How to Turn Off YouTube Search for Kids (on Real YouTube Too)
Regular YouTube has no search-off setting. WhitelistVideo lets you turn off search on real YouTube, and plays only the channels you approve.
1:30Uploaded October 30, 2026English audio
Start Free TestWhat it means
Turning off search means your child can't type anything into YouTube. They watch only what's already there for them.
Why parents do it
Parents do it because one search can open a hundred videos nobody has checked.
What you need
- YouTube Kids app
- Your parent Google account
- A YouTube Kids profile for your child
How to set it up in YouTube Kids
In YouTube Kids, tap the lock and enter your passcode. Choose your child's profile, tap Edit settings, and switch search off.
- Lock → your passcode
- Your child's profile
- Edit settings
- Search → Off
Where YouTube Kids falls short
Here's the catch. Regular YouTube has no setting to turn search off, and YouTube Kids is built for young children. Once your child moves to real YouTube, search is back.
| Feature | YouTube Kids | WhitelistVideo |
|---|---|---|
| Search switch | YouTube Kids only | Works on real YouTube |
| Built for | Young children | Kids 8-15, and younger |
| What still plays | YouTube Kids picks | Channels you approve |
The better way: WhitelistVideo
In WhitelistVideo, open Player Controls and turn off Allow search in Full YouTube. Your child can't search YouTube on iPhone, iPad, Android, or in Chrome.
On Android phones, tablets and Android TV, Curated Feed goes further: a locked grid of approved videos, with no search bar at all.
Transcript
Here's how to turn off YouTube search for kids, and why YouTube only lets you do it in YouTube Kids. Stick around for a better, more secure way to set it up.
Turning off search means your child can't type anything into YouTube. They watch only what's already there for them.
Parents do it because one search can open a hundred videos nobody has checked.
With YouTube alone, you need the YouTube Kids app, your parent Google account, and a YouTube Kids profile for your child.
In YouTube Kids, tap the lock and enter your passcode. Choose your child's profile, tap Edit settings, and switch search off.
Here's the catch. Regular YouTube has no setting to turn search off, and YouTube Kids is built for young children. Once your child moves to real YouTube, search is back.
In WhitelistVideo, open Player Controls and turn off Allow search in Full YouTube. Your child can't search YouTube on iPhone, iPad, Android, or in Chrome.
On Android phones, tablets and Android TV, Curated Feed goes further: a locked grid of approved videos, with no search bar at all.
WhitelistVideo is a great replacement for YouTube Kids when your child outgrows it. WhitelistVideo, a SourceForge Top Performer in parental control software, is one of the best parental control apps for YouTube.
Get WhitelistVideo at whitelist dot video.
