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Youtube restricted mode: What is it, what is it for and how can we enable or disable it as appropriate?

Youtube restricted mode: What is it

Currently, YouTube is the most used video platform in the world to search for different contents and that is why it is a social network managed by all types of users . That is to say, both adults and young people and children in the house, access YT.

However, due to the constant insecurity that occurs on the network, parents have focused on finding tools that allow them to control the tasks that their children perform on their computer or smartphone . Therefore, the same streaming platform was concerned to offer the famous option of “restricted mode” that can be activated and deactivated, according to the requirements of each user.

But well, you’re sure to ask yourself what this YouTube restricted mode consists of and how it works, just like what happens when you enable or disable it. So, in this post, we will inform you all about it and also the steps to follow to use this functionality .

What is YouTube restricted mode and how does it work?

Although YouTube has a number of alternative resources to parental control, which are based on methods to report cases of harassment or inappropriate comments and videos in order to moderate the actions of certain channels , the truth is that it also has other passive tools that allow certain content to be subject.

In this sense, one of these tools is the “restricted mode” which is based on a kind of filter or optional configuration very similar to the famous “Safe search” from Google, available in all languages. With which, it helps to restrict potentially objectionable videos that you don’t want some members of your family to watch, for example.

In this way, the restricted mode of this social network is responsible for hiding content aimed at adults , as far as possible. That is to say, it has the capacity to make invisible that content that the same platform considers inappropriate, but without the user knowing that it is activated. Since, you can only know if you review this option.

However, the G giant does not specify what type of content it is blocking through YouTube’s “secure mode,” as it simply qualifies it as “untimely” . So, based on the categories by which the streaming platform allows you to report clips, we can say that such inappropriate content has to do with the one that shows sexual, violent or referring to repulsive, dangerous and harmful activities .

It should be noted that, this configuration of YT is not totally infallible and, consequently, it is common for some inappropriate video clips to avoid such a filter.

Since it is simply an intermediate point and not a total and absolute blockade , but with the advantage that is practically imperceptible by the user that, in this case, would be the little ones of the house Taking into account that, to achieve total content filtering, the only alternative is YouTube Kids.

What functions are activated and deactivated with YouTube in restricted mode?

Qué funciones se activan y desactivan con YouTube en modo restringido

Surely, you will also wonder what happens once you enable the restricted mode of this recognized social network. In other words, when using this filter, there will be some functions that are automatically activated and others that will be deactivated, by default .

However, before clarifying this recurring doubt of YT users, it should be noted that the platform uses several indicators to filter the content .

These indicators are based on the title, description, clip metadata, age restrictions, norms of each culture and also the compliance reviews of the “Community Guidelines”. This, of course, in order to identify the user and restrict content for adults , to the extent possible.

Next, we highlight the functions that are affected when the user enables this restricted mode on YouTube:

  • Immediately, comments on all clips uploaded to the streaming platform will be hidden and similarly, it will be impossible for the user to comment. Which means that comments are deactivated and that is why the message “The restricted mode has hidden comments on this video” is displayed on the comments site.
  • Yes you activate the restricted mode and at the same time block it; other users who access the platform from that device cannot change the configuration of this function in the browser , if they realize it.
  • The activation of this feature does not automatically apply to all devices or profiles you manage on YouTube . That is, it will simply be activated on the account and the computer or mobile you are using. Therefore, you will have to activate it in each of your profiles.

Steps to enable and disable YouTube restricted mode

Now it is valuable to know each and every one of the steps to be taken to activate or deactivate this content filter in YT. So, in this section of the post, we detail the procedures to perform both on a computer and directly from the mobile :

On the computer

In principle, we will focus on the step-by-step process to enable or disable the “restricted mode” in question on the desktop. Next, the process to execute to activate it:

  • Enter the official website from your preferred web browser and if you have already logged in with your account, your homepage will open immediately . Otherwise, you have to log in with your email and password by clicking on the button in the upper right corner of the page.
  • Secondly, you have to click on the profile icon located at the upper right corner of the page in question. When the drop-down menu opens, click on the option “Settings” or “Settings” (identified by the gear icon).

En el ordenador

  • Now, in the configuration screen, you have to scroll to the final part where you will find a box that prints “Restricted mode” . There, click on that drop-down box and a small section will also open at the bottom.

En el ordenador

  • Next, you will see that the “No” box is checked, which means that it is disabled. Therefore, you will have to click on the box that says “Yes” and then click on “Save” . It should be noted that if you want to block the restricted mode in that browser , you can press that option and thus prevent other users from deactivating it; Of course, this is done before pressing the accounted for save.

buttonEn el ordenador

  • Finally, to make sure you save your changes correctly, you have to close the website and open it again .

To disable this restricted mode , the process to follow requires the same steps detailed above. But, of course, instead of checking the “Yes” option before saving the changes, it will be necessary to click on the “No” option to disable it . Taking into account that, this option is only shown if you are logged in with the same account where you activated the restriction.

In addition to that, it should be noted that once you click on “Save”, you will also have to close the YT tab to open the platform again . So, you can restore the cache of the social network and in addition to that, the videos that remained restricted, will already be displayed in your searches with total freedom.

On the other hand, if you have set the restricted mode in your browser, it will last even when you log out of the YT account. Unless you sign in to your Google account and deactivate it directly from there .

On the smartphone

In this case, you will have to execute the procedure from the mobile application of the streaming platform, regardless of whether it is an Android or iOS device.

Thus, let’s start with the step-by-step to enable the function in question of YouTube:

  • To start, open the platform directly from the icon of your application . Which, is identified with a white triangle with a red background. If you are already logged in with your account, the login page will open automatically and if not, you have to press the profile icon and there, touch the option “Login” to do it with your email and password.

En el smartphone

  • After that, press your profile icon in the upper right of the terminal screen. Once the drop-down menu opens, you will have to click on the option “Settings” or “Settings” that is identified with the gear icon.

En el smartphone

  • Once the above is fulfilled, among all the options shown, access the one that says “General” if you use an Android phone or tablet. Otherwise, skip this step.

En el smartphone

  • Now, you will run into the restricted mode option among the last selections there are. As you will see, the switch it contains is in gray that indicates that it is disabled. Therefore, you have to move the same switch to enable the function (now shown in blue).

En el smartphone

  • To conclude, close the mobile app and open it again in a matter of seconds . After that, you will see that there are many restricted videos on the platform, depending on their content.

On the other hand, to disable this YouTube option on your smartphone , you will simply have to execute the same process as we indicated above, but with the difference of move the switch to the other side , so that it is displayed in gray (synonymous with deactivated) and that’s it.

Finally, to save the changes correctly, we also recommend close and reopen the app . That way, the content that was shown as restricted will be released in a matter of minutes. It should be noted that, as it may take some time, it is possible to speed up the process by opening and closing the application again .