Where to start: Read TikTok’s comprehensive Guardian’s Guide.ĭefault settings: For teens ages 13 to 15, accounts are automatically set to private, which means no one can see their videos. TikTokĭespite concerns around TikTok’s impact on teens, the video-sharing app offers some of the most comprehensive safety features, according to my own review and several safety experts I spoke with. What’s next: A YouTube spokeswoman said the company has nothing new to share yet. What’s missing: A way for parents to block categories of content such as videos of kids playing videogames, or an easy way to make a list of approved channels or content categories. You will have to do it wherever the kid is logged in-and your kids can undo it. Parents can also block specific channels on supervised accounts.įor those 13 or older, parents can use restricted mode, which helps filter undesirable content, directly in the YouTube app or browser. And the third option lets them watch anything that isn’t labeled 18+. The second grants access to channels deemed OK for kids 13 and up, including live streams. Supervised YouTube accounts offer three different content settings: One allows kids to watch channels approved for viewers 9 and older, with no live streams.
Which platforms do you think offer the best parental controls? Join the conversation below. (For YouTube alone, Family Link isn’t required.) You can’t create a supervised YouTube account for children over 13 unless you previously gave them a supervised Google account and you still manage it.
You can also download Google’s Family Link app, which lets you set screen-time limits on YouTube and other apps on your child’s Android and Chrome devices, and to manage other online activities. This YouTube video and help page explains how. Opt-in settings: Parents on either iOS or Android can give their kid a supervised account for YouTube viewing. Take-a-break and bedtime reminders are also on by default for these users, and autoplay is off.
Where to start: For an overview of YouTube’s approach to protecting kids, read this blog post.ĭefault settings: YouTube makes video uploads private by default for accounts created by minors, so their videos can only be seen via direct link. The YouTube Kids app has a high bar for content, but children outgrow it quickly, so YouTube developed supervised accounts for kids under 13 in the U.S.
With that in mind, here’s what to know about social-media parental controls and how to use them: YouTube Parental controls aren’t perfect-and kids can find ways around them. DO have ongoing conversations with your kids about keeping safe online.