YouTube Kids launches on Apple TV
by Christian Zibreg
Google’s YouTube Kids app is now available for Apple TV in the tvOS App Store more than four years since the software made its debut on the iPhone and iPad.
Today, the iPhone and iPad app was updated with support for the Apple TV HD and Apple TV 4K models. It also brings search support via Siri, allowing kids to search for their favorite videos from anywhere in tvOS by using their voice.
According to Google, the app can be used as a logged-in user or anonymously. Should you choose to sign in, any existing parent controls and settings will transfer to the tvOS app.
YouTube Kids is focused on child-friendly videos so it’s great for parents to provide a safe environment for watching videos. Parents can further limit what their kids can watch with this app by customizing the built-in parental controls and age ratings to their liking.
Even with the filtering and curation in place, YouTube has faced criticism for allowing some inappropriate content onto the YouTube Kids platform, and the company has pledged to improve its policies and procedures to be more strict. Early on, the service was also criticized for targeting children with advertising, with YouTube making some changes to help provide better distinction between ads and video content.
Built-in parental controls include:
- Timer: Let the app be the bad guy with a built-in timer that lets you limit kids’ screen time. The app alerts your child when the session is over, so you don’t have to.
- Sound settings: Sometimes you need a little peace and quiet! You have an option to turn off background music and sound effects, so your kids can keep watching while you catch a breather.
- Search settings: If you’d rather limit your children to just the pre-selected videos available on the home screen, you can turn off search.
- Product feedback: Our goal is to improve YouTube Kids all the time, so we’ve included a space for you to give us your feedback.
You can change your YouTube Kids settings in the iOS app.
Curated content includes DreamWorks TV, Jim Henson TV, Mother Goose Club, Talking Tom and Friends, National Geographic Kids, Reading Rainbow, Thomas the Tank Engine and more.
Download the app by searching for “YouTube Kids” via the tvOS App Store or Siri.