YouTube has announced new updates aimed at helping parents and teens create healthier and more age appropriate viewing experiences. Shared on January 14, 2026, the updates focus on parental controls, content quality and simpler account management for families.
Parents can now set limits on how much time teens spend scrolling Shorts, including an option to set the limit to zero. This allows families to reduce short form viewing during study time and allow more flexibility during travel or breaks. Supervised teen accounts will also get customizable Bedtime and Take a Break reminders, building on existing wellbeing protections.
YouTube is also introducing new principles and a creator guide for high quality teen content. Developed with input from youth advisors and experts including the Center for Scholars & Storytellers at UCLA and the American Psychological Association, the guidelines define what is considered enriching and age appropriate for teens. These principles will help guide creators and inform recommendations so educational content such as Khan Academy, CrashCourse and TED-Ed is shown more often to teen viewers.
In the coming weeks, YouTube will also roll out a simpler sign up experience that allows parents to create and switch between kid and teen accounts more easily within the app.
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