How to Stop YouTube from Suggesting Scary Videos to Kids on Family Tablet
Parents often notice that YouTube starts suggesting disturbing or scary videos on the family tablet, even in kid-friendly profiles. This can be due to autoplay history, shared accounts, or weak content filters.
Stop YouTube from Recommending Scary Videos to Your Kids
If your child uses the family tablet to watch YouTube, you might be shocked to find scary or creepy video suggestions on the home screen — even when using the YouTube Kids app.
Why This Happens
- Shared Watch History: Other family members using the same device can influence the algorithm.
- Autoplay Chains: One seemingly harmless video can lead to a chain of creepier ones.
- Unfiltered YouTube App: Sometimes, kids end up on the main YouTube app instead of YouTube Kids.
5 Steps to Stop Scary YouTube Suggestions
- Create a Separate Child Account: Use Google Family Link to manage content and permissions.
- Enable Restricted Mode: Open YouTube > Settings > General > toggle Restricted Mode ON.
- Clear Watch History: Go to Settings > History & Privacy > Clear Watch and Search History.
- Use YouTube Kids Only: Uninstall or restrict the regular YouTube app using parental controls.
- Block Channels: Tap the three dots next to a video > “Don’t recommend channel.”
Bonus: Enable App-Level Restrictions
On Android tablets:
- Go to Settings > Digital Wellbeing & Parental Controls
- Set daily limits for YouTube apps
- Use “App Pinning” so kids can’t exit approved apps
On iPads, use Screen Time to block or limit apps and content types.
Conclusion: With the right settings, you can make YouTube a safer space for your kids and stop those disturbing video suggestions from popping up.