YouTube Kids facts for kids
logo as of 2019
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Screenshot of the home screen of YouTube Kids
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Type of site
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Video hosting service |
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| Founded | February 15, 2015 |
| Headquarters |
United States
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| Area served | Worldwide (excluding blocked countries) |
| Key people | Susan Wojcicki (CEO) |
| Industry | |
| Parent | YouTube LLC |
| Advertising | Google AdSense |
| Current status | Active |
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Content license
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Proprietary |
YouTube Kids is an American children's video app developed by YouTube, a subsidiary of Google. The app provides a version of the service oriented towards children, with curated selections of content, parental control features, and filtering of videos deemed inappropriate viewing for children aged under 13, 8 or 5 depending on the age grouping chosen.
First released on February 15, 2015 as an Android and iOS mobile app, the app has since been released for LG, Samsung, and Sony smart TVs, as well as for Android TV. On May 27, 2020 it became available on Apple TV. As of September 2019, the app is available in 69 countries, including Hong Kong and Macau, and one province. YouTube launched a web-based version of YouTube Kids on August 30, 2019.
Features
Content
The app is divided into four content categories; "Recommended", "Shows", "Music", and "Learning". The categories feature curated selections of content from channels deemed appropriate for children.
In August 2016, the app was updated to support the YouTube Red (now YouTube Premium) subscription service, allowing ad-free playback, background playback, and offline playback for subscribers. In February 2017, YouTube began to introduce premium original series oriented specifically towards YouTube Kids, including DanTDM Creates a Big Scene, Fruit Ninja: Frenzy Force, Hyperlinked, and Kings of Atlantis. YouTube has also presented advocacy campaigns through special playlists featured on YouTube Kids, including "#ReadAlong" (a series of videos, primarily featuring kinetic typography) to promote literacy, "#TodayILearned" (which featured a playlist of STEM-oriented programs and videos), and "Make it Healthy, Make it Fun" (a collaboration with Marc and Pau Gasol to promote healthy living and an active lifestyle to children).
In November 2017, the app was updated to add additional user interface modes designed for different age groups, ranging from the existing simplified interface (intended for younger children), to a more dense interface designed for older children.
In September 2018, YouTube added new age group options relating to content offered in the app, "Younger" and "Older". "Younger" maintains the existing mix of content offered before, and "Older" adds more content from other genres, such as nature, gaming, and music. In August 2019, the "Younger" setting was split to add a new "Preschool" group, with a focus on "creativity, playfulness, learning, and exploration".
Parental controls
The YouTube Kids app features parental control settings which allow parents to set time limits, and restrict users from accessing the search tool. Parents can use a passcode or their Google account to protect these settings, and configure profiles for multiple users to tailor their experiences.
Geographic availability
YouTube Kids is currently available in the following countries:
Argentina, Aruba, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Belgium, Bermuda, Bolivia, Bosnia, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada (excluding Quebec), Cayman Islands, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Estonia, El Salvador, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ghana, Georgia, Guatemala, Honduras, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Latvia, Lithuania, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Malta, Mexico, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nigeria, Nicaragua, North Macedonia, Norway, Pakistan, Paraguay, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Senegal, Serbia, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Tanzania, Thailand, Turks and Caicos Islands, Uganda, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United States, Uruguay, Venezuela, Vietnam and Zimbabwe.
YouTube Kids will be available in Bahamas, Belize, Dominica, Haiti, Moldova, Montenegro, Puerto Rico Tajikistan, Turkey.
See also
In Spanish: YouTube Kids para niños
