How to block YouTube on a smart TV

Start with the TV system

There is no one smart TV menu. Google TV uses child profiles. Current Samsung and LG sets can lock a named app with a PIN. Other brands and older models may offer only age ratings or purchase controls.

Find the TV's brand, model, and software name under Settings, Support, or About. Then use the matching method below.

Google TV: hide YouTube from a child profile

Google TV child profiles let a parent choose which apps the child can open. They are not available in every country or on every device.

1. 1

   From the Google TV home screen, select the profile picture. Choose Add account, then Add a child.

2. 2

   Choose the apps for the child's home screen. Leave YouTube off the list.

3. 3

   Open All settings, then Accounts and profiles, then the child's profile. Turn on Child lock.

4. 4

   Under the same profile, open Manage apps and make sure the box beside YouTube is clear.

5. 5

   Switch to the child profile and test YouTube. Then try to leave the profile without the adult PIN.

Google keeps the current path in its Google TV parental control guide.

Samsung TV: lock the YouTube app

On current Samsung sets, press 123 on the remote and open All Settings. Go to General and Privacy, Parental Settings, then App Lock. Select YouTube, choose Lock, and enter the TV PIN.

A padlock should appear on the app. Open YouTube from the home row and from search to confirm that both ask for the PIN.

Samsung publishes these steps in its smart TV parental control guide. Menu names can differ on older models.

LG TV: use Application Lock

Open Settings, then the Safety area. The full path varies by webOS version. On recent sets it sits under General, System, Safety. Turn Safety on and replace the default password.

Choose Application Lock, select YouTube, and save the rule. LG notes that the lock does not take effect at once if the app is already open. Close YouTube or restart the TV before testing.

LG lists the paths by webOS version in its TV safety guide.

If your TV has no named app lock

Age ratings are a poor fit for one app. They may block several streaming apps and still leave YouTube open if its local rating falls below the limit.

Use your router or DNS service instead:

1. 1

   In the router app or admin page, identify the TV and give it a fixed device name or reserved address.

2. 2

   Look for Parental controls, Blocked services, or Content filter. Apply the rule to the TV, not the whole home network.

3. 3

   Block YouTube as a service if the router offers that choice. If it uses a DNS deny list, start with youtube.com, youtu.be, youtube-nocookie.com, and googlevideo.com.

4. 4

   Restart the TV, then test the app, search, and a cast from a phone. Add ytimg.com only if thumbnails or another open path remain.

A DNS block can also break YouTube videos embedded in other apps. If the router cannot target one device, the rule may affect every phone and computer on your wifi.

Keep YouTube with narrower controls

Google now lets a linked parent block named channels for a supervised child account. Family Center can also set the daily Shorts feed limit to zero. A supervised child account works on eligible smart TVs when the child signs in.

Those settings keep YouTube available. They do not lock the app for guests or other TV profiles.

Vidward cannot filter a smart TV. It is a desktop browser extension plus a parent dashboard, not a TV app or network filter. If your child also watches on a computer, see how to block YouTube in Chrome.