Guides/Device setup
How 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.
Updated Aug 10, 2026 · 4 min read
Check which Switch you have
On the original Nintendo Switch, the Child and Pre-Teen parental control levels block the YouTube app. Teen and Not Restricted leave it open.
Nintendo says the Switch YouTube app does not work on Nintendo Switch 2 at this time. There is nothing to block there unless a later app becomes available.
Block YouTube on Nintendo Switch
You can set the restriction from the Nintendo Switch Parental Controls phone app or from the console.
- 1
On the Switch Home Menu, open System Settings, then Parental Controls, then Parental Controls Settings.
- 2
Choose Use Your Smart Device or Use This Console. Link the phone app if you choose the first route.
- 3
Set the Restriction Level to Pre-Teen or Child. Create a PIN the child does not know.
- 4
Return to the Home Menu and open YouTube. The console should ask for the parental control PIN.
- 5
Put the console to sleep, wake it, and test again. Nintendo reapplies parental controls after sleep.
Nintendo confirms the two blocking levels in its Switch YouTube guide.
This is an age based software rule. It can also block games rated above the chosen level. Nintendo does not offer a simple YouTube only deny switch in the standard family settings.
If your child needs a Teen rated game, review the custom Restricted Software settings and test both that game and YouTube. Do not share the PIN as a routine way to open games because it also opens the YouTube app.
Nintendo Switch 2 needs no rule now
Nintendo's current support page says the Switch YouTube app is not compatible with Nintendo Switch 2. The app cannot be installed or launched there.
Check the Nintendo eShop compatibility page again if that changes. A future Switch 2 app may use a different parental control rule.
If the console rule is too broad
Use a router or DNS block aimed at the Switch. This is useful when the child needs Teen rated games but YouTube must stay closed.
In your router, select the Switch from the device list and block YouTube as a
service. If the router only accepts domains, start with youtube.com,
youtu.be, youtube-nocookie.com, and googlevideo.com. Restart the console
and test the app.
Do not apply that rule to the whole network unless every home device should lose YouTube.
Keep YouTube with account limits
The Switch app supports supervised child accounts. Google now lets the linked parent block a named channel and set the daily Shorts feed limit to zero.
Those settings keep the app open for the supervised account. They are not a full console block and do not cover an adult or guest YouTube session.
Vidward does not run on Nintendo Switch. It is a browser extension for the desktop, plus a parent dashboard. If the child also watches on a computer, see how to block YouTube in Chrome.