YouTube and Disney+ both have solid parental controls, but they work differently. YouTube gives you three choices depending on your child’s age: the separate YouTube Kids app, a supervised account for kids under 13, or supervision for teens. Disney+ uses settings on each profile. Here’s how to set up each one.
Fast Facts About YouTube and Disney+ Parental Controls
- YouTube Kids has four content levels: Preschool (4 and under), Younger (5 to 8), Older (9 to 12), and Approve content yourself, where your child can’t search.[3]
- Supervised YouTube accounts for kids under 13 come in three levels, built for viewers 9 and up, 13 and up, and 16 and up.[2]
- Teen supervision needs both you and your teen to agree, and either of you can turn it off.[5]
- Parents of supervised teens can limit time spent scrolling YouTube Shorts.[5][6]
- On Disney+, set a content rating on each profile, add a 4-digit PIN, and require a password to create new profiles.[9]
Which YouTube Setup Fits Your Child?
| Option | Best for | What your child sees |
|---|---|---|
| YouTube Kids app | Young children | A separate app with videos filtered by age level, or only videos you pick[3] |
| Supervised account (under 13) | Tweens ready for the main YouTube app | Regular YouTube, limited by the content level you choose[1][2] |
| Supervised teen account (13 to 17) | Teens with their own Google Account | Regular YouTube, with insights and wellbeing reminders for you[5] |
How to Set Up YouTube Kids
YouTube Kids lets you pick one of four content levels for each child:[3]
- Preschool (4 and under): creativity, learning and play, like crafts, nursery rhymes and read-alongs.
- Younger (5 to 8): a wider range, including gaming, songs, cartoons and how-to videos.
- Older (9 to 12): more grown-up music, gaming, vlogs, comedy and sports.
- Approve content yourself: your child can only watch the videos, channels and collections you hand-pick, and can’t search.
To change the level with Family Link, open the Family Link app, select your child, tap Controls, then YouTube, and adjust the YouTube Kids settings.[3] For the youngest children, “Approve content yourself” is the tightest setting, because no search means no surprises.
How to Set Up a Supervised YouTube Account for Kids Under 13
A supervised account lets your child use the main YouTube app with limits. You can create one in any of these ways:[1]
- From your YouTube app: sign in with your Google Account, go to Settings, open Family Center, and choose “add a kid account.”
- From families.youtube.com: sign in with the Google Account you use to manage your child’s account.
- From Family Link: select your child, then Controls, then YouTube, then YouTube & YouTube Music, and follow the steps.
Then pick a content level:[2]
- Older kids generally aligns with content ratings for viewers 9 and up, such as vlogs, tutorials, gaming, music videos and educational videos.
- Teens generally aligns with ratings for viewers 13 and up and adds live streams and broader content. Your child can read comments but not write them.
- Older teens covers almost everything on YouTube except videos marked 18+.
Supervision for Teens
Teens 13 to 17 with their own Google Account can link with a parent. Either of you can start it, but both have to agree before supervision turns on, and either of you can turn it off.[5] With supervision on, you can:[4][5]
- See your teen’s channel activity in Family Center, including how many videos they’ve uploaded, how many live streams they’ve hosted, how many comments they’ve posted and how many channels they subscribe to.
- Get email updates when your teen posts a new video or starts a live stream.
- Set Take a Break and bedtime reminders.
- Limit how much time your teen spends scrolling Shorts.
In January 2026, YouTube added custom Bedtime and Take a Break schedules for supervised accounts and said parents would soon be able to set the Shorts timer to zero.[6] Teens can open Family Center too, and see who they’re linked to.[4] Supervision works best when it’s something you set up together, not a secret.
Restricted Mode and YouTube’s Age Estimation
Restricted Mode is an optional setting that helps screen out mature videos. It works per browser or device, so you have to turn it on in each browser and each profile. If you turn it on through Family Link, your child can’t change it on any device they’re signed in to.[8] YouTube notes that its quality can vary by language and culture.[8]
Age estimation: in July 2025, YouTube began rolling out machine learning in the US that estimates whether a user is under 18, starting with a small set of users. It uses signals such as the kinds of videos someone searches for and watches and how long the account has existed. When it decides a user is a teen, it turns off personalized ads, turns on digital wellbeing tools and limits repetitive views of some kinds of content. An adult flagged by mistake can verify their age with a credit card or ID.[7]
Disney+ Parental Controls
Disney+ manages controls on each profile, and you can only change them in a web browser or the Disney+ mobile app.[9]
- Content rating: go to your profiles, select Edit Profiles, choose the profile, then under Parental Controls select Content rating, enter your password and pick a rating. Shows and movies rated higher won’t appear when your child browses or searches. Adult profiles default to TV-MA.[9]
- Junior Mode: a simpler interface with only content suitable for all ages and no ads. Turn on Kid-Proof Exit so a young child can’t switch to another profile without solving a challenge.[9]
- Profile PIN: set a 4-digit PIN on your own profile so your child can’t use it. If you forget it, you can reset it with your account password.[9]
- Restrict profile creation: in your Account settings, turn on Restrict profile creation, so a password is needed to create a new profile.[9]
- Unrated titles: the setting “Allow titles without ratings like live sports, news, and more” is on by default on regular profiles. Live content and live ads may include adult themes, so turn it off on a child’s profile.[9]
Two Settings That Matter More Than Filters
For young children, pediatricians suggest making a playlist of good videos and turning off autoplay, so the algorithm doesn’t decide what plays next.[10] Watching together, and talking about what you see, helps more than any filter.[10] For limits that fit each age, see screen time for kids by age.
Take the 2-Minute Screen Time Check
See how screens fit into your child’s day, from bedtime to family meals, and get a plan for what to change first. Start the Screen Time Check
Frequently Asked Questions
Is YouTube Kids safe for young children?
It’s safer than the main app, and the “Approve content yourself” setting is the tightest, because your child can only watch what you pick and can’t search.[3] No filter is perfect, so stay nearby with younger kids.
What’s the difference between YouTube Kids and a supervised account?
YouTube Kids is a separate app with its own filtered content. A supervised account uses the main YouTube app, limited by the content level you choose.[1][3]
Can I see what my teen does on YouTube?
With teen supervision, you can see channel activity, such as uploads, comments, live streams and subscriptions, and get email updates when they post. Your teen has to agree to link accounts.[4][5]
Can I limit YouTube Shorts?
Yes. Parents of supervised teens can limit time spent scrolling Shorts, and YouTube said in January 2026 that a zero setting was coming.[5][6]
How do I put a PIN on Disney+?
Go to Edit Profiles, choose your profile, select Profile PIN under Parental Controls, enter your password and set a 4-digit PIN.[9]
Why can my child still see live sports on a restricted Disney+ profile?
Unrated live content is allowed by default. Turn off “Allow titles without ratings like live sports, news, and more” on your child’s profile.[9]
Related Guides
- Screen Time for Kids by Age
- iPhone and iPad Parental Controls
- How Kids Get Around Screen Time
- What Is Brain Rot?
- YouTube Lawsuit
- Kids Online Safety
Sources
- Google. (n.d.). Set up supervised kid accounts. YouTube Help. Accessed October 4, 2026.
- Google. (n.d.). Choose content settings for supervised kid accounts on YouTube. YouTube Help. Accessed October 4, 2026.
- Google. (n.d.). Parental controls for YouTube Kids profiles. YouTube for Families Help. Accessed October 4, 2026.
- Google. (n.d.). Teen supervision features in Family Center. YouTube Help. Accessed October 4, 2026.
- Google. (n.d.). Supervised teen account. YouTube Help. Accessed October 4, 2026.
- YouTube. (2026, January 14). YouTube safety update: New parental controls for teens. YouTube Official Blog.
- Beser, J. (2025, July 29). Extending our built-in protections to more teens on YouTube. YouTube Official Blog.
- Google. (n.d.). Turn Restricted Mode on or off on YouTube. YouTube Help. Accessed October 4, 2026.
- Disney+ Help Center. (n.d.). Parental controls on Disney+. Accessed October 4, 2026.
- American Academy of Pediatrics. (2024). Kids and screen time: 5 C’s questions for toddlers and preschoolers. HealthyChildren.org.
About this information
The names YouTube, Google and iPhone are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners. We are not affiliated with, sponsored by or endorsed by those companies, and we use their names only to identify the products we discuss. This information reflects our understanding, based on public sources, as of the last update to this page.