YouTube Kids, a YouTube videos repository, is a specially designed app for the kids that allow them to watch videos that are entertaining and educational.
The app was launched early last year in the United States and was released to other countries just a couple of months back. Since the time YouTube had launched the exclusive app for children, the YouTube Kids, there have been families across the globe that had downloaded the app almost tens of millions of times. The YouTube Kids app has been ranked consistently among the top 5 apps in the Apple App Store and at the Google Play Store it has been given an overall 4+ ranking.
In these 2 years of journey of the YouTube Kids, the company has also received a lot of helpful feedback from the parents on how the app could be made an even better place for the kids. There have been reports saying that many Parents have requested YouTube that they wanted to have more control over how and what content their kids are watching on the YouTube Kids app. To cater to those requests, YouTube has now started to roll out a new feature which continues to put the parents in the driver’s seat so they can have a final word about what content is right for their kids and family.
Block the Undesired Video or Channel
There would have surely been times when a parent does not their little one to watch a particular DIY video which shows them how to make gooey slime, or maybe it is time for the kids to take a break from watching all those sing-a-long videos. Well, all such videos or channels can now be blocked based on their experience by just signing into the YouTube Kids app. The three-dot button that is present on the side of the video reveals all the blocking features. Once this is clicked to block a video or a channel, the parent will be prompted to log into their Google account and a consent e-mail will be sent for verification.
The best part about this is that since the parent is logged in, the videos and channels which have been blocked in the YouTube Kids app will remain consistent across all the devices. And if the parents change their mind, it is very easy for them to unblock all the restricted videos or channels straight off.
Updated Across Different Countries
The new update of adding more parental controls to the YouTube Kids app will be available across the globe including countries like the United States, Canada, Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, Colombia, Peru, Chile, South Africa, Nigeria, Ghana, Uganda, Kenya, Zimbabwe, Tanzania, Malaysia, Singapore, Philippines, India, Australia, and New Zealand.
Steps to Customize the YouTube Kids app
The new updated feature follows ways wherein the families can customize their YouTube Kids experience by following a few steps.
- Learning about the app
The first step that should be followed by the parents is to learn how the app works. When the parents open YouTube Kids, the app explains upfront on how their systems choose and suggest content and also explains how to flag the videos. The app also prompts the parents to make a choice of the range on how broadly they want their child to explore the app. This will turn on the search and grants access to millions of videos that are family-friendly or will turn off the search to restrict the child’s experience to just a limited set of videos and channels.
- Set a Timer
The app comes with a built-in timer which sets a limit to the screen time of the kids. When the session is over, the app alerts the child. So, the app becomes the bad guy here instead of the parent. - Watch on the Big Screen
YouTube Kids can be now watched with the whole family on the big screen, as YouTube Kids will now be available for the television sets, which can be broadcasted using Apple TV, Chromecast, gaming consoles or a smartTV.
- Age-based customization
When the YouTube Kids app is opened for the first time, the parents will be allowed to customize their app based on options given for three general age groups that include preschool, school age or for all kids. This customization of the app based on the age of the kids allows reflecting the videos on the initial home screen which may be interesting to the children of that particular age range.
YouTube Kids has been designed to deliver safe content for the kids. However, the app description does suggest that none of the automated systems are perfect. The company has also requested the users in its description to flag a video if they ever find one with content about which they are concerned, in turn helping to make YouTube Kids better place for everyone.