The YouTube Kids app now looks like YouTube

Your young children being on YouTube is inevitable at this point. From experience, I know babies can swipe and scroll on touch screens at just months old. That’s why YouTube launched the YouTube Kids app for iPhone and Android devices in 2015.

Now, for the first time since its launch, YouTube Kids has received a complete redesign. With that update, YouTube Kids looks a lot more like YouTube.

“As part of YouTube’s design improvement efforts, we’re excited to announce that we’re bringing a new look and feel to the YouTube Kids mobile app!” reads a new update posted by YouTube earlier this week on the official YouTube Kids community site.

Here’s what’s new in the YouTube Kids app

The biggest update to the YouTube Kids app is obvious: The redesign.

Previously, YouTube Kids (as seen above) looked like a children’s app. It’s almost identical to YouTube’s current design at all.

The new YouTube Kids (as seen below) looks like YouTube, but with a kid-oriented twist. The design is colorful and visually appealing, but still distinctly YouTube-like. The previous design was aimed at toddlers, while this one seems to be meant for childhood enjoyment.

A new design for the YouTube Kids app
Credit: YouTube

The redesign also brings a more YouTube-like interface to YouTube Kids. YouTube Kids now displays categories of videos at the top of the home screen just like YouTube does. The new navigation bar at the bottom of the page goes directly to the main YouTube app as well.

Another big change is that YouTube Kids can now be used both horizontally and vertically like the main YouTube app. Previously, YouTube Kids had to be used in landscape mode. But, now that short video is popular in the area thanks to YouTube Shorts, that doesn’t make sense anymore.

A new update to the YouTube Kids app lets users watch content vertically for the first time.
Credit: YouTube

Aside from the redesign, everything else on YouTube Kids is the same. The app is always the best way for kids to safely watch age-appropriate YouTube content. YouTube has improved it a lot content moderation issues that abuse the operating system years ago.

A few comments on YouTube’s update announcement generated a negative response to the redesign. However, like it or not, the redesigned app should be simpler than what YouTube is doing in its smart TV kids program. Earlier this year, it was completely YouTube shut down its stand-alone children’s TV program also included YouTube’s main app for smart TVs.