Get It Now!
Devices: iPhone • iPod Touch • iPad • Android • PC
YouTube Kids
YouTube Kids was created to give kids a more contained environment filled with family-friendly videos on all different topics.
ABOUT
YouTube Kids is a great alternative to letting your child use YouTube.com on the web, but don’t be fooled into believing it’s a truly safe environment for your child.
The app has been riddled with controversy since its launch, particularly around the content that kids can find within the app. The videos that are shown are all from YouTube, just filtered based on what it believes is safe kid content. This is based primarily on how videos are uploaded to YouTube and the settings of those videos (kid audience only), however, that doesn’t prohibit non-kid friendly content from getting through to the app, just as it doesn’t on YouTube.com.
The app is clear on what data they collect on your child which is pretty extensive, though not surprising. Google collects the device type and its settings, plus IP address. It also collects app activity, such as what your child watches, the search terms they use, plus their interactions with videos and ads in the app. It also collects voice information if your child uses the audio features, which made us very uncomfortable.
Like on YouTube.com there ads within the app, all targeted towards kids. The ads go through a different ad approval process than standard ads on the web which is encouraging.
SCREENSHOTS
GAME PLAY
To use the app, a parent must first go through the parent controls, which require age verification to unlock. You’ll need to sign-in with a Google account and create a profile for your child to customize what they can and can’t see. If you skip the sign-in process you’ll be able to select the age range for your child, where YouTube will then customize what video options are shown. The age ranges are Preschool, Younger (ages 5-7), and Older (ages 8-12). Parent features include the ability to report videos, review what your child has watched, and set a timer to lock the app.
Once the app is set up, a child can browse through the categories or do a search for the video content they are looking for. Not all videos that would be shown on YouTube.com under a specific search term will appear in the app.
REVIEWS
YouTube Kids
- Value
- Privacy
- Educational Value
- Ads
- In-app Purchases
- Editor Rating
2.1
Summary
If you want to allow your child to watch YouTube videos unsupervised this is a good alternative to the main website. Setting up parental controls with a Google account is highly advisable so you can limit what your child can engage with. Like all Google products, privacy is greatly lacking.
Pros
Safer than standard YouTube website
Easier to find quality content, like PBS Kids
Cons
Ads
Privacy concerns
Inappropriate content still accessible
Sending
