YouTube Restricted Mode: what it hides, and what it doesn’t
Restricted Mode is an optional YouTube setting that screens out videos its systems flag as potentially mature. On a computer, click your profile photo and then Restricted Mode at the bottom of the menu; in the app, it’s under Settings, General. It works per browser and per device, it hides every comment, and on an ordinary account anyone can switch it off again. For a child, Family Link can keep it on.
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Good for: a quick layer against clearly mature videos, especially on shared or school devices. Not for: blocking a specific channel or topic, removing Shorts, or keeping a determined teen from switching it off, unless Family Link or the network enforces it.
How to turn it on
From YouTube’s help page:
| Where | Steps |
|---|---|
| Computer | Profile photo (top right) → Restricted Mode at the bottom → Activate Restricted Mode |
| iPhone, iPad, Android app | Profile photo → Settings → General → Restricted Mode |
| Mobile site | m.youtube.com → profile photo → Settings → Account → Restricted Mode |
| TV | YouTube app → Settings (left side) → Restricted Mode, or Safety Mode on some Android TVs |
Do it everywhere. YouTube says Restricted Mode “works on the browser or device level,” so you need to turn it on in each browser, and in each profile if the browser has more than one. Turning it on for the TV doesn’t change the tablet.
What it filters
YouTube uses “many signals, like video title, description, metadata, Community Guidelines reviews, and age restrictions” to decide what to hide. A few details from the help page:
- Comments disappear completely. Not just rude ones: with Restricted Mode on, you can’t view comments at all.
- YouTube Music is filtered too. Songs marked Explicit still appear, but they’re skipped when played.
- Quality varies by language. It works in every language, but YouTube says results differ with cultural norms.
- It isn’t age restriction. Age-restricted videos are a separate system that creators and YouTube apply to individual videos.
What it doesn’t do
Restricted Mode decides on maturity, not on taste. It doesn’t let you name a channel you never want to see, block a topic like a game or a TV show, or remove Shorts. A prank channel that keeps its videos clean passes straight through, and so does a gaming channel your eight-year-old watches for six hours. For those, block the channel or the word.
Stop anyone switching it off
On an ordinary account, whoever uses the browser can turn Restricted Mode off in two clicks. There are two ways to make it stick:
- Family Link, for a child’s account. In the Family Link app, select your child, then Controls, then YouTube, and turn Restricted Mode on. Once it’s on there, your child can’t change it on any device they’re signed in to. It’s meant for kids who aren’t eligible for a supervised YouTube account, and it can’t be set for a child over 13 who manages their own account.
- The network. Schools, libraries and offices can force Restricted Mode for every device on their network, at a strict or moderate level. Google documents how for administrators. Some home routers and DNS filters offer the same switch.
If Restricted Mode won’t turn off
If you’ve signed in and it’s still on, something is enforcing it. YouTube’s help sends you to its content restrictions check, which shows whether the restriction comes from an administrator, your account or your network. Mobile carriers sometimes add content filters of their own; if the check shows DNS restrictions at a moderate or strict level on mobile data, the carrier is the one to ask.
Restricted Mode, a supervised account and FeedCut
| Feature | Restricted Mode | Supervised account | FeedCut |
|---|---|---|---|
| Filters mature videos | Yes | YesBy content level | NoUse with Restricted Mode |
| Block a specific channel | No | YesFrom the parent account | Yes |
| Block by word | No | No | YesTitles, channel names, comments |
| Remove Shorts | No | NoA daily Shorts limit | Yes |
| Comments | All hidden | Read-only, filtered | Your choice |
| Works signed out | Yes | No | Yes |
| Phones and TVs | YesPer device | Yes | NoComputers only |
They aren’t rivals. On a shared computer, Restricted Mode plus FeedCut covers both the mature material and the stuff that’s merely awful.
Questions
Why are comments missing when Restricted Mode is on?
Because Restricted Mode hides all comments. YouTube’s help says that with it on, “you can’t view comments on the videos you watch.” It isn’t a sign that a particular video was flagged.
Why can’t I turn Restricted Mode off?
Something above your account is forcing it: a school, library or office network, a mobile carrier’s content filter, or Family Link on a supervised account. YouTube’s help points to its content restrictions check, which shows which of these is on.
What’s the difference between strict and moderate?
Those levels exist for networks. When an administrator forces Restricted Mode for a whole network, they choose strict or moderate filtering. The switch in your own settings is simply on or off.
Does Restricted Mode hide Shorts?
YouTube’s help doesn’t say it does; it filters by content signals, not by format. To remove Shorts on a computer, use a switch built for it, like FeedCut’s Hide Shorts.
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