YouTube launches family friendly app in Ireland

YouTube has launched its family friendly video app YouTube Kids in Ireland, with content from Irish creators alongside established favourites such as Peppa Pig and The Magic Roundabout.

The child-friendly service is intended to make it easier for children and parents to find videos on topics that interest them. It’s had some tweaks in design, with larger icons and voice search to help navigate.

“We’ve built the YouTube Kids app to be a safer version of YouTube, a family-friendly place for kids to explore their imagination and curiosity,” the company’s head of kids and learning partnerships, said in a blog post.

It also has built-in parental controls, such as a timer to limit viewing time, the ability to switch off search and a passcode to restrict access.

The free app launched in the US earlier this year and has already been downloaded more than 10 million times.