Guides for safer YouTube
Short, practical walkthroughs for parents. Set up devices properly and take control of what your kids watch.
Build a blocking plan
Answer five questions and get the right account, device and content steps.
Check a channel
Paste a channel for its public YouTube facts, plus our notes if we have reviewed it.
See video drift
Follow five checked channel links and see how far the topic moves in a few steps.
Block a channel
Find a guide for a named channel, what it shows and how to block it.
Block a topic
Brainrot, gambling, horror and more, with rules to paste.
YouTube parental controls: the complete guide
Everything parents need to control YouTube: Restricted Mode, supervised accounts, YouTube Kids, device setup and channel blocking, in one place.
9 min readYouTube tipsWhat kids' YouTube channels actually publish
Data from 80 channels and 3,832 recent uploads shows upload pace, video length, short video share and made for kids status.
6 min readYouTube tipsHow much of kids' YouTube is Shorts?
We measured 3,832 uploads from 80 channels. YouTube exposes no Shorts flag, so this report gives the closest honest upper bound.
5 min readYouTube tipsHow to block YouTube Shorts
YouTube has no real off switch for Shorts. Here is what the built-in options actually do, and how to remove Shorts completely on your child's computer.
5 min readYouTube tipsHow to block a YouTube channel
YouTube's block options only hide recommendations. Every way to block a channel for your child, including search results and direct links.
5 min readDevice setupSet up a standard account for your child on Windows
Step-by-step instructions to change your child's Windows account to a standard user, so parental controls stick. Covers Windows 11 and Windows 10.
5 min readDevice setupSet up a standard account for your child on a Mac
Turn your child's Mac account into a standard (non-admin) user in System Settings, so they can't undo parental controls. Works on Ventura and later.
5 min readYouTube tipsHow to turn off YouTube autoplay for kids
YouTube's autoplay switch sits right on the player, where any kid can flip it back on. Here is how to turn it off so it actually stays off.
4 min readYouTube tipsHow the YouTube algorithm pulls kids into rabbit holes
Why YouTube's recommendations drift toward ever more extreme versions of whatever your child watches, and the four levers that actually slow it down.
6 min readComparisonsThe best parental controls for YouTube in 2026
Family Link, Bark, Qustodio, Mobicip and Vidward compared honestly: what each one actually controls on YouTube, and where each falls short.
8 min readComparisonsBark vs Qustodio: which controls YouTube?
Bark alerts you about what your child saw. Qustodio manages devices and time. Neither gives you your own rules inside YouTube. An honest comparison.
5 min readComparisonsVidward vs Bark: an honest comparison
Bark watches your child's whole digital life and alerts you. Vidward controls YouTube itself. Which problem do you need solved? Often both.
4 min readComparisonsVidward vs Qustodio: an honest comparison
Qustodio manages screen time and apps. Vidward filters what YouTube actually shows. Which one fits depends on which fight is in your house.
4 min readComparisonsDoes Family Link block YouTube Shorts?
Family Link can set a supervised account's Shorts feed limit to zero, but it does not remove Shorts from YouTube. See what each control changes.
4 min readYouTube tipsHow to make YouTube safe for kids without YouTube Kids
Your child has outgrown YouTube Kids but is not ready for the open feed. The realistic middle path, from supervised accounts to real filters.
6 min readDevice setupYouTube parental controls on a school Chromebook
School-managed Chromebooks follow the district's rules, not yours. What you can actually control at home, and what to ask the school for.
5 min readDevice setupHow to block YouTube on Windows
Use Microsoft Family Safety or a Windows hosts file to block YouTube. See what each method covers and when a YouTube filter fits better.
6 min readDevice setupHow to block YouTube on a Mac
Use Screen Time to block YouTube in Safari on a Mac. Learn its browser limit, lock the setting, and choose a less blunt option when needed.
5 min readDevice setupHow to block YouTube on a Chromebook
Use Family Link to block YouTube on a personal Chromebook. School-managed devices need an admin change, so first check who controls it.
5 min readDevice setupHow to block YouTube in Chrome
Chrome has no site block switch for a regular profile. Use Family Link for a child account, or keep YouTube and filter what appears inside it.
6 min readDevice setupHow to block YouTube on Microsoft Edge
Microsoft Family Safety can block YouTube in Edge for one child. Set the site rule, close browser workarounds, and test it from their account.
5 min readDevice setupHow to block YouTube on a school laptop
Parents usually cannot change a school-managed laptop. Check who owns the controls, what to ask the school for, and what you can set at home.
5 min readDevice setupHow to block the YouTube website, not the app
Block youtube.com on one computer or browser without changing the YouTube app elsewhere. Pick a per-device rule, not a network-wide block.
5 min readDevice setupHow to block YouTube for one user account
Target a child's Windows, Mac, or Chromebook account without blocking YouTube for everyone. Browser profiles alone are not a secure boundary.
6 min readDevice setupHow to block YouTube on iPhone
Block the YouTube app and website on a child's iPhone with Screen Time. Set the passcode, close Safari access, and check each limit.
5 min readDevice setupHow to block YouTube on iPad
Use Screen Time to limit the YouTube app and block its website on an iPad. Learn which settings need a passcode and how to test them.
5 min readDevice setupHow to block YouTube on Android
Use Family Link to block the YouTube app and site on a child's Android device. See the local device options and current YouTube controls.
5 min readDevice setupHow to block YouTube on an Amazon Fire tablet
Keep YouTube out of an Amazon Kids profile and close its web path on a Fire tablet. Learn what the child profile covers and what to test.
5 min readDevice setupHow to block YouTube on a smart TV
Lock or hide the YouTube app on Google TV, Samsung, and LG sets. If your TV has no app lock, target that TV through your router or DNS.
5 min readDevice setupHow to block YouTube on a Fire TV Stick
Use an Amazon Kids profile to keep YouTube off a Fire TV Stick. Learn why the regular Fire TV PIN is not a named app block and what to do next.
5 min readDevice setupHow to block YouTube on Apple TV
Apple TV has rating and purchase restrictions, but no simple YouTube app lock. See what its PIN covers and when to block the device at the router.
5 min readDevice setupHow to block YouTube on Nintendo Switch
Nintendo's Child and Pre-Teen restriction levels block the YouTube app on Switch. Switch 2 cannot run the app now. Here is what to set and test.
4 min readDevice setupHow to block YouTube on Xbox
Block the YouTube app for one Xbox child account with Microsoft Family Safety, then close the Edge website path and test the right profile.
5 min readDevice setupHow to block YouTube on a PlayStation
PS5 controls apps by age rating, not by a YouTube deny list. Set up the child account, test the rating rule, and use a router block if it stays open.
5 min readDevice setupHow to block YouTube on your router
Use a router app block or device schedule to stop YouTube at home. Learn why DNS lists miss paths, break embeds, and affect the whole network.
7 min readDevice setupHow to block YouTube with DNS
DNS can block YouTube domains, but it also breaks embeds and misses common bypasses. See what to test before changing your home resolver.
6 min readDevice setupHow to block YouTube with Pi-hole
Use Pi-hole groups and domain deny rules to block YouTube on selected home devices. See the app gaps, DNS bypasses, and Google service damage.
6 min readDevice setupHow to block YouTube with OpenDNS
Set an OpenDNS Home domain block for YouTube, then test every app and Google tool. FamilyShield cannot create this custom rule.
6 min readDevice setupHow to block YouTube on a TP-Link router
Use TP-Link HomeShield to block the YouTube app or schedule a child's devices offline. See which controls need a plan and what DNS misses.
6 min readDevice setupHow to block YouTube on an ASUS router
Use ASUS Web & Apps Filters or Time Scheduling for a child's devices. The URL filter is home wide and cannot target one device.
6 min readDevice setupHow to block YouTube on eero
Use eero Plus to block YouTube domains for a Profile, or schedule a full internet pause. Learn what the block misses outside the home.
6 min readDevice setupHow to block YouTube on Xfinity WiFi
Use Xfinity Downtime for a full schedule, or the Gateway Admin Tool when it offers site blocking. The xFi app has no YouTube switch.
6 min readDevice setupHow to block YouTube on BT and Sky Broadband
Use BT site and access controls or Sky Broadband Shield and WiFi Max profiles. Learn which rules cover the home and which stop all internet.
7 min readDevice setupHow to block YouTube at certain times
Schedule a router profile or device control to stop YouTube at night. Learn why timed DNS lists miss paths and what still works off wifi.
6 min readComparisonsVidward vs Net Nanny for YouTube
Net Nanny monitors YouTube and manages devices. Vidward sets channel, video, keyword and format rules inside YouTube on a computer.
5 min readComparisonsVidward vs Canopy for YouTube
Canopy filters explicit images, video and text across a device. Vidward gives parents their own rules inside YouTube on a computer.
5 min readComparisonsGoogle Family Link vs Vidward for YouTube
Family Link adds broad YouTube content levels, channel blocks and time limits. Vidward adds rules for channels, keywords, videos and formats.
6 min readComparisonsApple Screen Time vs Vidward for YouTube
Screen Time limits apps, sites and device use. Vidward filters the channels, videos, keywords and formats a child sees inside YouTube.
5 min readYouTube tipsYouTube Restricted Mode: what it filters
Restricted Mode screens some mature videos and hides comments. Learn what it checks, what still gets through and how to enforce tighter rules.
6 min readYouTube tipsYouTube supervised accounts: a parent guide
Explore, Explore more and Most of YouTube open very different catalogs. See what each setting includes and what changes at the teen years.
7 min readComparisonsA YouTube Kids alternative for older kids
YouTube Kids can feel too small for older children. Compare its closed app with supervised YouTube and parent-set rules in the full site.
6 min readComparisonsThe best YouTube Kids alternatives in 2026
YouTube Kids, supervised accounts, Safe Vision, Kivvie, Tubsy, ViewPure and Vidward compared by the job each tool actually does.
8 min readComparisonsViewPure alternatives for teachers and parents
ViewPure's old domain is now parked. Compare clean one-video players with tools that control a child's wider YouTube use.
5 min read