Video · Minimum age 13+ (Kids: under 13)
YouTube: a guide for parents
Standard YouTube is 13+, with a separate YouTube Kids app and Supervised Account option for younger children. Shorts (vertical short videos) behave more like TikTok than traditional YouTube.
- Policy review
- Check current official guidance
- Official minimum age
- 13 independently; supervised options for younger children
- UK age assurance
- Yes
- Google applies age estimation in the UK and asks for ID or a card for age-restricted content.
Watch first · TED
The nightmare videos of children's YouTube — and what's wrong with the internet today
Writer James Bridle's widely-cited talk on how YouTube's recommendation system surfaces disturbing content to children.
Why 13+ (Kids: under 13)?
The age limit, explained
Independent accounts and parent-managed experiences have different eligibility rules. For a younger child, review YouTube Kids or a supervised kid account; a content setting is not an account-age rule.
Evidence
What the sources say
These sources include platform policies, research and reporting. Historical findings describe their original dates and samples. Policy descriptions and age-assurance labels are not tests of every UK account. Menus and features can vary; follow the linked current instructions.
[1] Platform policy · 2026
Parents can set up supervised kid accounts for children below 13 or the relevant local age.
YouTube Help — Set up supervised kid accounts
[2] Regulator · 2019
In 2019, Google and YouTube agreed to pay $170 million to settle FTC and New York allegations about collecting children’s information without parental consent. This is a historical enforcement action.
Federal Trade Commission (US) — Google and YouTube Will Pay Record $170 Million for Alleged Violations of COPPA
Real risks
- Auto-play into unrelated content
- Shorts — fast, addictive feed
- Comments containing strangers
Settings to check tonight
- Choose the appropriate supervised account
- Review Shorts feed limits
- Review Autoplay
- Check content settings and device-specific controls
Talk, don’t confiscate
How to start the conversation
- Review Autoplay and the current Shorts feed limit together.
- For younger children, consider YouTube Kids or a supervised kid account on regular YouTube.
Official guides
Step-by-step settings
- Google Family Link
- YouTube: Supervised experiences for kids and teens
- Current supervised content settings
- Supervised controls and Shorts limits
Video tutorials
Watch it being done
Links open YouTube in a new tab. Where a link opens search results, check the uploader and publication date before following a tutorial.
Platform controls and guidance can change. Follow the official links for current instructions; the About page explains which checks have been completed.