Use Screen Time for a basic limit, Downtime for a scheduled cutoff, or an iPhone app blocker with a daily routine when YouTube Kids needs a real, enforced stopping point on the device it's used on.
Worth stating clearly first: this page covers blocking YouTube Kids on the specific iPhone it's installed on, whether that's a child's own device or a shared family phone. Use Screen Time App Limits for a daily allowance, Downtime for a scheduled cutoff, or a dedicated blocker for a routine that locks the app automatically. Fella doesn't manage a separate device remotely from another phone, so it works when set up directly on the device where YouTube Kids is used.
Even a curated, kid-focused app is still built around autoplay and recommendations. One video ending flows straight into the next, with no natural stopping point, which means "just one video" can become a much longer session without anyone consciously choosing to keep watching.
1. Open Settings, then tap Screen Time. If needed, turn on App & Website Activity. Tap App Limits, then Add Limit.
2. Select YouTube Kids. Open the Entertainment category, select YouTube Kids, tap Next, choose the daily allowance, then tap Done. Selecting it on its own avoids sharing a limit with other apps on the device.
3. Know what happens when the limit is reached. iPhone shows a Screen Time limit screen, but an App Limit can be ignored by default unless the device's Screen Time passcode is set and controlled separately from the person using it, worth confirming directly if the limit needs to hold without negotiation.
Turning off autoplay in the app's own settings helps, but it's a partial fix. It removes the automatic next-video countdown, but doesn't stop someone from manually tapping play again or reopening the app.
A minute-based limit is also easy to lose track of. Videos vary in length, so a daily allowance measured in minutes can run out mid-video, or feel arbitrary compared to a fixed, predictable stopping time like "screens off at 6pm."
Confirm the passcode setup if consistency matters. If the person using the device also has access to the Screen Time passcode, an App Limit or Downtime can be adjusted or ignored the same way an adult's own limit could.
Downtime blocks most apps during a scheduled period. Go to Settings > Screen Time > Downtime, choose Scheduled, and set the days and hours. A fixed cutoff time, rather than a minute total, is often easier to explain and enforce consistently for a daily routine.
Turn on Block at Downtime for a real scheduled block. Apple lets Downtime show a reminder by default; with Block at Downtime enabled, restricted apps cannot open during that period. Apps in Always Allowed can remain available, so review that list if YouTube Kids is not behaving as expected.
Focus Mode is not a YouTube Kids blocker. Focus can silence notifications; it does not stop the app from opening or continuing to play once it's already running.
| Approach | Good for | Weak point |
|---|---|---|
| Delete YouTube Kids | Removes immediate access on this iPhone. | Removes the app entirely rather than setting a boundary around its use. |
| Screen Time app limit | Basic limits and awareness. | Can be ignored by default if the passcode isn't controlled separately from the device's user. |
| Fella | Blocking YouTube Kids automatically at a consistent scheduled time. | Built for one 5-minute emergency unlock per session, not open-ended access. |
A dedicated blocker is useful when a consistent, predictable cutoff matters more than a flexible minute allowance. A scheduled routine ends screen time at the same time every day, without depending on tracking accumulated minutes across autoplay-driven sessions. If you're still choosing a tool, see our iPhone app-blocking options.
With Fella, add YouTube Kids to a routine that starts a blocking session automatically at your chosen time. It stays unavailable by default once the routine begins, on the device where it's set up.
Use the emergency unlock only for a practical need. Each blocking session includes one 5-minute emergency unlock. When the five minutes end, YouTube Kids locks again automatically.
That is the trade-off. Fella provides a hard scheduled cutoff on this one device, not remote management of a different device, content filtering, or granular per-video controls.
Anyone setting up a fixed daily cutoff directly on the iPhone YouTube Kids is used on. If autoplay keeps extending sessions past an intended stopping point, a scheduled routine removes the need to enforce it manually each time.
Not a fit for remotely managing a different device. If the goal is controlling YouTube Kids on a phone you don't have set up with Fella directly, that requires a different approach, such as Apple's Family Sharing-based Screen Time tools.
Anyone who's found a minute-based App Limit inconsistent to enforce. A scheduled cutoff at a fixed time is often simpler to apply and explain than tracking a daily allowance.
Use Screen Time App Limits for a daily allowance, Downtime for a scheduled block, or a focused app blocker like Fella to keep YouTube Kids blocked by default at a set time, with one 5-minute emergency unlock per session.
No. Fella blocks apps on the specific iPhone it's installed on. It doesn't remotely manage or restrict a different device from another phone the way Family Sharing-based parental controls can. If YouTube Kids is on a phone your child uses directly, Fella needs to be set up on that same phone.
Yes. Fella supports routines that start a blocking session automatically on chosen days and times, useful for a recurring cutoff, like ending screen time at a fixed hour every day, rather than tracking a daily minute total.
Turning off autoplay can reduce the number of videos that start without a decision, but it doesn't stop someone from manually starting the next one or reopening the app. A scheduled block addresses the time itself, not just the autoplay mechanic.
Yes. Use App Limits for a daily allowance, or Downtime for scheduled hours. A reached App Limit can be ignored by default unless the device's Screen Time passcode is controlled separately.
Yes. You choose which apps Fella blocks. YouTube Kids can be on the list while other apps stay fully accessible.
No. Hiding an app only changes where its icon appears. It can still be reopened from Search or the App Library unless an App Limit, Downtime, or an app blocker restricts it directly.
