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YouTube doesn’t have a parental control feature or any other limitations to kids’ profiles. For this specific purpose, Google launched a separate service called YouTube Kids. In the YouTube Kids app, you will get only the appropriate content for kids. There will be no adult content in the YouTube Kids app. Like the YouTube app on Android TV, the YouTube Kids app is available for Android TV and you can get it from the Play Store directly.
YouTube Kids app offers a lot of parental controls and other control options to monitor the activities of your kid. In this app, you can create up to eight kid profiles and each of them can be tracked individually. You can always check the watch history of any kid profile you want.
In this blog, you’re going to learn about the process of installation, sideloading, and screen mirroring for YouTube Kids on Android TV. Along with that, you can also get to know some additional details about the app for your TV.
How to Install YouTube Kids on Android TV
You can install the YouTube Kids app from Android TV OS 7.0 and above. If you are using the older version, update your Android TV.
1. Go to the home screen on your Android TV and click on Apps.
2. Open the Google Play Store and click the Search icon.
3. Search for the YouTube Kids app.
4. Choose the YouTube Kids icon from the search results.
5. Click the Install button to get the YouTube Kids app.
6. Now, open the YouTube Kids app on your Android TV.
How to Activate YouTube Kids on Android TV
1. Enter the year of your birth in the space provided to verify your age.
2. Select the Sign In option and get an activation code on your screen.
3. Visit the YouTube Kids activation website (https://kids.youtube.com/activate) on your smartphone or PC.
4. Enter the activation code and click the Next button.
5. Verify it by signing in with your Google account.
6. After the verification, the YouTube Kids app will be activated on your TV.
7. Now, your kid can watch all the videos on YouTube Kids under your surveillance.
How to Set Up and Use YouTube Kids on Android TV
To set up and activate the YouTube Kids app on your Android TV, you need to verify your age and link your Google account.
1. When you open the YouTube Kids app, you will get the Welcome screen. Tap the Get Started button.
2. On the next screen, enter your year of birth to verify your age. You can’t skip this step.
3. Now, complete the simple math problem.
4. After that, you will get the Terms and Conditions screen. Read it and click the I Agree button.
5. Now, choose the age group of your kid, Preschool (4 & below), Younger (5-7), or Older (8-12).
6. When you choose an age group, you will get the related content recommendations. Click the Next button.
7. Then, choose the Turn Search On or Turn Search Off button to enable or disable the Search function in the YouTube Kids app.
8. Then, read the Flagging Videos notice to complete the setup process.
9. In the YouTube Kids app, you will get four categories of videos. Holidays, Shows, Music, Learning, and Explore.
10. Entertain your kids with the videos.
How to Sideload YouTube Kids APK on Android TV
If you can’t find YouTube Kids in the Play Store, it must be geo-restricted. Therefore, you need to sideload its APK file using the Downloader app on Android TV.
1. Turn on your Android TV and head to the Apps section.
2. Locate the Google Play Store and launch it.[
3. Click on the Search icon and type Downloader in the required field.
4. Locate the Downloader app developed by AFTVnews and hit the Install button.
5. Wait for a while to download and install the app on your Android TV.
6. Once the Downloader app is installed successfully, press the home button on your remote.
7. Now, navigate to the Settings icon from the home page.
8. From the options, go to Device Preferences → Security & Restrictions.
9. Click Unknown Sources → Turn on the Downloader toggle.
10. Now, go back to the home screen and launch the Downloader app.
11. Accept the storage and other permissions asked by the app on your TV.
12. Choose Home from the left pane, and type the below-mentioned URL in the required field.
Download the link for YouTube Kids APK’s latest version: bit.ly/3tOoVyb
13. Click Go to download the APK file on your Smart TV.
14. Once the file is downloaded, open it and click Install.
15. After the downloading process, return to the homepage and navigate to the Apps section.
16. Now, you need to install any of the VPNs on your Android TV, like NordVPN or ExpressVPN, and connect to the US server.
17. Then, click Open to launch the YouTube Kids app and watch your desired media content.
How to Cast YouTube Kids to Android TV
Both the YouTube Kids app and website are compatible with the Cast support. With that, you can cast the YouTube Kids videos on your Android TV.
From Android or iOS Smartphones
1. Connect your smartphone to the same WiFi as your Android TV.
2. On your smartphone, download and install the YouTube Kids app from the Google Play Store or the App Store.
3. Sign in with the YouTube Kids account in the app.
4. Play any content from the app that you want to watch on TV.
5. Click on the Cast icon at the top of the app screen.
6. From the list of available devices to cast with, choose your Android TV.
7. Soon, you can see that the app is cast onto your TV.
From PC Using Chrome Web Browser
1. Turn on your PC and connect to the same WiFi as your AndroidTV.
2. Open the Chrome web browser on your PC.
3. Visit the YouTube Kids website (youtubekids.com).
4. Complete the sign-in process using the on-screen instructions.
5. Then, play any video from the YouTube Kids website.
6. On the Playback screen, tap the Cast icon.
7. On the list of devices, choose your Android TV.
8. Now, the video will be cast on your TV.
Supported Android TVs and Boxes
| Smart TVs | Smart TV Boxes |
|---|---|
| Sony Smart TV TCL Smart TV OnePlus Smart TV Sharp Smart TV Vu Smart TV Philips Smart TV Xiaomi Mi Smart TV Hisense Smart TV | Nvidia Shield TV DIRECTV Stream Box AIR TV Mi Box Ematic Android TV Box |
How to Fix YouTube Kids Not Working on Android TV
If the YouTube Kids app is not working properly on your Android TV due to issues like a black screen, app freezing, and more, then you need to perform the troubleshooting fixes listed below to resolve those problems.
- Ensure your Android TV is connected to an internet connection with higher bandwidth.
- Reboot your Android TV to resolve the temporary bugs associated with the device and app.
- Close and relaunch the YouTube Kids application on your device.
- Update your Android TV firmware and the app to the latest version.
- Clear the app cache files for the YouTube Kids app.
- Reset your Android TV to the factory settings, and start setting up YouTube Kids from scratch.
YouTube Kids Alternatives
If you feel that YouTube Kids isn’t for you or if you are unsatisfied with the service it provides, you can switch over to some other platform to stream the media content from the UK. Here are the best options you can choose as an alternative solution to YouTube Kids.
- Nickelodeon
- Cartoon Network
- Netflix
- Kidoodle.TV
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. YouTube Kids is natively available on the Google Play Store of Android TV. So, you can install it directly on your device.
Yes, you can enable the Parental Controls on Android TV from the Settings menu.
Yes, you can create a separate account for your kid on your Android TV with all the needed parental controls.
