Have you heard of YouTubeKids yet? As grandparents we are as concerned as parents about what kind of information/entertainment our grandkids are accessing. It seemed that every time I looked, one of my younger g-kids was watching YouTube, and it gave me quite a fright.
In February 2015, YouTube released the YouTube Kids app, designed especially for kids, to bring the best family-friendly YouTube content to life.
Below are the latest stats on YouTube Kids. In just seven months since its official launch:
- Families have downloaded YouTube Kids more than 8 million times
- YouTube Kids consistently ranked as one of the top five kids apps in the App Store with an overall 4+ rating on Google Play.
- YouTube Kids users have watched Stampy Cat explore the world of Minecraft more than 54 million times.
YouTube Kids was the first step in reimagining YouTube for families and YouTube is always looking for ways to make it even better.
Today YouTube is announcing some new ways they’re helping parents and kids enjoy the family content they love:
Amazing new shows and ways to watch YouTube Kids
- Watch YouTube Kids on the big screen: Want to enjoy your favorite videos as a family? Now you can, using Chromecast, Apple TV, game consoles or a smartTV.
- Explore new videos with guest-curated playlists: Have a budding scientist or eager explorer on your hands? Find out what videos educators, celebs and other parents recommend with guest-created playlists. Playlists from National Geographic Kids, Kid President, and a girl power-themed playlist from Academy Award®-winning actor Geena Davis are already live—and more are coming soon from YouTube creators including VSauce and Amy Poehler’s Smart Girls.
- Enjoy new shows: New videos are produced and uploaded to YouTube Kids every day—including exciting original shows and series from HooplaKidz, TuTiTu, SciShow Kids, DreamWorksTV and more.
Features just for parents and grandparents
- Learn how the app works: YouTube makes it easier than ever to get started using the app. When parents open YouTube Kids, the app explains upfront how YouTube’s systems choose and recommend content and how to flag videos. YouTube Kids will also prompt you to make a choice about how broadly you want your child to explore—turn search on to access millions of family-friendly videos, or turn search off to restrict your child’s experience to a more limited set. Either way, parents decide the right experience for their family from the get-go. This will roll out on the YouTube Kids app in the coming weeks.
- Customize your passcode: Since some parents prefer a personal passcode, rather than a spelled-out code, YouTube Kids has added this option to access parental controls.
As you explore YouTube’s library, from Twinkle Twinkle Little Star to learning about the solar system, YouTube Kids is growing with you and always excited to hear how YouTube can better help your family explore, learn and sing along.
While YouTube always tries to make the videos available in the app family-friendly, no system is perfect. If you ever find a video you’re concerned about, please flag it to help ensure that YouTube Kids is the best experience for all.