Tech Desk 
Jan 15, 2026
YouTube has launched new features, designed specifically to give parents more control over the viewing patterns of their teen children.
The company, in a blog post, stated that these new tools help parents to limit how much time teens spend scrolling through Shorts. YouTube has also launched new principles and a creator guide with an aim at encouraging age-appropriate content.
The platform has also received an updated sign-up experience that makes it simple for parents to create new accounts for kids. YouTube assures that parents will be able to set the Shorts feed limit to zero soon. With this update, parents can disable Shorts entirely for a day or allow up to 60 minutes during a long car ride for entertainment.
What is maximum time limit parents can set for YouTube Shorts?
YouTube stated that parents can choose the Shorts feed limit as 15 minutes, 30 minutes, 45 minutes, 1 hour or 2 hours. Additionally, parents of supervised YouTube accounts can set custom 'Bedtime' and 'Take a Break' reminders, "building on the existing default-on well being protections for teens."
"The new principles were developed in partnership with the Youth Advisory Committee and the Centre for Scholars and Storytellers at UCLA and supported by global experts from the American Psychological Association, Digital Wellness Lab at Boston Children's Hospital, and other global organisations," said YouTube.
The company added that the platform is committed to growing alongside the families who choose to watch YouTube, ensuring that it remains a safe and inspiring space for the next generation to explore.
