How to Filter Content on YouTube
Examining some of the best approaches to filtering content on YouTube without blocking the website entirely.
If you ever considered whether it's possible to filter content on YouTube, you've probably seen conflicting advice. Many people opt to block YouTube altogether, and while that might be a good idea for some, others just want to block the bad stuff.
Unfortunately, most content filters don't offer the ability to selectively block access to specific videos. The ones that do require you to list out exactly which videos or channels you want blocked, which might be infeasible considering how much content there is on the platform.
Filtering YouTube content requires a more thoughtful and focused approach, and we'll provide you with several recommended approaches in this guide.
- Enforce YouTube restrictions with a Content Policy.
- Block keywords in searches and URLs.
- Use the Hosts file to enforce restrictions (advanced).
Let's start by taking a look at what you can use a Content Policy for.
Restrict YouTube with a DNS Content Policy
Readers familiar with the YouTube platform will also know about restricted mode. Typically, this is a setting that you can enable within a YouTube account but can be disable just as easily. Worse yet, signing out of your account can bypass this setting.
However, that doesn't mean restricted mode is inherently bad. It does an excellent job of hiding most explicit videos - blocking them from appearing in search or the home page recommendations. Plus, if restricted mode is enabled, it's not possible to play videos that aren't marked as safe.
Enforce Restricted mode for YouTube
You can enforce restricted mode on your devices in such a way that it can't be disabled with the help of a DNS Content Policy .
If you've connected your device to your content policy, then you can set restricted mode for that entire device, not just within the app or while browsing with a particular account.
However, that's not the only way to limit content on YouTube.
Block YouTube Thumbnails
Long-time users (or even just casual browsers) have heard of the term "click-bait". We all know how easy it is to continue to browse YouTube with dozens of enticing thumbnails just begging us to keep clicking.
Luckily, it is possible to block thumbnails completely:
This is usually pretty easy to do with your own Content Policy. As an example, Tech Lockdown members have a rule preset that they can use to automatically start blocking thumbnails:
The best part is that this works on mobile devices connected to the policy. As you can see, it can work on both the website and within the YouTube app.
This can help you seriously cut down on how much you use the platform.
Schedule when you can use YouTube
A common reason why people want to block YouTube is because of the amount of time that they spend on the platform. Fortunately, you can create a schedule for when you (or a family member) can use the app.
If you're sharing a Tech Lockdown account with someone else, chances are, everyone doesn't share the same needs (or schedule). To accommodate this, you can choose how YouTube behaves for each person:
You can add as many rules as you need to account for everyone connected to your Content Policy.
Block YouTube Entirely
If you can't use any of the approaches above, you could instead block YouTube altogether .
There are several ways to do this, and it can depend on which type of device you have. However, you can enforce a block rule on devices connected to your DNS Content Policy:
We have a full guide about how to block YouTube entirely that goes into much more detail about how to do this in a variety of ways.
Blocking Words and Searches on YouTube
Depending on which type of device you have, you can limit specific keywords that appear within the URL of your browser. This can be used in the case of YouTube to:
- Block specific search queries.
- Block channel names or specific videos.
This can be combined with a Content Policy to achieve the best results.
Using Blocking Applications to Filter Keyword Searches
Some blocking applications can block search terms. A simple URL blocker that we recommend to our users is called Cold Turkey . There are others, for example, Plucky or Freedom blocker.
If you're a really advanced user, then Cloudflare offers some tools you can use to block specific internet queries (not just for YouTube).
Many of the instructions will depend on which blocking platform you choose to use.
Use the Hosts File on Your Computer to Filter Content on YouTube
If you're particularly tech savvy, you can also enforce restrictions on your windows or mac computer manually. You can do this with the help of the Hosts file .
The Hosts file lets you define detailed instructions to your computer, including whether a website should be blocked. We don't recommend this approach if you aren't comfortable with making highly technical changes to your computer.
Note
Using the Hosts file to Block Thumbnails
In the same way that a DNS Content Policy lets you block thumbnails, you can manually block thumbnails with the Hosts file.
# YouTube Thumbnails 0.0.0.0 i.ytimg.com 0.0.0.0 yt3.ggpht.com 0.0.0.0 ytimg.com
Force YouTube Strict Mode on Computers using the Hosts File
If a desktop or laptop Windows or Mac computer is frequently used to access YouTube, you can modify the hosts file to force YouTube strict mode so that the option can't be toggled off.
## Youtube Safe Search ## 216.239.38.119 www.youtube.com 216.239.38.119 m.youtube.com 216.239.38.119 youtubei.googleapis.com 216.239.38.119 youtube.googleapis.com 216.239.38.119 www.youtube-nocookie.com
What's the Best Way to Filter Content on YouTube?
Using methods like the Hosts file can work but is extremely limited. Smartphones generally can't use this feature, and it can be very confusing to properly enable.
The best way we've found to limit content on YouTube is to use a DNS Content Policy. It allows you to install the filter on all of your devices, including iPhone and Androids.
Plus, if you sign up for Tech Lockdown's Content Policy dashboard, you will also have access to our premium guides , which can walk you through the process of enforcing restrictions on all of your devices.
This includes instructions for creating your own managed devices. Devices with managed mode enabled have more features unlocked than are normally possible, for example:
- Remotely install or remove apps from your devices.
- Enforce a blocklist of apps you definitely don't want installed, or prevent apps from being added or removed entirely.
- Restrict access to hard-to-block apps, like Settings or the App/Play Stores.
Combined with a highly configurable Content Policy, you will have the ultimate blocking solution available on all your devices.