It’s been a short 18 months since YouTube Kids was released and since then, the app has been downloaded millions of times. Its exceeded over 10 billion views in a year, has been a top-rated app for iOS and Android, and called a lifesaver by parents who applaud the YouTube for providing a safe viewing experience of age appropriate content for kids ages 2-10. But if there’s one thing that parents want, it’s more control over the content that our kids are watching and that means less ads.
Last fall YouTube announced YouTube Red membership, a $9.99/month fee that allow members to enjoy ad-free videos along with other features and parents wondered why the ad-free experience wasn’t available yet for YouTube Kids. But as of last week it is! Parents are rejoicing over the fact that their kids can watch content that’s just right for them without ads through YouTube Kids with a YouTube Red subscription.
About YouTube Kids and YouTube Red
Last year YouTube released the YouTube Kids App: A Safer and Easier way for Kids to Discover and Explore Educational Content. Truly designed with kids in mind, the free app has been a lifesaver for parents of kids ages 2-10 who previously worried about the age appropriateness of the content their kids were consuming.
Built from the ground up with kids in mind, the YouTube Kids app puts just-right content for kids at their fingertips allowing them to watch age-appropriate videos, channels, and playlists in a visual format that’s easy for the youngest kids to navigate. The app makes it safer and easier for children to find videos on topics they want to explore and is available for free on Google Play and the App store in the U.S.
YouTube Red is a subscription ($9.99/month) that offers an ad-free YouTube experience whether watching from your mobile phones, tablets, desktop computers, or television.
It also includes the ability to watch videos offline and a feature called background play that keeps videos playing uninterrupted in the background, even when you open other apps or turn the screen off on your mobile device.
Why You Need a YouTube Red Membership if You Love YouTube Kids
Individually YouTube Kids and YouTube Red are fabulous but they’re even better together and a real benefit to parents everywhere.
Children of YouTube Red members can now watch their favorite content through the YouTube Kids app without ads, without an internet connection, and uninterrupted. Not only can you keep family sing-alongs going while you use other apps on your phone but you can always have ad-free videos available to you even if you don’t have an internet connection, making consuming content on the go even easier. Parents can now hand a device to their kids with the YouTube Kids app, know that their kids will see YouTube Kids content that’s been carefully selected by humans that’s ad-free and can be watched at any time.
Trust me when I say it’s well worth the $9.99/month to never have to see ads on your desktop computer, laptop, tablet, or mobile phone! Of course there are other great features that come with a Red subscription (like a Google Play music subscription is included at no additional cost and access to YouTube original series and movies from some of YouTube’s biggest creators as they’re released for no extra cost) but the fee is worth it for an ad-free viewing experience each and every day that carries to every device where I’m logged into YouTube.
How to Set Up YouTube Red in the YouTube Kids App
If you’re a YouTube Red subscriber who has YouTube Kids installed on your devices, you can set up the Red features in the Kids app in just two easy steps:
- Make sure you have YouTube Red & are logged into the regular YouTube app on the device you want to activate
- Open the YouTube Kids app and follow the YouTube Red set up flow by clicking “Activate YouTube Red” on the homescreen
If you want your children to be able to take advantage of the YouTube Red features in the YouTube Kids app, all you need is the YouTube Kids app and a YouTube Red membership. Then sign in to your YouTube Red account from the parental controls section of the YouTube Kids app and follow a few simple steps.
Over the next few months, YouTube will be making some additional changes to the app that will give parents more choice on how to customize the content that appears or doesn’t appear in their YouTube Kids experience.
Win a 6 Month Subscription to YouTube Red for Your Family!
As a YouTube Parent Panel member who gets to advise YouTube on all things kids, family, tech, and education and gets an inside look at one of my family’s favorite brands, I also get great perks like five 6 month subscriptions to YouTube Red to share with you! This giveaway is open to everyone. If you’re not already a YouTube Red subscriber, this giveaway will allow you to try the service for 6 months for free or if you’re already a subscriber, will extend your existing YouTube Red subscription for 6 months courtesy of YouTube!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
YouTube Kids is free for iOS and Android devices. For more information, including how to set up parental controls on YouTube Kids, please check out the Parent Guide.
I am a member of the YouTube Kids Parent Panel but am not compensated for my involvement. Images courtesy of YouTube.
My son loves The Berenstain Bears!
This would be totally awesome to win this subscription! I am paying for two Youtube Red subscriptions for my older boys already. I really need look in to finding out if there is a family plan. We tried sharing one Red account but the boys kept unsubscribing to each other’s favorite channels. Lol. Anyways.. My almost 6 year old is only allowed to use Youtube Kids and we both like it. His favorite channel is this totally kid. “EthanGamerTV” My youngest would just love being able to watch him AD free.
She really likes the Pocoyo one the best!
My daughter loves the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse channel!
EvanTube is my son’s fave