Prank Patrol
2.4M subscribers · Pranks and challenges every Friday
How to block inappropriate content on YouTube
Start with the setting that fits your child’s age: YouTube Kids for young children, a supervised account with a content level for kids under 13, Restricted Mode for teens. Then block what the filters miss, channel by channel and, on a computer, word by word. No single setting catches everything, so the layers matter more than any one of them.
Coming soon to Chrome, Edge, Firefox and Opera · Free · No account
Type prank into the word box and press Add, or press Block channel on a result. Matching videos leave search, Home and Up next.
challenge
The 10-pound pizza challenge
Big Bite Bros
3.3M views · 1 week ago
Last to leave the pool challenge
Prank Patrol
7.2M views · 2 months ago
One-board challenge: a stool from a single plank
Weekend Builder
132K views · 2 weeks ago
Reacting to the hardest challenge videos
React Room
1.8M views · 3 days ago
Shorts
Cheese pull level: impossible
3.1M views
He did not see that coming
9.8M views
Short answer
Pick the base by age, then add blocks for specific channels and words, and check what they actually watch now and then. On a shared computer, where nobody may be signed in, the filter has to live in the browser.
Choose the base setting by age
| Age | Base setting | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Young children | YouTube Kids | A separate app with a smaller catalog. Content levels Preschool, Younger and Older, or Approve content yourself, where they see only what you pick |
| Under 13 | Supervised account on YouTube | Regular YouTube with one of three content settings you choose. Kids can’t post comments, and the comments they see are filtered |
| Teens | Restricted Mode | Filters potentially mature videos and hides comments. Family Link can keep it on for an account you supervise |
All three are set up from Family Link or from Family Center in YouTube’s settings. YouTube explains the difference between them on its family help page.
What Restricted Mode catches, and what it doesn’t
YouTube says Restricted Mode uses signals “like video title, description, metadata, Community Guidelines reviews, and age restrictions.” That catches a lot of clearly adult material. It doesn’t catch content that’s legal and not explicit but still not what you want for your kid: prank channels, shock humor, scary game videos, creators whose whole style is outrage. That’s the gap the next step fills. More detail in our Restricted Mode guide.
Block what the filters miss
- Channels, for a supervised child: sign in with your parent account, open the channel and choose Block channel for kids. It applies everywhere your child is signed in, and in YouTube Kids if they use the same account. Steps.
- Channels and words, on a computer: FeedCut hides blocked channels from Home, search, Up next and the comments, and hides any video whose title or channel name contains a word you add. It works signed in or out.
- Re-uploads: YouTube’s block “only blocks content uploaded to that specific channel,” so copies on other channels slip through. A word filter on the show or character name catches the copies that keep it in the title.
- Report what breaks the rules: YouTube Kids and YouTube both let you report a video for review.
On a shared computer
A family laptop is often used signed out, or signed in as a parent. None of YouTube’s parental settings apply there. Set up the browser instead:
Install FeedCut
In every browser on that computer. No account needed.
Turn on the “For kids” list
A starting set of channels and words. Edit it to fit your family.
Hide Shorts
The Shorts feed moves too fast to supervise. One switch removes it.
Set a PIN
So the settings stay yours. Turn on YouTube’s Restricted Mode in that browser as well.
Check what they actually watch
Filters work best alongside an occasional look. For a supervised account, YouTube lets you review watch history on your child’s device, and in the US, Family Center shows “conversation topics” based on what your child watches. Both are a way to spot a new channel or trend early, before you’re searching for how to block it.
Questions
Is Restricted Mode enough on its own?
For an older child, it’s a reasonable base, not a guarantee. It filters what YouTube’s systems flag as potentially mature, so channels that aren’t mature but that you still don’t want, like pranks, shock humor or endless drama, get through. Add channel and word blocks on top.
Why does inappropriate stuff still show up?
Because the filters are automated and the uploads never stop. YouTube itself says that “no automated system of filters is perfect.” Blocked channels can also come back as re-uploads on other channels, which is why a word filter helps. For a worked example, see blocking Roblox videos.
Can I block inappropriate ads?
On a supervised kids account, YouTube says ads in certain categories are prohibited and personalized ads are off. Ads aren’t something FeedCut touches.
Does FeedCut replace YouTube Kids or a supervised account?
No, it adds to them. Those work on phones, tablets and TVs; FeedCut works in a computer’s browser, including when nobody is signed in.
Take YouTube back to what you came for
Block channels, words and Shorts everywhere on YouTube. Free, no account, nothing leaves your browser.