How to control YouTube features for your child
Customize the YouTube experience by removing distractions and protecting your child from unwanted content using Player Controls.
Works in All Protection Modes: Player Controls work in Off, Whitelist Only, and Auto-pilot modes, and are included on every paid plan (Basic, Premium, and Lifetime). YouTube Shorts are blocked by default.
What Player Controls are available?
The Player Controls card on your dashboard shows how many controls are currently active (e.g., "3 of 3 active"). Tapping the card opens the Player Controls view with toggles for each control.
Scroll horizontally to see all columns.
| Control | What It Does | Plan |
|---|---|---|
| Block YouTube Shorts | Hide YouTube Shorts from all pages | Basic+ |
| Hide YouTube Comments | Hide comment sections on all videos | Basic+ |
| Block Downloads | Hide video download options | Basic+ |
| Block YouTube Ads | Best-effort ad blocking — not guaranteed to remove all ads | Basic+ |
Controls locked on Auto-pilot: When your protection level is set to Auto-pilot, Player Controls are automatically enforced and locked. You'll see a "Controls locked" banner and a lock icon on each toggle in the Player Controls view.
How to access Player Controls
- Open the Parents' App
- Select your child using the child switcher at the top
- Tap the Player Controls card on your dashboard
How to block YouTube Shorts
What it does: Hides YouTube Shorts from all pages.
Why should I block YouTube Shorts?
- Attention impact: Rapid-fire, short videos can harm developing attention spans
- Harder to moderate: Millions of Shorts are uploaded daily, making them difficult to filter
- Addictive design: Shorts are designed to keep viewers scrolling endlessly
- Often off-topic: Shorts frequently don't come from your approved channels
Your child can still watch full-length videos from approved channels.
How to enable
Shorts are blocked by default on every plan. To check or change the setting:
- Tap the Player Controls card on your dashboard
- Find Block YouTube Shorts toggle
- Keep it ON (colored) to block Shorts, or switch it off to allow them
Recommendation: Keep Block YouTube Shorts enabled for all children, especially younger ones.
How to hide YouTube comments
What it does: Hides the comment sections on all videos.
Why use it: Comments can contain:
- Inappropriate language
- Spoilers
- Arguments and negativity
- Links to unsafe content
How to enable
- Tap the Player Controls card on your dashboard
- Find Hide YouTube Comments toggle
- Switch it ON
Recommended for: All ages, especially children under 13.
How to block YouTube downloads
What it does: Hides video download options.
Why use it:
- Downloaded videos bypass some content filters
- Prevents storage of potentially inappropriate content
- Keeps viewing within the protected environment
How to enable
- Tap the Player Controls card on your dashboard
- Find Block Downloads toggle
- Switch it ON
Recommended for: All ages.
How to block YouTube ads
What it does: Attempts to block YouTube ads including pre-roll and mid-roll advertisements on a best-effort basis.
Best-Effort Feature: Ad blocking is provided on a best-effort basis. There is no guarantee that all ads will be removed — our primary focus is parental control, not ad removal. Some ads may still appear.
Recommendation: For a guaranteed ad-free experience, we strongly recommend subscribing to YouTube Premium (opens in a new tab) for your child or getting the YouTube Premium Family plan.
Why use it:
- Many ads are not appropriate for children
- Prevents exposure to marketing and consumerism
- Creates a cleaner, less distracting viewing experience
- Removes "skip ad" countdown distractions
How to enable
- Tap the Player Controls card on your dashboard
- Find Block YouTube Ads toggle
- Switch it ON
Note: Ad blocking is included on every paid plan. If your test period has ended without a subscription, you'll see a prompt to choose a plan.
Recommended for: All ages.
What are the recommended Player Control settings by age?
Under 8 years old
Scroll horizontally to see all columns.
| Control | Recommended |
|---|---|
| Block YouTube Shorts | On |
| Hide YouTube Comments | On |
| Block Downloads | On |
| Block YouTube Ads | On (if subscribed) |
8-12 years old
Scroll horizontally to see all columns.
| Control | Recommended |
|---|---|
| Block YouTube Shorts | On |
| Hide YouTube Comments | On |
| Block Downloads | On |
| Block YouTube Ads | On (if subscribed) |
13+ years old
Scroll horizontally to see all columns.
| Control | Recommended |
|---|---|
| Block YouTube Shorts | Optional |
| Hide YouTube Comments | Optional |
| Block Downloads | Optional |
| Block YouTube Ads | On (if subscribed) |
Player Controls work independently
Player Controls work in all protection modes on every paid plan (Basic, Premium, and Lifetime):
Scroll horizontally to see all columns.
| Protection Level | Player Controls |
|---|---|
| Off | Available (Basic+) |
| Whitelist Only | Available (Basic+) |
| Auto-pilot | Available and locked (Basic+) |
This means you can block Shorts and comments even when protection is set to Off during supervised viewing sessions, on any paid plan. When set to Auto-pilot, controls are automatically enforced and cannot be turned off.
Player Controls troubleshooting
Comments are still showing
- Make sure Hide YouTube Comments is toggled On
- Try refreshing the YouTube page
- Wait 30 seconds for settings to sync
Shorts are still showing
- Make sure Block YouTube Shorts is toggled On
- Try refreshing the YouTube page
- Clear browser cache if the issue persists
Ads are still showing
- Verify Block YouTube Ads is enabled
- This is a paid feature - check your subscription status
- Some YouTube system messages may still appear (not ads)
- Try refreshing the page
Block YouTube Ads toggle is grayed out
Player Controls are included on every paid plan. If your test period has ended, choose a plan in Settings → Subscription & Billing to turn them back on.
My child found a way around a control
Consider adding Advanced Protection to prevent bypassing the extension entirely.