FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Everything parents ask about the YouTube channel whitelist, pricing, setup, and how Kivvie handles data. Can't find your answer? Reach us through the support page.
?How is Kivvie different from YouTube Kids?
YouTube Kids runs an algorithm over a pre-selected library, but stuff still slips through. Kivvie works the other way around: it starts empty. Nothing shows up until you approve a channel or add a specific video to a custom playlist. Each child gets their own channels and playlists. There are also no Shorts and no algorithmic recommendations.
?How do I get started?
About 2 minutes. Start on the website: sign in with Google on the web dashboard, create a profile for each kid, and approve their channels. We never see your password. Then grab the mobile app on iOS or Android, sign in with the same account, and hand it over. They'll see the channels you approved and any videos you chose for their custom playlists. Prefer not to sign in on the kid's device? Generate a setup code from the Profiles page and enter it in the app instead. The support page is there if you get stuck.
?Does Kivvie work on Family Link or Screen Time supervised devices?
Yes. Supervised devices normally block a parent Google sign-in, which locks parents out of most YouTube apps. Kivvie gets around this with a setup code: generate a code from the Profiles page on the dashboard, enter it in the app on your child's device, and it pairs to their profile with no Google account needed on that device. The paired device is view-only, so all management stays with you on the dashboard.
?What channels can I approve?
Any public YouTube channel. Khan Academy Kids, Bluey, Numberblocks, random hobby channels your kid is into. You can get started with pre-approved channels from Channel Packs, or search YouTube and add your own from the parent dashboard. Each kid's profile has its own list.
?Can I set different channels for different kids?
Yes. Each child profile has its own separate channel list. So your 10-year-old gets science and documentary channels while your 5-year-old only sees Sesame Street and StoryBots. You manage everything from one dashboard, and changes sync to the app right away. The free plan includes 1 profile -- paid plans give you unlimited.
?Are YouTube Shorts and comments shown?
No. Shorts are gone. Not hidden behind a toggle, just not there. Comments are off too. Kids see full-length videos from approved channels and parent-made custom playlists, with no algorithmic recommendations. Videos three minutes or shorter cannot be added to a custom playlist.
?Is Kivvie free?
Free plan gets you 1 child and 5 channels, no card. Paid plans start at $4.99/month for unlimited kids and channels plus custom playlists. There's yearly and lifetime pricing too. Download the app from the App Store or Google Play. To upgrade, head to kivvie.app.
?Is my data safe?
Data is encrypted in transit and at rest. We don't sell or share your information and we don't show ads. Watch history and duration may be collected so you can see what your kids watched in the parent dashboard, but it's never used for algorithms, ads, or shared with anyone. We no longer operate a pre-launch waitlist, and the remaining historical waitlist submissions have been deleted. Kivvie is COPPA compliant. If you're in the EU or UK, the GDPR rights section of our policy covers access, correction, erasure, portability and complaints, and we answer requests within one month. You can delete your account and all its data from the app whenever you want, and email us if you want a copy of your data first. The full details are in our Privacy Policy, and our Cookie Notice lists the cookies we set.
?Do I need technical knowledge to set this up?
Nope. Sign in with Google, create a child profile, search for channels. That's it. The dashboard at kivvie.app walks you through it, and most people are done in under 2 minutes. The support page has step-by-step instructions if you need them.
?What devices does Kivvie work on?
You manage everything from kivvie.app, which works in any browser on any device. Kids watch on the mobile app, available on both iOS and Android. Changes you make on the dashboard sync to the app right away.
?What are channel packs?
Channel packs are bundles of YouTube channels grouped by age, interest, or subject -- like Learning, STEM, Creative, or Entertainment. Instead of adding channels one by one, you install a pack and your child's profile gets a bunch of parent-recommended channels at once. They're community-recommended, not sponsored. You can remove individual channels after installing a pack.
?How does Kivvie keep kids safe from inappropriate content?
The app starts empty. A child only sees videos from channels you've approved and individual videos you chose for their custom playlists. There are no Shorts, comments, or algorithmic recommendations. Adding one playlist video does not approve the rest of its channel.
?Does YouTube have its own parental controls?
Yes, YouTube has several: Restricted Mode filters some mature content, YouTube Kids offers a filtered library for young children, and Family Link/Supervised Experience lets a parent approve individual channels inside the regular YouTube app. None of them remove Shorts, comments, or recommendations the way a whitelist-only player does. See our full breakdown of YouTube's built-in controls.
?Can Kivvie block specific YouTube channels instead of only allowing a list?
Kivvie uses a whitelist model for channels: you approve the channels your child can browse, and everything else is blocked automatically. You can still add one specific video from an unapproved channel to a custom playlist without approving the rest of that channel. If you're comparing blocking and whitelisting, see how to block YouTube channels for kids.
?How much does Kivvie cost?
Free forever for 1 child profile and 5 approved channels, no credit card required. Paid plans add unlimited children, unlimited channels, and custom playlists: $4.99/month, $49/year, or $99 once for lifetime access, priced in USD, EUR, AUD, or INR. See the full pricing page for details.
?Is there a free trial or is the free plan permanent?
The free plan is not a time-limited trial. It stays free for as long as you use it, with 1 child profile and 5 approved channels. Upgrade when you need more children, more channels, or custom playlists.
?How do custom playlists work?
A custom playlist is a private list of videos you make for one child. In the parent dashboard, give it a name, paste in YouTube video links, and drag the videos into the order you want. Once it has at least one available video, it appears as its own row in the mobile app. You can use a video from a channel you have not approved; the rest of that channel stays blocked. Creating playlists and adding videos are paid features available only on monthly, yearly, and lifetime plans. Each playlist holds up to 20 videos.
?Why can't I add a video to a custom playlist?
A video will not be added if it is three minutes or shorter, private, unavailable, still processing, or blocked from embedded playback. You also cannot add the same video twice or put more than 20 videos in one playlist. A video may disappear later if its creator or YouTube removes it or changes its availability.
?Can I see what my child has been watching?
Yes, on a paid plan. The Activity page in the parent dashboard shows each child's watch history: how many videos they watched, watch time, which channels came up most, and the recent titles. Only you can see it, on the profiles in your own account. Recording starts when your paid plan starts, so a first subscription begins with an empty page that fills as your child watches. Kivvie keeps one entry per video rather than a session-by-session log, so rewatching a video updates that entry and its play count instead of adding a new one, and very short views (under 10 seconds) are skipped. If your paid plan ends, all watch history is permanently deleted; resubscribing starts fresh. You can also erase a child's history yourself at any time from the Activity page, on any plan. If you would rather Kivvie did not record it at all, you can switch watch history off per child in Settings and keep every other paid feature. On the free plan no watch history is recorded at all.
?Does Kivvie work on Chromebook or a computer browser?
The parent dashboard works in any browser, including on a Chromebook. The child viewing app itself is a native iOS and Android app; there is currently no dedicated Chromebook or browser extension for the child experience.
?Can I cancel or change my plan at any time?
Yes. You can upgrade, downgrade, or cancel from the subscription page at any time. Lifetime plans are a one-time payment with nothing to cancel.
Still have a question?
Set up Kivvie in about 2 minutes, free, no credit card. Or reach us through support if something is still unclear.