Is YouTube safe for kids?
Worth watching
The recommended videos are the problem — the algorithm will walk your child somewhere you didn't intend.
How that verdict changes by age
Not recommended · Below the app's own minimum age (13+)
Handle with care · Below the app's own minimum age (13+)
Handle with care · Right at the app's minimum age (13+)
Handle with care · Only limited parental controls
| Minimum age | 13 |
|---|---|
| Strangers can contact | No |
| Location sharing | No |
| Disappearing messages | Not verified |
| Parental visibility | Limited |
What to do
YouTube Kids for under-10. Regular YouTube ages 10+ with Restricted Mode on and Autoplay off. Google Family Link supervision recommended.
What it actually is
YouTube itself has enormous amounts of appropriate content. The issue is the recommendation algorithm, which optimizes for watch time and can lead kids from age-appropriate content to increasingly extreme, inappropriate, or disturbing material through autoplay. Comments on videos expose kids to strangers. For younger children, YouTube Kids is a meaningfully safer alternative with a curated content library.
For under-13 — use YouTube Kids instead
- Download the YouTube Kids app (separate from YouTube)
- During setup, select your child's age range
- Choose "Approved content only" to manually approve every video
- Set a daily time limit in the app settings
- Create a passcode so your child can't change settings
For teens on regular YouTube
- Sign into their Google account on YouTube
- Settings (profile icon) → General → Restricted Mode → ON
- This filters most mature content from search and recommendations
- Settings → Autoplay → turn OFF (stops the algorithm rabbit hole)
Supervised Experience (new)
- On your Google Family Link account, enable YouTube Supervised Experience
- Lets you choose between Explore, Explore More, and Most of YouTube tiers
Next: open the YouTube setup guide →
Other apps to know about
Pokémon GO
Worth watchingLocation-based game that gets kids outdoors; watch for in-app purchases and stranger contact.
Roblox
Worth watchingMost of the games are fine — the chat and social features are where kids get into trouble.
Habbo - Original Virtual World
Worth watchingSocial MMO with real-time chat and user-generated spaces; moderated but requires parental oversight for younger teens.
Updated April 2026
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