YouTube has added parental controls that let parents limit how much time children and teens spend on Shorts. The controls work through supervised accounts that parents set up with Family Center. Parents can set a daily Shorts timer that pauses the Shorts feed after a set time or set the limit to zero to block Shorts entirely.
Shorts Time Limits
The Shorts timer offers options from short sessions up to longer session lengths. The parents are able to choose a time that will fit the homework and sleep schedules. Once the limit is achieved, the Shorts feed will stop, and a reminder informs the user that they have reached their time limit. These tools build on YouTube features that have already let users set Take a Break and Bedtime reminders.
Parental Controls Update
Parents will be able to block Shorts entirely for a supervised account. The Family Center controls also let parents set custom Bedtime reminders and custom Take a Break reminders for teens. YouTube indicates that in the next few weeks, it will streamline the process of switching parent and child accounts in the app. These measures will help provide parents with closer monitoring of the use of short-form video at home.
How to Use it
Set up a supervised account through Family Center and link it to your child. Choose the supervised account profile and open the Shorts feed limit control. Set the daily timer or set the limit to zero to block Shorts. Parents can also pause watch history, disable autoplay, and adjust search and comment settings through the Family Center controls. The support pages explain each control in simple steps for both mobile and web users.
Why Parents Will Care
Shorts and similar short-form feeds can be engaging in a way that makes it hard for young users to stop. The new controls let parents stop mindless scrolling and create clear windows for study and sleep. The option to block Shorts entirely is useful for a short period of focus, such as a test, or for longer stretches when a family wants to limit that form of content. Experts say active controls and routines are helpful when children are learning how to manage screen time.