YouTube is expanding parental controls to give families greater oversight of how children use the platform, as governments in Australia and elsewhere move to restrict minors’ access to social media.
The Google-owned video platform said parents will soon be able to limit or completely block access to YouTube Shorts, its short-form video product that mirrors the endlessly scrolling formats popularized by TikTok and Instagram Reels. The new controls will allow parents to set daily time limits for Shorts or disable the feature entirely on supervised accounts.
In a blog post announcing the changes, YouTube said parents could tailor Shorts access based on context. For example, parents may set the Shorts feed limit to zero when teens need to focus on schoolwork, while allowing up to an hour of viewing during travel or downtime.
The update comes as lawmakers worldwide debate tighter regulations on children’s online activity, citing concerns about screen time, mental health and exposure to harmful content. YouTube said the new tools build on digital wellbeing features introduced in 2023.
In addition to Shorts limits, parents will be able to set customized reminders prompting children to take breaks or prepare for bedtime. These alerts will appear directly within the app, reinforcing healthy viewing habits rather than relying solely on external controls.
YouTube said it developed the new features in consultation with its Youth Advisory Committee, as well as experts from the American Psychological Association, Boston Children’s Hospital’s Digital Wellness Lab and other international organizations focused on child development and digital safety.
The parental controls will apply to accounts registered to users under 18. YouTube said it verifies eligibility using age-estimation technology introduced last year, designed to identify underage users even if they do not self-report their age accurately.
Over the coming weeks, YouTube will also begin prompting parents to create new child accounts, with smoother switching between profiles built directly into the mobile app.
