What is Safe Vision?
What parents need to know
Safe Vision is a parental control app that allows parents to manage what YouTube content their child can access. All content children can view must be approved by a parent.
In this guide
What is Safe Vision?
Safe Vision is a safety tool that allows parents to control which YouTube videos their child can access. Parents can manually select specific channels, playlists or videos to allow, which children can then watch within the Safe Vision app. Children will only be shown this approved content, reducing their exposure to inappropriate content and YouTube recommendations.
In addition to content filtering, Safe Vision has features such as screen time limits and keyword blocking to help your child have a more positive experience while watching videos.
Safe Vision can be used as a free app or with a paid subscription. Subscribing to Safe Vision Premium allows parents to add an unlimited number of channels to the app, set a screen time limit of more than 1 hour a day and create multiple child profiles. For younger children, the free version is adequate, as children under 5 should not exceed 1 hour of screen time a day, making the ability to increase the limit unnecessary.
The app is available to download for free from Google Play, the Apple App Store and the Microsoft Store.
How it works
When setting up Safe Vision, parents must enter their email and a password. This password must be entered to access the parent section of the app, preventing children from making changes to the content they can view. Users are then be taken to the parent section, where they will be suggested a range of child-friendly channels, or they can search for specific channels and videos to approve using the search bar.
Once content has been approved, the user can switch to the child side of the app, where children can watch the approved videos. Autoplay is disabled by default, so another video will not automatically play when one finishes. There are also no adverts.
Screen time limits can be set, with time limits ranging from 30 minutes to 12 hours, or parents can choose to have no limit at all. Only Premium users can set a limit of more than one hour, while all users can choose the 30-minute or one-hour options.
A keyword blocker is also included in the app. Parents can add up to 20 keywords, and any videos with those words in the title will be blocked.
There is no direct interaction with other users, except for viewing video uploads. Live streams and comment sections are not included on the app.
Parents can also view their child’s watch history. While children can only watch content that has been approved, this can help parents check what their child has watched and content they did not intend to approve, such as videos included within an approved channel.
It should be noted that setting up Safe Vision does not affect the actual YouTube app. Instead, it is a separate app that gives access to YouTube content. Because of this, parents should consider using an app lock or device controls to prevent children from accessing the YouTube app and viewing the content that Safe Vision is meant to block.
Benefits of Safe Vision
- Limits access to inappropriate content
- In-built screen time controls
- Ad-free viewing
- Free version is solid
- Parents can view watch history
- Disables autoplay feature
- No comment section
What to watch out for
While Safe Vision only shows videos from approved channels, there is a chance that a channel that is generally appropriate for your child might post a video that is inappropriate. Regularly check the watch history to see if your child is viewing any content that is inappropriate. You should also have regular conversations with your child to gain an insight into what they are watching and whether they are viewing anything concerning.
Safe Vision can give children a safer watching experience, but you should still use device-level controls to prevent your child from switching to the main YouTube app and accessing content outside of Safe Vision. Device-level controls can also help manage your child’s screentime, as they may otherwise continue using their device after they have reached their Safe Vision time limit.
