Android TV has positioned itself as the operating system for televisions par excellence. But we bring bad news if you have children at home, since The company has announced that YouTube Kids will no longer be available on Android TV.
So, is the popular platform so that the little ones in the house can continue enjoying videos on YouTube safely going to disappear? Nothing could be further from the truth, but let's see what is happening.
What is YouTube Kids and how it works
YouTube Kids was a Google initiative aimed at creating a safe environment so that the little ones in the house can explore, learn and have fun through audiovisual content adapted to their age. Launched in February 2015, this platform came as a response to growing concerns about children's access to inappropriate content on the internet, particularly on video platforms like YouTube, where the filter between appropriate and inappropriate content is not always clear or efficient. for a children's audience.
In this way, through YouTube Kids, the little ones in the house enjoy a friendly and easy-to-use interface for children, where videos, channels and playlists are meticulously selected and filtered to ensure that they are appropriate for the children's audience. A safe environment that was designed with fun as well as learning in mind, including categories of all kinds, such as creative and learning activities to cartoons and series suitable for your age.
One of the most notable features of YouTube Kids is its parental control system, which allows parents or guardians to personalize their children's viewing experience based on their own criteria and safety concerns. So if you have children at home, they will enjoy YouTube safely.
To do this, parents can create individual profiles for each child, set usage time limits, select the types of content they consider appropriate, and even block certain videos or channels that they do not want their children to watch. Besides, YouTube Kids offers a controlled search feature, which parents can disable to further restrict the content accessible to their children.
As expected, there were a few controversies at its launch, but Google has implemented several updates and improvements to the YouTube Kids filtering algorithm and has strengthened its content and advertising policies to better protect young users. So, this platform was perfect for the little ones to use YouTube safely.
But, now that YouTube Kids will no longer be available on Android TV soon, what can we do? Don't worry, your children will be able to continue enjoying YouTube Kids on a television without any problem.
Why YouTube Kids will no longer be available on Android TV
As you will see in the message he added Google his support website, «Starting in July 2024, the YouTube Kids app icon on your TV will disappear ». But this does not mean that YouTube Kids will no longer be available, but the button will disappear. Or not at all. What Google has indicated is that the independent YouTube Kids app will stop working on televisions during July 2024.
But you don't have to worry about anything, since the app will still be available to everyone, but it will be moved to the main YouTube app. In this way, what really happens is that YouTube Kids becomes integrated into YouTube. And it will make everything much more comfortable. Because? Now you will only have to open your child's YouTube Kids profile in the default YouTube app.
Of course, you should keep in mind that Google has announced that YouTube Kids will stop working on Smart TV and other Android TV devices, but it also affects Google TV, its new operating system for televisions. Additionally, it will also stop working on consoles. And yes, it is very likely that later they will also remove it from the version for mobile phones and tablets.
After this merger, you will be able to continue using YouTube Kids, but not with a different app, but rather by opening YouTube and entering your child's account credentials. So, after almost 8 years on the market, YouTube Kids disappears from Android TV in a few months.
How to open a YouTube account for kids
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Until July 2024, you can download YouTube Kids directly to your device. It is available in both the Google Play Store and the Apple App Store. Simply search for “YouTube Kids” in the app store corresponding to your device and proceed with the download and installation.
Once installed, open the application. The first time you do it, you will be presented with a series of introductory screens that will provide you with basic information about YouTube Kids and its purpose. After this, the app will ask you to sign in with your Google account. It is important that as an adult, you are the one who performs this step to be able to configure and manage the minor's profile properly.
After logging in, The app will ask you to create a profile for your child. Here you must enter the name of the minor, select an avatar that represents them and establish their age range. Age ranges help YouTube Kids filter the most appropriate content for children. Once the profile is created, the next step is to configure parental controls. This includes setting a four-digit PIN that will prevent minors from changing settings without your permission. You will also have the option to control the child's search ability within the application, which you can activate or deactivate as you prefer.
Once YouTube Kids disappears, you can create a children's account directly on YouTube and it will allow you to customize the same levels of security that the Google platform offers for the little ones in the house.