Safety guide
Is YouTube safe for children?
YouTube’s recommendations can surface mature content beyond what a child searches for. Under 13, a supervised Google account or YouTube Kids is recommended; for older children, Restricted Mode and comment controls matter most.
Last updated July 10, 2026
Recommended age
A self-managed account is usually 13+, but Google account ages vary by country. Under the local account age, use a supervised account or YouTube Kids.
Local rules to check
- Platform minimums are a baseline. Local privacy or online-safety law can still require parental consent or a higher access age.
- EU/UK digital-consent thresholds vary by country: UK and Portugal 13; Italy and Spain 14; France 15; Germany 16.
- United States: COPPA rules apply under 13, and state social-media laws may add stricter account rules.
- Australia: covered age-restricted social media platforms must take steps to prevent under-16 accounts.
- A self-managed YouTube account follows Google Account country ages; for SafeSocials locales, Spain and Italy are 14+, France is 15+, Germany is 16+, and Portugal/UK use the 13+ baseline.
Main risks
- Minimum age is 13 — below that, the app isn’t designed for a child that age.
- Algorithmic recommendations can surface mature content beyond subscribed channels.
- A supervised Google account or YouTube Kids is recommended under 13.
Safety settings checklist for YouTube
Parental supervision linked
High priorityLink the platform's family-pairing / supervision tool to a parent account.
Comments restricted
Medium priorityRestrict who can comment, or disable comments from non-contacts.
Livestreaming disabled
Medium priorityDisable livestreaming for the account.
Sensitive-content filter / restricted mode on
Medium priorityEnable restricted mode or the sensitive-content filter.
Identifying info minimized
Medium priorityRemove full name, school, age and identifiable photos from the public profile.
Screen-time / usage limits set
Lower prioritySet daily screen-time or usage limits.
Ad / data personalization minimized
Lower priorityTurn off personalized ads and limit data sharing.
Talking to your child
- Ask what they like about the app before talking about risks — lead with curiosity, not a lecture.
- Agree the settings together at the same screen, so it feels like a shared decision, not a punishment.
- Make it normal to tell you about anything uncomfortable — no blame for messages they didn’t ask for.
- Revisit the settings every few months; apps change defaults and your child’s use changes too.
Get a free safety score in 2 minutes
Answer a few questions and see exactly which settings to change on YouTube — with the option of a full report.
Sources
Related guides
Safety settings checklist for YouTube
Tick each setting once you have changed it.
- Parental supervision linked — Link the platform's family-pairing / supervision tool to a parent account.
- Comments restricted — Restrict who can comment, or disable comments from non-contacts.
- Livestreaming disabled — Disable livestreaming for the account.
- Sensitive-content filter / restricted mode on — Enable restricted mode or the sensitive-content filter.
- Identifying info minimized — Remove full name, school, age and identifiable photos from the public profile.
- Screen-time / usage limits set — Set daily screen-time or usage limits.
- Ad / data personalization minimized — Turn off personalized ads and limit data sharing.
Official YouTube safety information: https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/2802272
SafeSocials gives general guidance, not a guarantee that an app is safe.
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