💬 Social apps and messaging · 🎬 Video, animation, audio and streaming
YouTube (main app, teen accounts)
By Google. Visit YouTube (main app, teen accounts)
Desk research from the maker's own pages. Not yet tried by us. Checked 2026-10-24.
The main YouTube app and site, where teens watch long videos and Shorts, follow channels, comment, and upload their own videos. YouTube uses a machine-learning age estimate to find users under 18, whatever birthday they entered, and turns on teen protections: break and bedtime reminders, no age-restricted videos, gentler recommendations, and only non-personalized ads. Parents can link a supervised teen account through Family Center to see activity. Younger kids are meant to use YouTube Kids or a parent-set supervised account instead.
Our take: Fine for teens with supervision and the default protections; children under 13 should be on YouTube Kids or a supervised account instead.
| Ages it suits | 13+ on their own; younger only through supervised accounts or YouTube Kids |
|---|---|
| What its terms say about age | To sign in on their own, a teen needs a Google Account that meets their country's minimum age (13 in the US and most countries, 14 to 16 in parts of Europe and Asia). Younger children can use YouTube only through a parent-managed (Family Link) account, supervised experience or YouTube Kids. Age-restricted videos need 18+. (terms) |
| Price | Free, with paid extras. Free with ads (Oct 2026); YouTube Premium removes ads for a monthly fee (price not checked; YouTube's own pages did not load during research). |
| Works on | Web, iPhone and iPad, Android |
| Account | The child's own account |
| Ads | Yes |
| In-app purchases | Yes |
| The AI in it | A recommendation system picks videos, and an age-estimation model guesses whether a signed-in viewer is under 18 to apply teen protections. |
What's good
- Age estimation applies teen protections even with a fake birthday
- Break and bedtime reminders on by default for teens
- Non-personalized ads only for under-18s
- Optional supervised teen account through Family Center
Watch for
- Endless Shorts and autoplay
- Comments and uploads open to strangers
- 2026 jury verdict over addictive design
- On Australia's under-16 restricted list
Data and privacy
Google's privacy policy says it may use watch history and activity across Google services to personalize content and, depending on settings, ads. YouTube says accounts it estimates are under 18 get only non-personalized ads and no ads from categories like gambling and alcohol. Read the privacy policy.
Does it work?
In March 2026 a Los Angeles jury found Meta and YouTube liable for designing their platforms to hook a young user, awarding $3 million in damages plus $3 million in punitive damages, with YouTube assigned 30% of the fault; Google said it disagreed and is exploring appeals. Snap's SEC filing describes the same verdict. No independent study of the teen protections was found.
In the Big Index
- On the list 12 videos that explain AI to kids
- On the list 33 best educational YouTube channels, by age
- The maker in the who's who: Google
Alternatives to YouTube (main app, teen accounts)
Desk researchFree, with paid extrasNo ads
Animaker
Animaker · ages 18+ by its terms (teachers, older students with a parent)
A tool for teachers making lesson videos, not for kids; families wanting a kids' animation app should look at Stop Motion Studio or FlipaClip instead.
Desk researchFree, with paid extras
Art for Kids Hub
Art For Kids Hub (Rob and family) · ages about 4-12
A great free start for kids who want to learn to draw; use the paid membership if YouTube's ads and autoplay worry you.
Desk researchFreeNo ads
Audacity
Muse Group and contributors (open source) · ages about 10+
The standard free tool for a child recording a podcast or voice-over on a computer; tablet users should use GarageBand instead.
Desk researchFreeNo ads
Blender
Blender Foundation (open source) · ages about 12+
Ideal for a motivated teen who wants to learn real 3D; younger kids should start with Tinkercad.
Desk researchFree, with paid extras
CapCut
ByteDance (Bytedance Pte. Ltd.) · ages 13+ (teens)
A strong free editor for teens 13+ with a parent's OK; families who care about data and ads, and anyone under 13, should pick iMovie or another tool.
Desk researchFree, with paid extras
FlipaClip
Visual Blasters LLC · ages about 10-17
Good for tweens and teens who want to animate drawings on a phone; parents of younger kids may prefer an ad-free paid app like Procreate Dreams.
Where these facts come from
- https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/2802272?hl=en
- https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/16422785?hl=en
- https://support.google.com/youtube/topic/15279671?hl=en
- https://support.google.com/accounts/answer/1350409?hl=en
- https://policies.google.com/privacy?hl=en-US
- https://apps.apple.com/us/app/youtube/id544007664
- https://www.adn.com/nation-world/2026/03/25/jury-finds-instagram-and-youtube-liable-in-landmark-social-media-addiction-trial/
- https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/0001564408/000156440826000052/snap-20260630.htm
- https://heatleyss.eq.edu.au/support-and-resources/cybersafety/social-media-minimum-age
Prices, terms and features change. Nobody paid to be listed, nothing here is an affiliate link, and Peabody never rates itself. Where we and the maker disagree, the maker's own pages are the ones to trust.