YouTube has rolled out a fresh set of updates aimed at strengthening protections for teens and giving families more control over how young users experience the platform. The move reinforces YouTube’s long-standing focus on age-appropriate content, digital wellbeing and safer online habits for younger audiences who increasingly turn to the platform for learning, entertainment and discovery.

In a recent YouTube Blog post, the company said its approach has been shaped by consistent feedback from parents and child development experts. Three priorities continue to guide these efforts: helping children and teens develop responsible viewing habits through meaningful controls, ensuring access to age-appropriate content supported by stricter policies, and simplifying account setups so users are automatically placed in the right experience based on their age.

Building on this foundation, YouTube is introducing new controls designed to encourage more mindful viewing among teens. Parents will now be able to manage how much time their teens spend scrolling through Shorts by setting daily limits. An upcoming option will also allow parents to set this limit to zero when needed, such as during study hours. These limits can be adjusted depending on the situation, giving families flexibility without completely cutting off access. For supervised teen accounts, custom Bedtime and Take a Break reminders will also be available, expanding on wellbeing features that are already enabled by default.

The platform is also stepping up its focus on teen mental health and content quality. YouTube has introduced new content quality principles along with a creator guide, developed in collaboration with its Youth Advisory Committee, the Center for Scholars & Storytellers at UCLA, and global experts including the American Psychological Association and Boston Children’s Hospital’s Digital Wellness Lab. These principles define what high- and low-quality content looks like for teen audiences and are intended to help creators produce content that is both engaging and age-appropriate.

These standards will also play a role in shaping YouTube’s recommendation systems. The platform plans to surface more educational and constructive content for teens, including material from trusted sources such as Khan Academy, CrashCourse and TED-Ed, building on existing safeguards already in place for younger viewers.

Alongside content and wellbeing updates, YouTube is simplifying how families manage accounts across age groups. Teens are now automatically placed into protected under-18 accounts, while an updated sign-up experience will make it easier for parents to create accounts for younger children. Parents will also be able to switch between different family accounts within the mobile app in just a few taps, ensuring each viewer receives content and recommendations suited to their age.

YouTube said the latest updates reflect its ongoing effort to evolve with families’ needs and maintain a platform that is safe, supportive and enriching for the next generation of viewers.