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On April 10th, they announced a new feature for supervised accounts: read-only comments!
This means your child will be able to see comments on videos, but won't be able to write their own. This is a great way to let them enjoy the fun content on YouTube while protecting them from potentially inappropriate comments.
Previously, comments were completely disabled for supervised accounts. This meant kids couldn't see comments at all. However, YouTube listened to parents and experts and is now adding comments back in a safe and age-appropriate way.
This new feature applies to two of the content settings you can choose from when setting up your child's YouTube experience: Explore More and Most of YouTube.
- "Explore More" lets kids watch videos suitable for ages 13 and up.
- "Most of YouTube" gives them access to most content, excluding videos restricted for adults only.
Of course, if you prefer to completely disable comments, you can switch your child's account to the "Explore" setting, designed for ages 9 and up. This is typically the first step before moving on to the main YouTube experience.
Image: YouTube
You can easily manage your child's settings through YouTube parent controls or Google's Family Link app. You can also view their watch history under "My Activity" on their device. It's important to note that these settings only apply to the YouTube app and website itself, not embedded YouTube videos on other websites.
Lawmakers have been pressuring tech companies to do more to protect kids online. YouTube's new default read-only comments feature shows they're taking steps to address these concerns proactively. This builds on previous updates launched in November 2023, which included limiting repeated viewing of certain topics and introducing "take a break" and "bedtime" reminders.
While YouTube hasn't officially announced this update on their blog yet, the email to parents confirms it's coming soon!
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