You may have been hearing rumors of a kids only YouTube. Well, it’s finally landed. The YouTube Kids app is here. It’s freely available for download on Google Play and the iTunes App Store plus, it’s soon to be rolled out to users of Kurio and nabi kids’ tablets.
The new YouTube app is the first Google app that’s purpose-built for the entertainment and safety of kids aged five and younger. Quite frankly, anything which means not having to spend hours sifting through Minecraft channels, to find the no swearing ones, definitely wins my vote.
All YouTube content goes through a manual and automated screening process before it’s ever released to viewers. And even after it’s release, if a parent or aunt encounter something less than desirable, there’s the option to report it.
Here’s a sneak peak of the YouTube Kids App:
The child-friendly interface with large buttons and a big, bright full screen, makes it super easy for kids to navigate and access all manner of age-appropriate content.
Little ones can watch their favorite shows like Sesame Street and Thomas & Friends, as well as listen to music, learn about the world around them, play games and explore a bunch of other fun stuff.
As you would expect of any device that connects kids to the Internet, there is a parental control feature. This manages the volume/background sounds and restricts the level of search functionality to content that’s been pre selected by an adult.
And, if you’re one of those aunties who struggles with limiting screen time (because us auntie types are prone to letting our niblings get away with stuff their parents wouldn’t), there’s even a built-in timer that will do the job for you.
If you live outside of the US, don’t get too excited just yet. The YouTube Kids app is only available to the folks who dwell States side. Non-US folks, like me, have yet to welcome the joy of a child-friendly YouTube into our homes. We wait with bated breath.
