YouTube Allows Parents to Limit Kids’ Shorts Viewing Time
The update allows parents to set strict daily limits on short-form content, including a full block option.
Topics
News
- YouTube Allows Parents to Limit Kids’ Shorts Viewing Time
- What Scott Adams' Dilbert Got Right About Power at Work
- Salesforce Rolls Out Slackbot as an AI Agent
- Zoho Launches First Middle East Data Centers in UAE
- Apple Bets on Google’s Gemini to Anchor Its AI Future
- UAE Bank Warns of WhatsApp Zero-Day Exploit Targeting Smartphone Users
Taylor Callery
YouTube is rolling out new parental control features that allow families to place stricter limits on children’s consumption of short-form video, marking a much-needed intervention in how young users engage with algorithm-driven content.
Under the update, parents will be able to set daily viewing limits on YouTube Shorts ranging from 15 minutes to two hours, with an option to block Shorts entirely by setting the timer to zero. Children will not be able to alter or disable these restrictions. The feature expands on YouTube’s broader time-limit controls introduced in October 2025, but represents the platform’s most targeted attempt to regulate short-form viewing specifically.
“This is an industry-first feature that puts parents firmly in control of the amount of short-form content their kids watch,” said Jennifer Flannery O’Connor, YouTube’s Vice President of Product Management. “It also gives parents flexibility.”
The move reiterates a long-standing concern among policymakers, educators, and health experts that short-form video formats—optimized for rapid consumption and continuous scrolling—can exacerbate attention issues and compulsive usage patterns, particularly among children and adolescents.
Platforms offering short-form video, including YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram, are facing increased regulatory scrutiny in multiple jurisdictions over their impact on the mental health and well-being of young users.
In addition to viewing caps, YouTube will allow parents to configure custom “Bedtime” and “Take a Break” reminders for child accounts. These prompts, already available for adult users, are designed to encourage healthier viewing habits by interrupting prolonged sessions and reinforcing time boundaries.
YouTube is also preparing to introduce an improved family onboarding experience in the coming weeks. The updated sign-up flow will enable parents to create child accounts more easily and switch between profiles within the mobile app depending on who is watching. According to the company, this aims to reduce friction in shared-device households while ensuring that content recommendations and safety settings remain age-appropriate.
“These changes make it easier to ensure that everyone in the family is in the right viewing experience,” O’Connor said, pointing to more consistent application of content filters and recommendation systems.
The updates build on YouTube’s earlier deployment of AI–powered age estimation technology, designed to identify users under 18 even when age information is not explicitly provided. That system has been rolled out in select markets, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, and parts of the European Economic Area, with plans for broader expansion.
