How to completely block YouTube on a Xiaomi TV from a child: all working methods

Why Youtube is Blocked on Children’s TV and What Risks It Prevents

Xiaomi Mi TVs (including Mi TV 4S, Mi TV Q1, Mi TV A Pro, and others) offer out-of-the-box access to YouTube, a platform that, despite the abundance of children's content, poses serious threats. Recommendation algorithms often show children in videos with aggression, dangerous challenges or inappropriate behavior, even if the child initially watched cartoons. According to a Common Sense Media study, 38% of children aged 8-12 years experienced content not intended for their age, and 60% of cases occurred on YouTube.

But it's not just content that's the problem, because kids under 7 spend 40 percent more time on average watching a YouTube screen when they're running on a big TV instead of a smartphone -- this is a pediatrician from the American Academy of Child Psychiatry.

• 🛡️ Eliminate casual video viewing with violence, alcohol or gambling advertising (even in "children's" videos, hidden inserts are often found).
• ⏰ Watch screen time – without YouTube, a child switches to games or reading faster.
• 🔒 Protect against in-app purchases (children may accidentally pay for subscriptions or donations via a linked card).
• 📵 Prevent dependence on endless recommendation tape that disrupts sleep and concentration.

In this article, 5 proven ways to block YouTube on Xiaomi TV (including Android TV and Google TV models), from simply hiding the icon to completely removing the application via ADB. All methods work on MIUI TV firmware version 2023-2026 and do not require root rights.

Method 1: Hide the YouTube icon through Xiaomi TV settings (without password)

The fastest, but least reliable, method is simply to remove the YouTube icon from the home screen.This does not block access to the app completely (a child can find it through a search or All Apps section), but reduces the likelihood of an accidental launch.

Instructions for MIUI TV (relevant to Mi TV 4A/4S/4X/5 Pro):

1. On the Xiaomi remote, press the Home button.
2. Find the YouTube icon and highlight it (without clicking).
3. Press the OK button on the remote for 3-5 seconds until the menu appears.
4. Select Remove from the home screen (or Hide in the English version of the firmware).

For Google TV (Mi TV Q2/Q1E models):

1. Go to the main screen and highlight the YouTube icon.
2. Press the button. ⚙️ Settings on the remote (or pinch) OK).
3. Choose Remove from row (Remove from row)

Check the "All Apps" section (button) ⚙️ → "All applications")|Turn off Google voice search (to prevent your child from finding YouTube through a microphone)|Set up a child profile (if any)|Set a password for settings of the TV-->

⚠️ Note: This method does not block access to YouTube through:

• 🔍 Google Search (a child can type “YouTube” in the search bar).
• 📺 Recommendations in other apps (for example, Prime Video or Netflix sometimes have links to YouTube).
• 🎮 Game consoles connected to a TV (PlayStation, Xbox also have YouTube).

Method 2: Installation PIN-YouTube launch code (parental controls)

A more reliable option is to set up PIN-This won't delete YouTube, but it will require you to enter a password every time you open it. TV Android TV 9.0 and newer.

Step-by-step:

1. Open the Settings (button) ⚙️ remote).
2. Go to the Appendix section → Application management.
3. Find YouTube in the list and select it.
4. Activate the option to block the application (App Lock).
5. Set a 4-digit set. PIN-code (remember it or write it in a safe place!).
6. Confirm the password and save the settings.

Now, when you try to open YouTube, the TV will require a PIN. Important: the same password may be required to change any app settings, so don't tell your child.

Method 3: Creating a restricted child profile (best option for children 3-10 years old)

If your Xiaomi TV runs Android TV 10.0+ or Google TV, you can create a separate child profile with limited access to content, which blocks not only YouTube, but other potentially dangerous apps (such as the browser or 18+ games).

How to set up:

1. Open the Settings. → Accounts and entrance.
2. Select Add an Account → Child profile.
3. Follow the instructions on the screen by indicating the age of the child (the system will automatically block inappropriate content).
4. In the Parental Control section, set up PIN-code.
5. In the profile settings, disable access to YouTube, the Browser and Google Play.

Advantages of the method:

• 🎯 Automatic filtering of content by age (YouTube Kids remains available if allowed).
• ⏱️ Time limit for TV use (you can set a limit of, for example, 1 hour per day).
• 🔒 Blocking the installation of new applications without PIN-code.

💡

If you need to leave YouTube Kids in your child profile but block the main YouTube, set a separate PIN on the main app (Method 2) and allow YouTube Kids in your profile settings.

⚠️ Attention: Children's profile on Xiaomi TV has a limitation: it does not block access to YouTube through voice search Google Assistant.To completely eliminate this risk, turn off the microphone in the settings: Settings → The device → Google Assistant → Disable voice input. Method 4: Completely delete YouTube via ADB (If you want to permanently remove YouTube from Xiaomi TV, you can use the tool ADB (Android Debug Bridge: This method requires you to connect your TV to your computer, but it guarantees 100% lock-down, so the app disappears from the system and doesn't update: 💻 Computer with Windows, macOS or Linux. 🔌 Cable USB-A → USB-A (or USB-C → USB-A, model-wise TV). 📥 Utility. ADB (Download from the official Android website). Step-by-step: Turn on the developer mode on the TV: Go to Settings → Find the assembly number and click on it. 7 Once in a row, until the message "You're a developer" appears. → For developers and activate: Debugging by USB; Debugging over the network (if you connect over Wi-Fi). Connect the TV to your computer with a cable and open Command Prompt (or Terminal on the computer). macOS/Linux). Enter the command to check the connection: Adb devices should appear serial number of your TV. Remove YouTube by command: adb shell pm uninstall --user 0 com.google.android.youtube.tv For YouTube Kids use: adb shell pm uninstall --user 0 com.google.android.apps.youtube.kids After completing the command, YouTube will disappear from the menu and will not be available even through search. Important: This method does not remove the application completely from the device (it remains in the system partition), but makes it inaccessible to the user. 💡Removal through ADB — The only way that you can withstand a factory reset is by not automatically restoring YouTube to a firmware update. Method 5: Blocking YouTube via router (for all devices on the network) If you want to block YouTube not only on your TV, but also on all devices on your home network (smartphones, tablets, laptops), you can configure filtering at the router level. This is true if you have a Xiaomi Mi Router, TP-Link, Keenetic or other router with parental control function.Instruction for Xiaomi Mi Router: Open the Mi Wi-Fi app on your smartphone or log in to the router's web interface at 192.168.31.1. Go to Parental Controls section → Devices. Select Xiaomi TV from the list of connected devices. Activate Site Filtering and blacklist domains: youtube.com www.youtube.com m.youtube.com youtu.be googlevideo.com Save settings and restart the router. For other routers (e.g. TP-Link): Go to the web interface at the address 192.168.0.1 or 192.168.1.1. Find the Access Control or Parental Control section. Add the lock rule to MAC-TV address (you can find it in Settings) → Network → Network status on TV). Please indicate the prohibited domains (see the list above). ⚠️ Note: Blocking through the router has limitations: 📱 It does not work for mobile internet (if the TV is connected to the Internet). 4G/5G through USB-modem). 🔄 Can get by through VPN (if the child is installed VPN-annex TV). ⚡ Slows down the network during active filtration (on weak routers). How to Make Your TV Safe for Your Child Even After You Block YouTube on Xiaomi TV There are other risks, like browser access, in-app advertising, random purchases, and to protect your child as much as possible, follow these steps: 🔐 Install. PIN settings for the TV: settings → System system → Parental control → Blocking settings. 🛒 Turn off in-app purchases: Settings → Accounts and entrance → Payment and subscriptions → Disable purchase confirmation. 🌐 Remove or block the browser: Through ADB Execute the command: adb shell pm uninstall --user 0 com.android.browser 🕒 Set up a sleep timer: Settings → Screen and sound → Sleep timer (set automatic shutdown, for example, in the 21:00). 📺 Use external devices: Connect Apple TV, Fire Stick or console with more flexible parental control settings. 💡If your child watches cartoons frequently, install alternative apps with safe content: Kids Movie Search, Cartoon, CTC Kids. These are available on Google Play on Xiaomi. TV They have built-in age filtering (FAQ) Can You Block YouTube on Xiaomi? TV No password? Yes, but only by hiding the icon (Method 1). PIN-code or connection to a computer (for the purpose of ADB). If you don’t want to use passwords, consider blocking through a router (Method 5) – it doesn’t require entering. PIN The child dropped the TV to the factory settings -- YouTube came back. How do you block it forever? The only method that can withstand resetting is to delete YouTube through the computer. ADB (Method 4. Once removed, the application will not recover even after the firmware update. The alternative is to physically disconnect the TV from the Internet (but then other apps won't work). How to block YouTube on Xiaomi TV if there's no remote? If the remote is lost or broken, you can: Use the remote app for Xiaomi TV (available on Google Play and the App Store). Connect the keyboard or mouse over Bluetooth/USB and control the TV through them. Delete YouTube via ADB from your computer (Metho 4), if debugging over USB is already on. If nothing helps, reset the TV with a button on the case (usually it is located on Google Player and the Internet screen is still on YouTube, but can I just turn on the Internet from the Internet? Some videos (e.g., previously uploaded) can remain in the cache. Better combine the Internet shutdown with the application removal via ADB. Can you block only individual channels or videos on YouTube without removing the app? There is no such feature on Xiaomi TV. However, you can: Use YouTube Kids instead of the main YouTube (there is content filtering there); Set up a limited mode on YouTube itself (but this does not block all dangerous videos); Create a family Google account with parental control enabled (restrictions will apply on all devices where the child is logged in).