YouTube is launching a service for kids on 23rd Feb.

youtube-kids

YouTube Kids is a new app that is aimed at making the search for online videos a more kid- and parent-friendly experience.

YouTube, in a few days will be launching a YouTube app for kids. Scheduled to go live this coming Monday, the new app is designed especially for the little ones, to separate content for adults from being viewed by young ones in families.

The official name for the new app is “YouTube Kids,” it will be available for android devices ONLY, on launch!

Shimrit Ben-Yair, the project’s group product manager, believes the app comes when parents really needed it.

“Parents were constantly asking us, can you make YouTube a better place for our kids,” says Shimrit Ben-Yair, the project’s group product manager, noting that family-friendly fare is a booming business on YouTube. “(Year over year) we’ve seen 50% growth in viewing time on YouTube, but for our family entertainment channels, it’s more like 200%.”

The app could have taken months to develop, even if it was the byproduct of input from in-house engineers with parenting credentials as well as third-party testers from organizations such as Common Sense Media. The result is a simple-to-use interface that rids the screen of distracting elements such as viewer comments while offering unique features such as a parent-controller timer that shuts down the app after a set amount of time.

YouTube is launching a service for kids on 23rd Feb.

YouTube demo reveals a home screen dominated by eight large tiles showcasing images from popular kids shows. Above them hover five simple icons, a TV set for programs such as Thomas the Tank Engine and Yo Gabba Gabba; a radio for video renditions of popular songs; a light bulb for educational programming such as Khan Academy; and binoculars to explore a range of top videos.

“The images are big as are the tap targets for small fingers, and since younger children can’t type they can search with voice,” says Ben-Yair.

Until Monday, stay tuned for more details.

SOURCE: USA TODAY

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