While YouTube has tons of videos; which can be watched by children of all age groups, it also has content which is not suitable for children. What is even more concerning is the presence of videos on YouTube that appear like versions of popular cartoons, but contain disturbing and inappropriate content; which is clearly not suitable for children.
Thousands of videos on YouTube look like versions of popular cartoons but contain disturbing and inappropriate content not suitable for children – BBC
You can prevent the possibility of your children being exposed to inappropriate content by making use of “Restricted Mode” Filtering as available in YouTube. Once the “Restricted Mode” filter is enabled in YouTube, it will automatically filter out objectionable YouTube videos.
Related: How to Use YouTube In Picture-in-Picture (PiP) Mode.
Enable Restricted Mode on YouTube
You can find below the steps to Enable Restricted Mode in YouTube on iPhone, Android Phone, Windows PC and MacBook.
1. Enable YouTube Restricted Mode On iPhone
You can follow the steps below to enable and use YouTube Restricted on iPhone or iPad.
1. Open the YouTube App on your iPhone > tap on Profile Icon and select Settings in the menu that appears.
2. On the Settings screen, tap on General > On the next screen, move the toggle next to Restricted Mode to ON position.
2. Enable YouTube Restricted Mode On Android Phone
Follow the steps below to Enable YouTube Restricted Mode on YouTube App for Android Phones and Tablets
1. Open YouTube App > tap on the 3-dots Menu icon located at top right corner and select Settings in the menu that appears.
2. On YouTube Settings screen, tap on General > On the next screen, enable Restricted Mode by moving the toggle to ON position.
3. Enable YouTube Restricted Mode on Windows PC and Mac
Follow the steps below to Turn on YouTube Restricted Mode on a Windows PC or MacBook.
1. Open the web browser on your computer and go to www.youtube.com.
2. Once you are on YouTube, click on 3-dots Icon located at top-right corner and select Restricted Mode option in the menu that appears.
3. On pop-up, move the toggle next to Activate Restricted Mode to ON position.
If you are signed-in to YouTube, click on your Profile Icon and select Restricted Mode option in the menu that appears.
On pop-up, move the toggle next to Activate Restricted Mode to ON position to enable restricted mode for YouTube on your computer.
More About YouTube Restricted Mode
1. Restricted Mode works only at browser and device level; which means the Restricted Mode filtering needs to be switched-on separately for each device and browsers that you use on those devices.
2. When Restricted Mode is enabled, you won’t be able to see comments on Videos that you are watching.
3. You can Lock Restricted Mode by logging into YouTube and clicking on “Save and Lock Safety Mode” instead of “Save“. This will keep the YouTube Restricted Mode always enabled for anyone using your device.
You also need to be aware that YouTube Restricted Mode Filtering may not always work as intended. This is due to the fact that YouTube relies on Video Title, Description, Metadata and Community Feedback to filter inappropriate Videos.
Hence, it is possible for an inappropriate video to bypass YouTube Restricted Mode, until it is Flagged by the community as being inappropriate or containing content; which is not suitable for Children.