We give parents choices to guide their kid’s YouTube journey, including picking a content setting when they set up their pre-teen’s supervised experience. Content settings determine what and how much content your pre-teen will see. Even after you choose a content setting, you can change it at any time.
Content settings for families using supervised experiences
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Depending on the content setting you pick, your child can also view comments on videos.
How content settings work
YouTube has developed a set of policies on content appropriateness that generally align with TV and movie content ratings. These policies help guide which videos your pre-teen can see based on their content setting.
Our automated systems identify videos suitable to include in each content setting based on our content policies. We know that our systems aren’t perfect and will make mistakes. We have a team of engineers and human reviewers partnering together to continuously improve our systems. If you find something that you believe is inappropriate for YouTube, you can report it.
Depending on the content setting you pick, your pre-teen can also view comments on videos.
Content setting options
| Explore | Generally aligns with content ratings for viewers 9+ |
|---|---|
| Explore more | Generally aligns with content ratings for viewers 13+ |
| Most of YouTube | Almost all videos on YouTube except for content marked as 18+ and other videos that may not be appropriate for viewers using supervised experiences |
Content policies
Our content policies differ between content settings and determine what kinds of videos your child can watch. We regularly reevaluate these policies, so the definitions below may not be exhaustive.
Explore“Explore” is for families ready to move on from YouTube Kids and begin to explore the much larger universe of content on YouTube. This setting features a broad range of videos that generally aligns with content ratings for viewers 9+. Videos include vlogs, tutorials, gaming videos, music videos, news, educational content, DIY, arts and crafts, dance, and more. Some videos may include:
Adult content: Videos with romantic themes, including mild displays of affection and attraction. Age-appropriate educational videos on sexual and gender identity and Sex Education topics like puberty and reproduction.
Violence: Age-appropriate videos related to current or historical events that are educational but may contain mild violence within the context of the event. Non-graphic violence in scripted and animated videos common in cartoons, gaming, television shows, and movies.
Weapons: Videos featuring unrealistic weapons in the context of toy play, gaming, animation, and artistic weapons in a historical context.
Dangerous Content: Videos featuring dangerous acts such as stunts, pranks, and challenges that are not easily imitable by minors or include a prominent disclaimer with appropriate safety disclosures. Videos that briefly display alcohol or tobacco.
Inappropriate Language: Videos with infrequent use of mildly offensive language, such as "damnit" or "hell" in a non-harassing context.
Diet, Fitness, & Beauty: Videos featuring beauty product reviews, age-appropriate make-up tutorials, and educational content on wellness. This content includes healthy eating and exercise.
Sensitive Topics: Age-appropriate videos that discuss sensitive issues such as mental health, addiction, eating disorders, and loss and grief. Videos in this setting do not feature graphic imagery and focus on positive coping and recovery strategies, and the importance of seeking help.
Music Videos: Music videos may include lyrics with mildly offensive language, or mentions of alcohol or tobacco. Videos may also feature sexualized dancing that is not gratuitous, and infrequent displays of alcohol or tobacco.
“Explore more” is for children ready to explore more of the vast universe of YouTube. This setting includes everything in Explore, and an even broader range of videos that generally align with content ratings for viewers 13+. Videos include live streams, vlogs, tutorials, gaming videos, news, educational videos, DIY, arts and crafts, dance and more. Some videos may include:
Adult Content: Videos with sexual themes, such as non-explicit accounts of sexual experiences and displays of physical contact. Educational videos on sexual and gender identity and Sex Education topics like sexual development, reproductive health, abstinence, and disease prevention.
Violence: Non-graphic educational videos related to current or historical events. Fleeting graphic violence in scripted and animated videos common in gaming, television shows, and movies.
Weapons: Videos featuring real or realistic weapons in scripted videos common in television shows and movies. Videos featuring real guns when used in a sport or educational context on gun safety.
Dangerous Content: Videos featuring dangerous acts such as stunts, pranks, and challenges that could result in serious physical harm but are not easily imitable by minors. Videos that display or show frequent use of alcohol or tobacco.
Inappropriate Language: Videos with frequent use of offensive language or profanity such as "bitch" or "ass" in a non-harassing or non-sexual context. If infrequent and used in a non-harassing context, derogatory slurs may appear in a strictly educational or music video context.
Diet, Fitness, & Beauty: Videos featuring make-up tutorials, beauty tips and life hacks, and videos related to healthy eating and exercise.
Sensitive Topics: Non-graphic videos related to sensitive issues such as mental health, contemplating suicide, self-harm, addiction, eating disorders, and loss and grief. These videos focus on positive coping and recovery strategies and the importance of seeking help.
Music Videos: Music videos may include lyrics with sexual references, infrequent explicit profanity, or derogatory slurs in a non-harassing or hateful context. Videos may also feature sexualized dancing and use of alcohol, tobacco, or marijuana.
In this content setting, your child can also read but not write comments on videos.