Parental controls have been the theme of January 2026 and YouTube is the latest platform to bring new tools that look to protect the kids. Shorts have become a serious product for the company and kids are probably
watching a lot more videos than what YouTube would have envisaged.
So, parents have been given the power to limit their access to the short video content on the platform and other helpful tools like bedtime breaks to curtail their viewing time on the screen. “This is an industry-first feature that puts parents firmly in control of the amount of short-form content their kids watch,” as mentioned by YouTube in a blog post.
YouTube New Parental Controls
The new parental controls on YouTube focus on reducing the screen time for their kids, making sure they watch age-appropriate content and also cater to kids-centric content that has been fully subscribed by leading authorities in the domain. “Parents will be able to set specific time limits for Shorts—including setting the timer to zero. An industry-first, this feature gives parents full control over their kids’ short-form screen time,” the post adds.
Besides this, YouTube is also updating the sign-in process for kids accounts which continues to have a parent/guardian handling the main work for the platform to support the access. The new setup option will be gradually available and they will be able to switch between the main and the kid account in the mobile app much easier than before.
We’ve already seen WhatsApp working on similar options and help parents protect their kids from unwanted messages and possible scams. The feature is being developed in-house and highlighted by tipster WaBetaInfo, the beta users should be getting the support gradually. Social media activities are hard to track but WhatsApp intends to help parents who can track their kids better.
The messaging app could allow primary controls for a secondary account that will be used by the kids. They can also change the account privacy settings which could prevent them from clicking on dangerous links or even chatting with unknown people.
