How to block videos on YouTube
Browsing YouTube you came across a video that has impacted your sensitivity and now you fear that something like this can happen to your children? If this is indeed the situation you are in right now, obviously you would like to know how to block videos on YouTube to avoid finding yourself in this kind of unpleasant situations. I guessed, right? Well, then let me tell you that you’ve come to the right place at the right time!
If you spend a few minutes of your free time, in fact, I can explain how to activate the filter that Google included “standard” in its famous video sharing service and illustrated what steps are necessary to activate it on PC, smartphone and tablet. Then, if you need it, I’ll briefly talk to you about some parental control solutions you can take if the YouTube filter does not fully satisfy you.
So, are you still interested in learning more? Yup? Perfect! Make yourself comfortable, take all the time you need to read the information in the next paragraphs and, more importantly, implement the suggestions I will give you. I am sure that thanks to this reading you will be able to considerably reduce the chances of running into unwanted content. Let it bet?
Index
- How to Block videos on YouTube from PC
- How to Block videos on YouTube from smartphones and tablets
– Android
– iOS
– Mobile version of YouTube - Use solutions for parental control
How to Block videos on YouTube from PC
How to block videos on YouTube
Do you want to enable content blocking on YouTube from your PC? Well, in this case you can activate the so-called Restricted Mode, or the filter integrated by the same Google, thanks to which you can limit the view of content potentially unsuitable for minors.
How does this filter work? YouTube analyzes various elements in videos posted by users – the title, description, metadata, age limits and so on – to identify and filter content that may not be appropriate for minors. In addition to these checks made by very complex algorithms, YouTube has even formed a team of flesh and blood employees who have the task of analyzing the videos published on the platform and possibly blocking those deemed inappropriate. Despite this, however, the filter does not always work 100% since it is a difficult task to pay attention to the millions of content regularly published by users.
Beyond that, we must take into account the fact that the Restricted Mode, while being available in all languages, does not work the same way in all countries (since a content could be judged as appropriate in a geographical area, but could be considered inappropriate in another). Another aspect that I want to bring to your attention concerns the fact that Restricted Mode works at the browser or device level, which means that you have to activate it for every browser or device you use.
Having made these necessary clarifications, it is now time to show you how to activate the Restricted Mode of YouTube on your PC. First of all, connected by the browser to the homepage of YouTube, log in with your Google account to the service (just click the Login button and enter your login information), click on your profile photo (top right) and, in the drop-down menu that opens, click on Restricted Mode: Off.
At this point, you should see the Restricted Mode panel and, to activate the filter, you simply have to move the switch on the switch inside it (on the Off item) to ON. If you have performed the procedure correctly, the words “Deactivated” will give way to the Activated item.
How to block videos on YouTube
The steps I mentioned above are valid for the current YouTube interface (the one introduced in 2017 by Google). If you use the previous version of the service instead you can activate Restricted Mode by following the steps below: scroll to the bottom any page of YouTube, click on the Restricted Mode drop-down menu: Off and, in the menu that opens, check the Activated option and then click on the Save button.
After enabling Restricted Mode, it will remain active even when you exit. Therefore, if your child or any other person accesses YouTube from your PC, Restricted Mode will still be active.
To make sure that other users using your PC do not change the setting you just activated, block Restricted Mode by clicking on the link Block restricted mode in this browser and exit the account (just click on your profile photo and select the Exit item from the pop-up menu that opens). From now on, if someone tries to disable the restriction mode, they will not be able to do so because they will see the message Restricted Mode has been blocked by [username].
How to block videos on YouTube
Obviously, if on YouTube you are shown inappropriate content, you can report the incident to Google by clicking on the symbol (…) and, in the menu that opens, by clicking on the item Report. If you want, you can also block content from a specific channel by clicking on the symbol (⋮) next to the cover of each video and clicking on the item I’m not interested in the menu that opens.
How to Block videos on YouTube from smartphones and tablets
How to block videos on YouTube
Do you want to block videos on YouTube from your smartphone or tablet? Also in this case you can activate the Restricted Mode directly from the YouTube application for Android or iOS or, alternatively, from the mobile version of the service.
Android
If you want to activate the Restricted Mode of YouTube on your Android device, start the official YouTube app, presses on your profile photo (top right) and, in the screen that opens, tap on Settings> General. In the screen that is shown to you, move the switch lever located on the item Restricted Mode to ON and you’re done.
How to block videos on YouTube
iOS
To enable Restricted Mode on the YouTube app for iOS, first start the iPhone on your iPhone or iPad, tap your profile photo that is located at the top right and in the screen that opens , presses on the Settings item. Then move the switch lever located next to the Restricted Mode item to ON and you’re done.
How to block videos on YouTube
Mobile version of YouTube
To activate Restricted Mode from the YouTube mobile site, instead, connected to the start page of the video sharing service directly from the browser (eg Chrome or Safari), press the symbol (⋮) located at the top right, tap the button Log in and log in with your Google account.
Next, press again on the symbol (⋮) located at the top right, press on the item Settings from the box that appears in the middle of the screen and then tap on the item Disabled which is placed in the words Restricted Mode. If you have correctly performed the procedure I have just described you, you will see a confirmation message regarding saving the newly activated setting.
How to block videos on YouTube
Even from mobile you can block content that Restricted Mode has failed to filter. To do this, presses the symbol (⋮) located next to the cover of the video you want to lock and then press on the item I’m not interested in the menu that opens. This procedure can be performed by both the YouTube app and the mobile version of your website.
Use solutions for parental control
How to block videos on YouTube
Does the Restricted Mode of YouTube satisfy you enough? Do you want to try using some filter a bit ‘more “powerful” and maybe even more effective? In this case, you might consider using parental controls, especially if you want to protect your children from inappropriate content for children on YouTube and more generally on the Web.
For example, you could use ad hoc applications like Qustodio (available for Android, iOS and Kindle devices, as well as for Windows and MacOS) or Mobile Fence (available only on Android). Both of these solutions offer the ability to block a user’s activity, limit device usage time, block adult content, track web activity, limit online searches, and much more.
Qustodio offers the possibility to check for free up to one device only (to check multiple devices you need to subscribe to the Premium subscription starting at € 42.95 a year), while Mobile Fence can be used free for one month (at the end of the trial it is necessary to subscribe the subscription that starts from 28.80 dollars per year to continue using the service).
Of course, even these filters are not 100% effective and may not be able to block all inappropriate content on YouTube. However, if you decide to adopt these solutions for parental control, do not forget to read the tutorials in which I explain how to best use Qustodio (click here) and Mobile Fence (click here). I’m sure these readings will help you.
How to block videos on YouTube