Restricted Mode filters out content YouTube flags as potentially mature

Restricted Mode is a YouTube setting that hides videos the platform considers unsuitable for younger viewers — usually content with profanity, violence, or sexual themes. When it is on, you cannot watch those videos, and your search results shrink. Turning it off takes one click on most devices, though the exact location of that click depends on whether you are on a computer, phone, or tablet.

The setting exists to let parents, teachers, and organisations limit what appears on shared devices. If you own the device or account, you can disable it yourself. If someone else set it up on a device you share, you may need their password or account access to change it.

Key Takeaways

  • Restricted Mode is a YouTube setting, not a parental control that locks the device — you turn it off in YouTube's settings, not in your operating system.
  • On a computer, scroll to the bottom of any YouTube page, click your profile picture, and toggle Restricted Mode off in the dropdown menu.
  • On a phone or tablet, open the YouTube app, tap your profile picture, go to Settings, then General, and turn off Restricted Mode.
  • If you are signed out of YouTube, Restricted Mode applies to the entire browser or device until you sign in and disable it.
  • If someone else set up Restricted Mode on a shared device, you will need their account password or to ask them to disable it.

Disabling Restricted Mode on a Computer

Open YouTube in your web browser and go to any page on the site. Look at the bottom right corner of the screen. You will see your profile picture (a small circle with your photo or initial). Click it.

A dropdown menu appears. Near the bottom of that menu, you will see "Restricted Mode: On" with a toggle switch next to it. Click the toggle to turn it off. The page refreshes, and Restricted Mode is now disabled on that browser.

If you are not signed into YouTube, Restricted Mode stays on for the entire browser. Sign into your Google account first, then follow the steps above. Restricted Mode applies per browser, so if you use Chrome, Firefox, and Safari, you need to disable it in each one separately.

Disabling Restricted Mode on iPhone or iPad

Open the YouTube app and tap your profile picture in the top right corner. A menu slides up from the bottom of the screen. Tap "Settings."

Tap "General." You will see a toggle for "Restricted Mode." Tap it to turn it off. The app refreshes, and Restricted Mode is disabled.

If you are using a shared iPad or iPhone and someone else signed into YouTube on it, you will need their password to access Settings. Ask the account owner to disable Restricted Mode, or sign out and sign into your own Google account first.

Disabling Restricted Mode on Android Phones and Tablets

Open the YouTube app and tap your profile picture in the top right corner. Tap "Settings."

Tap "General." You will see "Restricted Mode" listed. Tap it, then tap the toggle to turn it off. The setting saves when ready.

Like on iPhone and iPad, if someone else owns the account on a shared device, you need their password to change this setting. Sign out and sign into your own account if you have one, or ask the account owner to disable it for you.

What Happens When Restricted Mode Is On

When Restricted Mode is enabled, YouTube hides videos it categorises as mature. This includes videos with strong language, violence, sexual content, or other themes YouTube considers unsuitable for younger audiences. The videos are not deleted — they still exist on YouTube — but they do not appear in your search results, recommendations, or browse pages.

Restricted Mode also affects what you can comment on and what comments you see. Some videos allow comments only from accounts older than a certain age when Restricted Mode is on.

The filter is not perfect. Some videos that should be hidden may still appear, and some videos that are hidden may not need to be. YouTube relies on automated systems and user reports to categorise content, so mistakes happen.

If Restricted Mode Keeps Turning Back On

If you disable Restricted Mode but it turns back on the next time you visit YouTube, someone else may have locked it on your device or account. This usually happens on shared computers or devices where a parent, teacher, or administrator has set up parental controls.

On a computer, check whether your browser has an extension or plugin that enforces Restricted Mode. Open your browser's extension menu and look for anything related to parental controls or content filtering. If you find one, you may need the administrator password to remove it.

On a phone or tablet, check whether your device itself has parental controls enabled through the operating system. On iPhone, this is in Settings under Screen Time. On Android, it is in Settings under Digital Wellbeing or Parental Controls. These device-level controls can force Restricted Mode on even if you disable it in YouTube. You will need the device owner's password to change them.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I disable Restricted Mode if I am not the account owner?

No. Only the account owner can disable Restricted Mode on that account. If you are using someone else's account on a shared device, you need their password to change the setting. If it is your device but someone else's account, sign out and sign into your own account instead.

Does Restricted Mode affect other people using the same device?

Only if they are signed into the same YouTube account. If each person signs into their own Google account, each account has its own Restricted Mode setting. If someone is not signed in, Restricted Mode applies to the entire browser or device.

Will disabling Restricted Mode let me watch videos that are age-restricted?

Restricted Mode and age-restricted videos are different. Age-restricted videos require you to be signed into a Google account and be at least 18 years old. Disabling Restricted Mode does not bypass age restrictions. You still cannot watch those videos unless you meet the age requirement.

What if I forgot where the Restricted Mode toggle is?

On a computer, click your profile picture at the bottom right of any YouTube page. On a phone or tablet, tap your profile picture at the top right, then go to Settings and General. The toggle is always in the same place on each device type.

Can my internet provider or school force Restricted Mode on?

Your internet provider or school can block YouTube entirely or filter it at the network level, but they cannot force YouTube's Restricted Mode setting specifically. If YouTube is filtered at your school or workplace, disabling Restricted Mode will not bypass that filter. You would need to use a different network.