Xiaomi Smart TVs with Android TV or Google TV provide access to YouTube, a platform with billions of videos, among which not everything is suitable for children. Without the right settings, a child can stumble upon aggressive content, advertising with questionable offers or even channels that promote dangerous behavior. In this article, we will discuss how to enable parental control on YouTube through a Xiaomi TV – from standard restrictions to hidden features that are not written in the official instructions.
The problem is that Xiaomi doesn’t offer a one-size-fits-all solution: the setup method depends on the TV model, firmware version, and even the region of the Google account. For example, on the Mi TV 4S with Android TV 9, the path to settings will be different from the Xiaomi TV A2 on Google TV. We’ve compiled current ways for all popular models (2019-2026), including bypassing typical errors like “no settings are saved” or “YouTube asks for a password.”
1. Method 1: Restrictions through YouTube Kids profile
The most reliable option is to use YouTube Kids, a special version of the content filtering service, which can be installed directly or through workarounds on Xiaomi TVs if it is not available on Google Play.
Here's how to do it:
- 📺 For models with Google Play: Open an app store, find YouTube Kids and install it. Once launched, the system will offer to create a child profile indicating the age (up to 12 years old).
- 🔍 If the application is not: Install it through Settings → Accounts and synchronization → Add an account, log in to an adult Google account, then download YouTube Kids via the Play Market web version on your phone (selecting your TV as your device to install).
- 🔒 Setting Restrictions: On YouTube Kids, go to Settings → Select the filtering level and set your child’s profile settings: “Preschool age”, “Younger school age” or “Senior school age".
⚠️ Note: On Xiaomi TVs with firmware older than 2022, YouTube Kids can block launch without confirmation SMS. In this case, use the second method.
2. Method 2: Enabling limited mode mainly YouTube
If YouTube Kids is not available or the interface is not suitable, you can activate a limited mode in the standard YouTube app, which works on all Xiaomi TV models, but has a nuance: restrictions are reset when you leave your account or reset your settings.
Instructions:
- Open the YouTube app on your TV.
- Go to the profile (account icon in the upper right corner) → Settings.
- Select Restricted Mode → Turn it on.
- Confirm the action by entering the password from your Google account (if required).
🔹 What blocks a limited regime:
- 🎭 Videos with age restrictions (18)+).
- 📢 Comments under the video (completely hidden).
- 🔗 External links in the descriptions of the videos.
- 🛑 Advertising with adult content (but not all advertising!).
⚠️ Attention: Limited mode does not filter content by topic (e.g., videos with aggression or dangerous challenges may remain available). For complete security, combine this method with Google Family Link settings (see Method 4).
☑️ Preparation for the setting of a limited mode
3. Method 3: Blocking through Android TV/Google TV settings
Xiaomi TVs based on Android TV or Google TV allow you to restrict access to applications at the system level.This is useful if you want to completely block YouTube without the ability to bypass through other devices.
How to set up:
- Go to Settings → Applications → Security and Restrictions.
- Select Parental Controls (or App Launch Controls on New Models).
- Create. PIN-code (remember or write it down!).
- In the list of apps, search YouTube and set an age limit (for example, “12+”).
📌 Features of the method:
- 🔐 PIN-You will need the code to unlock YouTube or change your settings.
- 📱 Restrictions apply only on this TV – from the phone or tablet YouTube will remain available.
- 🔄 After resetting the TV to factory settings PIN-drop-off.
What to do if you forgot PIN-code?
4. Method 4: Linking through Google Family Link
Google Family Link is a remote management service for children's accounts that allows you to not only restrict YouTube, but also set time limits, block purchases and track activity, and on Xiaomi TVs, this works through the binding of Google's children's profile.
Step-by-step:
- On your smartphone, install the Google Family Link app (available for Android and iOS).
- Create a Google account for children (or add an existing one).
- On Xiaomi TV, go to Settings → Accounts → Add an account and log in under your child profile.
- In Family Link, select your child’s profile → Settings Management → Restricted Content → Set an age filter for YouTube.
✅ Advantages of the method:
- 🌍 Works on all devices where a child account is authorized (including TV, phone, tablet).
- ⏰ You can set time limits for using YouTube.
- 📊 See the history of views and attempts to circumvent restrictions.
⚠️ Note: If your child knows the password of your primary Google account, they can untie your child's profile in the TV settings.
💡
If Family Link doesn’t allow you to change your settings for your TV, try logging in to an adult account first, then add a child profile through Settings → Users and Accounts → Add a user.
5. Method 5: Use of third-party applications (for advanced ones)
If standard methods do not work, you can install third-party content filtering apps on your Xiaomi TV, such as Net Nanny or Kids Place (the latter blocks all applications except those allowed), but this method requires permission to install from unknown sources and can conflict with firmware.
How to install Kids Place:
- On the TV, go to Settings → Personal Data → Security → Unknown sources and turn on the option.
- Download. APK-Kids Place file from the official website (for example, through a browser on the TV).
- Install the file through any file manager (e.g., File Commander).
- Start Kids Place, install it. PIN-Add YouTube Kids to the list of permitted apps.
⚠️ Warning: Installing third-party apps may violate Xiaomi’s warranty and cause the TV to run unstable.Before installing, back up your settings via Settings → The device → Backup.
💡
The parental control app is only suitable for power users, and the built-in YouTube Kids and Family Link tools are enough for most tasks.
Typical problems and their solutions
When setting up parental controls on Xiaomi TV, users often encounter errors, and we have collected the most common ways to fix them:
| Problem. | Reason. | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| Restricted regime not maintained | YouTube app cache conflicts with settings | Clear the cache: Settings → Apps → YouTube → Memory → Clear the cache |
| YouTube Kids is not installed | Regional restrictions or old firmware | Update your TV or install APK manually |
| PIN-Parental control code is not appropriate | Resetting or input error | Reset your PIN via Google Family Link or reset your TV |
| Age-restricted videos are still shown. | Account synchronization error | Log out of your account and log in again. |
🔧 If nothing works: Check if you are using the TV. VPN Or a proxy, which can reset YouTube's regional settings. Turn them off in Settings. → Network → Additionally.
7. Additional security measures
Parental controls on YouTube are only part of the protection, and to make watching truly safe, follow these tips:
- 🔌 Turn off autoplay: In YouTube settings, turn off the “Autoplay” option – this will prevent accidental transition to unwanted videos.
- 📵 Block voice search: Children can use voice commands to bypass restrictions. turn off microphone in Settings → The device → Voice input.
- 🕒 Set a sleep timer: In Settings → Screen and sound → Sleep timer set up to automatically turn off the TV at a certain time.
- 👀 Check your browsing history: log in to YouTube regularly → Library → A story to see what a child is watching.
💡
Create a separate profile for your child in your TV settings (Settings → Users) that allows you to quickly switch between child and adult modes without constantly entering passwords.