YouTube to release a new, kids-friendly app next week

[Himanshu Arora]

YouTube is launching a new app next week that will focus on kid-appropriate content, according to USA Today. Dubbed YouTube Kids, the app will be released on February 23, and will initially be available for Android and in the United Sates only.

The app sports a kid-friendly design, with big icons and minimal scrolling, and no viewer comments. Its home screen includes five icons at the top that get you TV programs (like Thomas the Tank Engine, Yo Gabba Gabba, and more), music content, educational programming such as Khan Academy, and a range of top videos.

"Parents were constantly asking us, can you make YouTube a better place for our kids," says Shimrit Ben-Yair, the project's group product manager.

The app also includes a number of parental control features, for example, there's a timer that can be used to limit a child's screen time, meaning how much video they are able to watch. Other features include the ability to search with voice (targeted at younger children as they usually can't type), and discard inappropriate search queries, something which would result in a Try something else message.

It isn't yet clear whether or how the app will generate revenue, although the possibility of adopting the in-app advertising model is said to be under discussion. YouTube’s plan for a kids-friendly service was first reported back in March last year by The Information.

Permalink to story.

https://www.techspot.com/news/59812-youtube-release-new-kids-friendly-app-next-week.html

 

[cliffordcooley]

Kids friendly? That means the adults will finally be able to do what the kids have been doing all along.

 

[MilwaukeeMike]

Sweet! I'm in before the 'Kids shouldn't be using YouTube' comments showed up.

Kudos to Google, this is a great idea. My daughter likes YouTube and it's a pain to constantly keep an eye on it.

It isn't yet clear whether or how the app will generate revenue, although the possibility of adopting the in-app advertising model is said to be under discussion.

yes it is.. .they'll do the same thing they do today; they'll show commercials before videos. Today a kid's video will have a Game of War commercial in front of it, or a movie trailer for an adult's movie. They're not inappropriate for kids or anything, but the kids have no interest. This new app will be provide perfect targeted advertising! They'll be able to show kids' toys ads in front of kids' videos because they'll know a kid is watching. Brilliant!

 

[IAMTHESTIG]

Will I still be able to watch those wonderful women's butt workout videos with it?

 

[Guest]

I struggle with ads on YouTube when my son is watching videos. They'll throw a semi-violent video game ad into an episode of Peppa Pig etc. It's impossible to tell YouTube that "a 3 year old is watching" and have them serve appropriate ads.

I'd really like it if I could create some sort of sub-account that lets me input the age etc. of the person and then "sign in" as my son on the device he uses. I tried to create his own account, but you can only be 13 or older.

Maybe I'm missing a parental control or something, but it seems I'd have to limit my personal account to restrict his served ads to something more age appropriate. That doesn't work so well when I want to use my own account as "me" as well.

 

[MannerMauler]

Will I still be able to watch those wonderful women's butt workout videos with it?

what a sicko