YouTube Now Lets Parents Limit Time & Block Shorts for Teens

Key Highlights:

• YouTube is adding stricter parental controls for Shorts, including time limits and the option to block the format entirely.
• Parents will be able to set screen-time limits, bedtime reminders, and break prompts for children and teens.
• The changes come as platforms face growing pressure worldwide to better protect minors online.

Concerns about children’s online safety and the impact of doomscrolling have been rising globally, prompting media companies and social platforms to strengthen their safety protocols and introduce improved safeguards.

YouTube is the latest to respond, announcing on Wednesday a new set of parental controls, potentially the strictest yet, to help parents regulate the screen time of children and teens spent watching YouTube Shorts.

The update reflects wider scrutiny of short-form video, as, according to critics, short-form content encourages endless scrolling and makes it harder for younger users to manage screen time. YouTube’s changes are aimed at giving parents more say over how the format is used or avoided altogether.

How Parents Can Set Limits on Screen Time

Under the new controls, parents will be able to set a daily timer for how long a child’s linked account can spend watching Shorts, YouTube’s short-form video feed that competes with TikTok and Instagram Reels.

Furthermore, there is also an option where parents can opt to block Shorts entirely. This option can be used permanently or switched on temporarily. For example, if a child is meant to be using YouTube only for school-related videos while studying for an exam. The move targets one of the most time-consuming parts of the platform and gives parents a clearer way to limit passive scrolling.

Beyond Shorts, YouTube is expanding tools that allow parents to manage when and how their children watch videos. Parents will be able to set custom bedtime reminders and “take a break” prompts, which nudge users to stop watching after a certain period.

These reminders already exist for adult users who want to manage their own screen habits, but YouTube is now extending more control to supervised accounts. The update allows parents a way to shape viewing habits without constantly monitoring what their children watch.

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YouTube Makes It Easier to Toggle Between Parent and Child Accounts

YouTube is addressing a common frustration for parents who use the platform themselves: switching between adult and child accounts. In the coming weeks, the company’s new update will change how accounts are set up and managed, making it easier to toggle between profiles with just a few clicks.

This cuts down on repeated logins and helps prevent children’s viewing history from finding its way into adult recommendations. However, the change still relies on users remembering to switch profiles. As a result, managing multiple profiles becomes much more convenient and user-friendly.

Why Platforms Are Under Pressure to Do More for Minors

YouTube’s latest update builds on existing tools that allow parents to supervise teen accounts, including any oversight of channel activity for teens who create content. Other major platforms, including TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat, and Facebook, have also introduced similar controls.

Last year, YouTube also introduced age-estimation technology to identify whether an account is likely run by a teen, allowing the platform to adjust content and features accordingly.