What is Restricted Mode on YouTube and How to Enable or Disable It?

YouTube is an extensive platform, home to millions of videos covering virtually any topic you can think of. From educational materials and DIY tutorials to music videos and movies, there’s content for everyone. However, with such a vast library, not all content is suitable for every viewer, especially younger ones. As a solution, YouTube offers a feature called “Restricted Mode” to help filter out potentially mature content.

This guide will provide an overview of what Restricted Mode is and step-by-step instructions on how to enable or disable it on your devices. Whether you’re a parent aiming to provide a safe browsing environment for your child or a user wanting to ensure content moderation, understanding how to use Restricted Mode is essential.

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What is Restricted Mode on YouTube?

Restricted Mode is a safety feature available on YouTube that can help filter out potentially mature or inappropriate content that you may not want to be viewed while you or someone else is browsing the site.

This feature is extremely useful for parents or guardians who want to control what their children can access on YouTube. While no filtering system is 100% perfect, it works to ensure that the content displayed while browsing is free of most mature content.

Keep in mind that Restricted Mode works on a browser or device level, so you’ll need to enable or disable it for each browser you use if you’d like it applied universally. Also, it doesn’t apply if you are logged into your YouTube (Google) account on another device.

How to Enable or Disable Restricted Mode on YouTube

Follow the instructions given below to enable or disable restricted mode on YouTube:

For Desktop:

Go to youtube.com on your internet browser.
If you’re not already signed in, click on the “Sign in” button at the top right corner and enter your account details.
Click on your profile picture at the top right corner.
In the dropdown menu, look for “Restricted Mode: Off” (or “Restricted Mode: On” if it’s currently enabled).
Click on “Restricted Mode: Off/On” to open the Restricted Mode settings.

A window will open up at the bottom of the screen. Here, you can switch the toggle on or off to enable or disable Restricted Mode.

Enable or disable restricted mode on YouTube

Once you’ve made your decision, close the window, and the changes will be automatically saved.

For Android and iOS:

Open the YouTube app on your device.
Sign in to your account if you haven’t already.
Tap on your profile picture at the top right corner of the app.
Tap on “Settings”.
In the settings menu, tap on “General”.
Look for the “Restricted Mode” option.
Toggle the switch to the right of “Restricted Mode” to enable or disable it. When the switch is to the right and filled in, it’s enabled. If the switch is to the left and not filled in, it’s disabled.

Keep in mind that enabling Restricted Mode on YouTube won’t guarantee 100% that all inappropriate content will be hidden, as it works based on community flagging, age restrictions, and other signals to filter out inappropriate content, but it should filter out the majority of mature content.

If you have children and want to ensure they are viewing age-appropriate content on YouTube, it may be more suitable to have them use the YouTube Kids app which is designed specifically for younger audiences.

FAQs on restricted mode on YouTube

Does Restricted Mode completely block all mature content on YouTube?

No, while Restricted Mode does a good job filtering most potentially mature content, it isn’t 100% effective. Restricted Mode works based on community flagging, age restrictions, and other signals to filter out inappropriate content. While it should hide the most inappropriate content, some may still get through due to the vast amount of new content constantly being uploaded to YouTube.

Is Restricted Mode the same on all devices?

Restricted Mode works on a per-browser or per-device basis, meaning that if you enable it on one device, it won’t automatically be enabled on all other devices where you use YouTube. You need to enable or disable it on each device or browser separately.

Can I set a password for Restricted Mode on YouTube?

As of my knowledge cutoff in September 2021, YouTube does not allow you to set a password specifically for Restricted Mode. However, Restricted Mode settings can only be changed when you are signed into your account. So as long as you keep your account password secure, others should not be able to change these settings without your permission.