and the take a break timer doesn’t run for offline videos or casting. Talk with your child about how you’ll use them.

Did it work? Your changes show in Family Center or Family Link.

YouTube Kids or a supervised account?

  • YouTube Kids is a separate app that YouTube calls safer and simpler, with a smaller selection of videos. Parents can handpick the exact videos their child sees. Screen time is set in the YouTube Kids app.
  • Supervised kid accounts are parent-managed YouTube accounts. YouTube says they’re required for kids under 13 (or the relevant age), and come with limited features.
  • Supervised teen accounts are voluntary, set up by parents or teens, and add digital well-being protections and parent-set content settings.

Content levels by age

  • YouTube Kids: Preschool (4 and under), Younger (5–8), Older (9–12).
  • Supervised accounts: Older kids (generally 9+), Teens (generally 13+), Older teens (generally 16+).
  • YouTube says teen accounts are placed automatically by age (13–15 in Teens, 16–17 in Older teens), and only linked parent accounts can change these settings.
  • YouTube says age-restricted content isn’t available to users under 18, whatever the setting.

Conversation topics, based on your child’s interests, are only available to parents in the US, in English, according to YouTube.

How to know it worked

  • Your child’s account uses the option and settings you chose.

Still not working? Your next steps

  1. Restricted Mode can also filter videos. See YouTube Restricted Mode.

Official help routes

SocialAppFix can’t see or change your account. For account decisions, recovery and appeals, only the platform’s own tools can help. These links go to the official sites.

Frequently asked questions

What’s the difference between YouTube Kids and a supervised account?

YouTube Kids is a separate, simpler app where parents can handpick videos. A supervised account is a parent-managed YouTube account, required for kids under 13.

What ages are YouTube Kids levels for?

YouTube says Preschool is for 4 and under, Younger for 5–8, and Older for 9–12.

Can I limit Shorts for my child on YouTube?

Yes. YouTube says parents can set a daily Shorts limit; when it’s reached, the Shorts feed is blocked for the rest of the day.

Can my child see age-restricted videos on a supervised account?

No. YouTube says age-restricted content isn’t available to users under 18, whatever the content setting.

Where do I change my child’s YouTube settings?

In Family Center in the YouTube app (You > Settings), or the Family Link app (Controls > Content restrictions > YouTube).

Sources and how we checked this guide

We base steps on the platforms’ own help pages and the phone makers’ official guides. Menu names change often and can differ by device, app version and region. Where a platform page could not be independently read, we link it so you can check the current wording yourself.

  1. Understand your choices as a family (external site, opens in a new tab)YouTube Help · checked 21 October 2026
  2. Parental controls & settings for supervised kid accounts on YouTube (external site, opens in a new tab)YouTube Help · checked 21 October 2026

Last reviewed 28 October 2026 by the SocialAppFix editorial team against the sources above. Next scheduled review: 28 April 2027. How we write and review guides.

What changed
  • 28 October 2026: First published.

SocialAppFix is an independent guide and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Google or YouTube. We never ask for passwords, login codes or payment to fix an account.