Official Blog
Introducing new choices for parents to further customize YouTube Kids
Wednesday, April 25, 2018
When we launched the YouTube Kids app three years ago, our goal was to give kids around the world a place to access videos that were enriching, engaging and allowed them to explore their endless interests.
Since then, our team has continued to work to improve the app experience for kids and families around the world. One area of focus has been building new features that give parents even more control around the content available in the YouTube Kids app so they can make the right choice for their unique family and for each child within their family.
We are excited to announce that throughout the year, we will be rolling out three new options in YouTube Kids:
Collections by trusted partners and YouTube Kids
: Starting this week, our partners and the YouTube Kids team will offer collections of trusted channels on a variety of subjects from arts & crafts and music to sports, learning, and so much more. This makes it easy for parents to select only the channel collections and topics they want their kids to access. Just go into Profile Settings, and select from available collections such as Sesame Workshop and PBS KIDS. We will continue to add more partners over time.
Parent approved content
: Parents know better than anyone what they want their children to watch. For those parents who want even more control over the videos and channels in the YouTube Kids app, we’re rolling out a feature later this year that will allow parents to specifically handpick every video and channel available to their child in the app.
Improved search-off control for an even more contained experience
: Parents have always been able to turn search off within the YouTube Kids app, but starting this week turning search off will limit the YouTube Kids experience to channels that have been verified by the YouTube Kids team. This means that search off will not include recommendations from the broader YouTube Kids corpus.
For parents who like the current version of YouTube Kids and want a wider selection of content, it’s still available. While no system is perfect, we continue to fine-tune, rigorously test and improve our filters for this more open version of our app. And, as always, we encourage parents to block and flag videos for review that they don't think should be in the YouTube Kids app. This makes YouTube Kids better for everyone.
It is our hope that these additional options will allow every family to have the experience they want in the YouTube Kids app.
James Beser, Product Director for YouTube Kids, recently watched "
Photosynthesis for Kids
" on the Kids Learning Tube channel with his 2nd grade daughter.
5 ways we’re toughening our approach to protect families on YouTube and YouTube Kids
Wednesday, November 22, 2017
In recent months, we've noticed a growing trend around content on YouTube that attempts to pass as family-friendly, but is clearly not. While some of these videos may be suitable for adults, others are completely unacceptable, so we are working to remove them from YouTube. Here’s what we’re doing:
Tougher application of our Community Guidelines and faster enforcement through technology:
We have always had strict policies against child endangerment, and we partner closely with regional authorities and experts to help us enforce these policies and report to law enforcement through NCMEC. In the last couple of weeks we expanded our enforcement guidelines around removing content featuring minors that may be endangering a child, even if that was not the uploader’s intent. In the last week we terminated over 50 channels and have removed thousands of videos under these guidelines, and we will continue to work quickly to remove more every day. We also implemented policies to
age-restrict
(only available to people over 18 and logged in) content with family entertainment characters but containing mature themes or adult humor. To help surface potentially violative content, we are applying machine learning technology and automated tools to quickly find and escalate for human review.
Removing ads from inappropriate videos targeting families:
Back in June,
we posted an update
to our advertiser-friendly guidelines making it clear that we will remove ads from any content depicting family entertainment characters engaged in violent, offensive, or otherwise inappropriate behavior, even if done for comedic or satirical purposes. Since June, we've removed ads from 3M videos under this policy and we’ve further strengthened the application of that policy to remove ads from another 500K violative videos.
Blocking inappropriate comments on videos featuring minors:
We have historically used a combination of automated systems and human flagging and review to remove inappropriate sexual or predatory comments on videos featuring minors. Comments of this nature are abhorrent and we work with NCMEC to report illegal behavior to law enforcement. Starting this week we will begin taking an even more aggressive stance by turning off all comments on videos of minors where we see these types of comments.
Providing guidance for creators who make family-friendly content:
We've created a platform for people to view family-friendly content -- YouTube Kids. We want to help creators produce quality content for the YouTube Kids app, so in the coming weeks we will release a comprehensive guide on how creators can make enriching family content for the app.
Engaging and learning from experts:
While there is some content that clearly doesn’t belong on YouTube, there is other content that is more nuanced or challenging to make a clear decision on. For example, today, there are many cartoons in mainstream entertainment that are targeted towards adults, and feature characters doing things we wouldn’t necessarily want children to see. Those may be OK for YouTube.com, or if we require the viewer to be over 18, but not for someone younger. Similarly, an adult dressed as a popular family character could be questionable content for some audiences, but could also be meant for adults recorded at a comic book convention. To help us better understand how to treat this content, we will be growing the number of experts we work with, and doubling the number of Trusted Flaggers we partner with in this area.
Across the board we have scaled up resources to ensure that thousands of people are working around the clock to monitor, review and make the right decisions across our ads and content policies. These latest enforcement changes will take shape over the weeks and months ahead as we work to tackle this evolving challenge. We’re wholly committed to addressing these issues and will continue to invest the engineering and human resources needed to get it right. As a parent and as a leader in this organization, I’m determined that we do.
Johanna Wright, Vice President of Product Management at YouTube
Introducing kid profiles, new parental controls, and a new exciting look for kids, which will begin rolling out today!
Thursday, November 2, 2017
After talking to parents all over, we know that kids who love the YouTube Kids app are getting older and want a platform that’ll grow with them. Whether kids are watching Monster High, DC Kids, LEGO, learning their ABCs, or picking up the latest tricks in Minecraft, we want YouTube Kids to help. Here’s what’s new with YouTube Kids:
When you sign in with your Google account, you get:
Kid profiles to customize your kids’ experience: Now you can create a profile for each of your kids. Even better, kid profiles work across all different devices!
App design tailored to your kid’s age: When you enter a date of birth on the kid profile, YouTube Kids changes the way the app looks. Younger kids will get less text, while older kids will get more content on the home screens.
A new setup process: The new app parent setup process will give you detailed information to help you make the right choices for your family before your kids use the app.
Passcode for kids: Kids can set a secret passcode to get into their profile (and keep their brother or sister out). Don’t worry, you can always override their passcode.
Remember, our systems work hard to filter out more mature content from the app. But no system is perfect. If you find a video that you think should not be in the app, you can block it and flag it for review. This helps make YouTube Kids better for everyone.
YouTube Kids is now live in 37 countries, has more than 70 billion views in the app, and more than 11 million weekly active viewers.
We're looking at ways to build an even better experience for families. Coming soon, we'll give parents the option to have more content available in the app experience for their child. Our team is working to identify the most relevant content categories for tweens to make the app even more awesome.
*Not available in all markets. Kid profiles are available in the following markets: Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Ghana, India, Jamaica, Japan, Kenya, Malaysia, Mexico, Nepal, New Zealand, Nigeria, Pakistan, Peru, Philippines, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Uganda, United States, Zimbabwe.
Balaji Srinivasan, YouTube Kids Engineering Director, recently watched
Can you solve the magnet riddle? ft YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki
.
The YouTube Kids app is now available on even more screens!
Tuesday, April 25, 2017
Love using the YouTube Kids app on your phone and tablet? Well, we’re excited to announce that now you can enjoy your favorite videos on select smart TVs too!
Since launching just over two years ago, the YouTube Kids app has become the go-to destination for families around the world with more than 30 billion views and over 8 million weekly active viewers. Starting today, the YouTube Kids app will be available on LG, Samsung, and Sony smart TVs in the 26 countries where the app is currently launched*.
We’ve heard from families that they love watching videos on all their devices so bringing the entertaining and enriching content of YouTube Kids to the biggest personal screen (your TV!) seemed like the perfect fit.
The
YouTube Kids app
is the first Google product built from the ground up with kids in mind. The app makes it easier for kids to find videos on topics they want to explore. Whether it’s searching for science experiments, watching a favorite cartoon, or simply watching your favorite creator’s new videos, there is something for everyone!
The YouTube Kids app will be available
on the following television sets
: all 2015 - 2017 LG webOS TVs via the LG content store, all 2013 - 2017 Samsung Smart TVs and Blu-Ray Players that have access to the Samsung App Store, and after a firmware update on 2016-2017 Sony TVs (with the exception of Android TV, which will be available soon). Happy viewing from our family to yours!
*Countries where the YouTube Kids App is available: United States, United Kingdom, Ireland, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Argentina, Colombia, Mexico, Chile, Peru, Spain, Brazil, Russia, Nigeria, Kenya, South Africa, Ghana, Uganda, Zimbabwe, Tanzania, Malaysia, Philippines, India, Singapore, and France. The availability of the YouTube Kids app in these countries is dependent on the individual television manufacturer
AJ Crane, Product Manager for YouTube Kids, recently watched “
Kings of Atlantis
” on YouTube Red
YouTube Kids turns 2 and there’s lots to celebrate!
Monday, February 13, 2017
Since launching two years ago, YouTube Kids has grown up a lot and become a go-to destination for families around the world. With over 30 billion views in the app to date and over 8 million active viewers enjoying the app each week, it’s been exciting to see kids fall in love with the storytelling and videos from our amazing global creators. From DIY tutorials and language learning to science experiments, magic tricks and animated shows, there truly is something for every family to explore!
Our Original Content team under Susanne Daniels is adding four new Original series to YouTube Red, created especially with the YouTube Kids app in mind. These new series will feature top creators:
DanTDM
, Joe and Cody of
TheAtlanticCraft
, popular tween music act
L2M
, and
Fruit Ninja
. This marks the first time YouTube Red has invested in creators who are producing original programming for family audiences. These series will debut starting in the spring. Additional shows are in development and will premiere throughout 2017.
The first of the new original series launching starting this spring include:
Hyperlinked
: This series is inspired by a true story and stars music sensation L2M. It follows five girls as they come together to create their own website by girls for girls. They also must navigate everyday tween issues involving friends and relationships.
DanTDM Creates A Big Scene
: Catch DanTDM and his lively group of animated friends as they battle mayhem and misadventure to keep their brand new live show on the road. Each episode follows their behind-the-scenes exploits as they learn new skills, overcome challenges and find that putting on an epic show isn’t quite as easy as it looks. …
The Kings of Atlantis
: “The Kings of Atlantis” is an epic animated series that follows two young monarchs —Cody and Joe— in the vast underwater city of Atlantis as they seek to overthrow the brutal usurper of their kingdom, reclaim their birthright, and protect their people from his cruel reign.
Fruit Ninja: Frenzy Force
: Four Fruit Ninjas set up a juice stand as a front for the messiest secret service in the world. The new Fruit Ninja characters—Seb, Niya, Peng and Ralph—come together to fight the evil forces of Durian Grey and the Deep Fried Samurai. They will use their Juice Jitsu skills (and perhaps some help from their own samurai) to prevail.
But the fun doesn’t stop there ... YouTube Kids is coming soon to Smart TVs. Parents and kids often enjoy watching their favorite family programming on a big screen, so it's a natural next step for the app to be available directly from the big screen in your home! The YouTube Kids app will be available soon for download on a number of internet-connected LG and Samsung Smart TVs.
As kids continue to grow up, we’re excited to grow up with them. It’s important that kids are able to explore what they love in the app, while we also continue to
put parents in the driver’s seat
to choose what is right for their family.
From engaging new shows to being able to watch in your living room, our 2nd birthday is shaping up to be a memorable one. We’re looking forward to all the other new things 2017 will bring. From our screen to yours. ...
Malik Ducard, YouTube’s Global Head of Family and Learning, recently watched “
A Pep Talk from Kid President
.”
More parental controls available in YouTube Kids starting today
Thursday, November 17, 2016
Since we launched YouTube Kids less than two years ago, we’ve seen families across the globe download the app tens of millions of times and rank it consistently among the top 5 apps in the App Store and give it an overall 4+ ranking on Google Play.
Along the way, we’ve also received helpful feedback from parents on how we can make the app even better. Parents have told us they want more control over how their kids watch content in the YouTube Kids app. Today, we’re rolling out a new feature that continues to put parents in the driver’s seat so they can decide what content is right for their family.
Let’s say you don’t want your little one watching a DIY video that shows them how to make gooey slime, or maybe you want them to take a break from watching certain sing-a-long videos. Well, now you can block videos or channels from their experience by signing into the app.
Block videos using the 3 dot menu next to any video or channel
To sign in you will be asked to send yourself a parental consent email.
And the best part is that because you’re logged in, the videos and channels you block in YouTube Kids will remain consistent across all your devices. And as a parent, if you change your mind, you can unblock all restricted videos or channels at once. It’s that easy! This update will be available in: the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Argentina, Colombia, Mexico, Chile, Peru, Brazil, Nigeria, Kenya, South Africa, Ghana, Uganda, Zimbabwe, Tanzania, Malaysia, Philippines, India, and Singapore.
This new feature follows other ways families can already customize their YouTube Kids experience:
Learn how the app works:
When parents open YouTube Kids, we explain upfront how our systems choose and recommend content and how to flag videos. We also prompt you to make a choice about how broadly you want your child to explore—turn search on to access millions of family-friendly videos, or turn search off to restrict your child’s experience to a more limited set.
Timer:
Let the app be the bad guy with a built-in timer that lets you limit kids’ screen time. The app alerts your child when the session is over, so you don’t have to.
YouTube Kids on the big screen:
Watch YouTube Kids as a family on your big screen. Now YouTube Kids is available on your TV, using Chromecast, Apple TV, game consoles or a smartTV.
Age-based customization:
When you first open the app, you can select from three general age groups (preschool, school age or all kids) making the initial home screen reflect videos that may interest children in that age range.
Stay tuned for more to come and in the meantime happy viewing!
Balaji Srinivasan, father of two girls and YouTube Kids Senior Software Engineer, recently watched "
Hexaflexagons
."
YouTube Kids now works with YouTube Red
Wednesday, August 3, 2016
Back in October we launched YouTube Red, a paid membership that makes everything you love about YouTube even better, with benefits like videos free of paid ads, offline videos, and background play. Since then we’ve heard from families that they’d love the option of these features in the
YouTube Kids app
. So today we’re excited to say it’s here - the YouTube Kids app now works with YouTube Red in the U.S., Australia, and New Zealand!
Parents who sign up for YouTube Red enable a whole new set of features for the family to enjoy, including:
Ad-free videos: Let your kids learn and laugh along with their favorite characters without paid ads.
Offline videos: In the car or on grandma’s couch—automatically have videos when you need ‘em, even if you don’t have a connection.
Uninterrupted music: Keep family sing-alongs going while you use other apps on your phone.
To get started, all parents need is the YouTube Kids app and a
YouTube Red
membership. Then, just sign in to your YouTube Red account from the parental controls section of the YouTube Kids app and follow a few simple steps. Once that’s done, your little one’s ready to sing and play along with
Mother Goose Club
or go on an adventure with
Talking Tom
and his gang.
And we’ve got even more updates to YouTube Kids on the way. Over the next few months we’ll be making some changes to the app that’ll give parents more choice on how to customize the content that appears or doesn’t appear in their YouTube Kids experience.
Until then, we hope you and the family enjoy YouTube Kids with YouTube Red benefits in the U.S., Australia, and New Zealand.
If you haven't already, take YouTube Red for a spin with this
free 30-day trial
.
A.J. Crane, Product Manager, recently watched "
Beat the Heat Hacks | LIFE HACKS FOR KIDS
" on DreamWorksTV.
More for your family in the YouTube Kids app
Thursday, October 1, 2015
It’s been a busy few months for YouTube Kids. In February, we released our app, designed especially for kids, to bring to life the best family-friendly content on YouTube. Since then, families have downloaded YouTube Kids more than 8 million times, consistently ranked YouTube Kids in the top 5 kids apps in the App Store, given an overall 4+ rating on Google Play and watched
Stampy Cat
explore the world of Minecraft more than 54 million times.
Not bad for a seven-month old.
When we announced the app, we said YouTube Kids was our first step in reimagining YouTube for families. And we’re always looking for ways to make it even better. So today we’re sharing some new ways we're helping parents and kids enjoy the family content they love:
Discover new videos and watch in new ways
Watch YouTube Kids on the big screen:
Want to enjoy your favorite videos as a family? Now you can, using Chromecast, Apple TV, game consoles or a smartTV.
Explore new videos with guest-curated playlists:
Have a budding scientist or eager explorer on your hands? Find out what videos educators, celebs and other parents recommend with guest-created playlists. Playlists from
National Geographic Kids
,
Kid President
, and a
girl power-themed playlist
from Academy Award®-winning actor Geena Davis are already live—and more are coming soon from YouTube creators including
Vsauce
and
Amy Poehler's Smart Girls
.
Enjoy new shows:
New videos are produced and uploaded to YouTube Kids every day—including exciting original shows and series from
HooplaKidz
,
TuTiTu
,
SciShow Kids
,
DreamWorksTV
and more.
Features just for parents
Learn how the app works:
We also want to make it easier to get started using the app. When parents open YouTube Kids, we’ll explain upfront how our systems choose and recommend content and how to flag videos. We’ll also prompt you to make a choice about how broadly you want your child to explore—turn search
on
to access millions of family-friendly videos, or turn search
off
to restrict your child’s experience to a more limited set. Either way, parents decide the right experience for their family from the get-go. This will roll out on the app in the coming weeks.
Customize your passcode:
We’ve also heard some parents prefer a personal passcode, rather than a spelled-out code, so we’ve added this option to access parental controls.
We always try to make the videos available in the app family-friendly, but no system is perfect. So if you ever find a video you’re concerned about, please flag it. This helps make YouTube Kids better for everyone.
In fact, many of these updates are a result of the great feedback you’ve given us. As you explore YouTube’s library, from "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" to learning about the solar system, we’re growing with you. And we’re always excited to hear how we can better help your family explore, learn and sing along.
Posted by Shimrit Ben-Yair, mother of two and YouTube Kids Director of Product Management, who recently enjoyed learning about volcanoes on
SciShow Kids
and relaxing with Cosmic Kids Yoga’s
Calming Playlist
with her kids.
Introducing the newest member of our family, the YouTube Kids app--available on Google Play and the App Store
Monday, February 23, 2015
Like most parents, I love helping my kids learn more about something they're interested in. For example, right now, I spend a lot of time on YouTube with my 3-year-old son, who loves watching videos of car washes,
Super Simple Songs
, and about the universe. We’re not the only ones: Families worldwide are watching millions of videos on YouTube. And lately, those of us at YouTube have been working on a new way for our kids—and yours—to discover and explore videos on every topic in, well, the universe.
Today, we’re introducing the YouTube Kids app,
the first Google product
built from the ground up with little ones in mind. The app makes it safer and easier for children to find videos on topics they want to explore, and is available for free on
Google Play
and the
App Store
in the U.S.
Bright and playful design
Your 4-year-old may already be a swiping expert, but the app’s design makes it even easier to find
Pocoyo
or the latest episode of
Sesame Street
’s
The Furchester Hotel
. With larger images, bold icons and more, it’s fast and simple for little thumbs to navigate. And we’ve built in voice search so that even if your child can’t spell or type, they can still find videos of things they’re curious about.
Family-focused content
For years, families have come to YouTube, watching countless hours of videos on all kinds of topics. Now, parents can rest a little easier knowing that videos in the YouTube Kids app are narrowed down to content appropriate for kids. You can browse channels and playlists in four categories: Shows, Music, Learning and Explore. Or search for videos of particular interest to your family, like how to build a model volcano, math tutorials, the amazing (and endless) world of trains—and everything in between.
Along with favorites from
DreamWorksTV
,
Jim Henson TV
,
Mother Goose Club
,
Talking Tom and Friends
and more, your kids can watch new series from YouTube channels they already like. Discover new facts about
dinosaurs
from
National Geographic Kids
; learn about technology from
Reading Rainbow
; or watch
Thomas the Tank Engine
leave the world of Sodor for the first time in 70 years to travel the globe. Plus, more new videos are coming soon from beloved YouTubers like John and Hank Green of the
Vlogbrothers
and
Stampylonghead
.
Parental controls
We realize every family is different, so we’ve built options into the app that help you control the experience for your kids:
Timer
: Let the app be the bad guy with a built-in timer that lets you limit kids’ screen time. The app alerts your child when the session is over, so you don’t have to. (You’re welcome. ;) )
Sound settings
: Sometimes you need a little peace and quiet! You have an option to turn off background music and sound effects, so your kids can keep watching while you catch a breather.
Search settings
: If you’d rather limit your children to just the pre-selected videos available on the home screen, you can turn off search.
Product feedback
: Our goal is to improve YouTube Kids all the time, so we’ve included a space for you to give us your feedback.
YouTube Kids is available for free starting today in the U.S. on
Google Play
and the
App Store
, and will soon be available on Kurio and nabi kids’ tablets.
This is the first step toward reimagining YouTube for families, but with your help, the app will continue to get better over time. We’re excited to start this chapter with you—so from our family to yours, enjoy!
Shimrit Ben-Yair, mother of two and YouTube Kids Group Product Manager, recently watched
“How Big is the Universe”
with her kids, along with countless “car wash” videos.
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