Where to find your age restriction setting on YouTube

YouTube stores your age restriction in your account settings, not in the video player or a single menu. The path depends on whether you're using a computer or phone, but the setting itself is always in the same place: your account preferences under "Restricted Mode."

On a computer, sign into your YouTube account, click your profile picture in the top right corner, select "Settings," then click "General" in the left sidebar. You'll see "Restricted Mode" listed as an on-or-off toggle. On a phone or tablet, open the YouTube app, tap your profile picture, go to "Settings," then "General," and you'll find the same toggle there.

Restricted Mode filters out videos that YouTube's systems flag as potentially unsuitable for younger viewers — videos with profanity, violence, or adult themes. When it's on, you won't see those videos in search results, recommendations, or playlists. Turning it off removes that filter.

Key Takeaways

  • Restricted Mode is a YouTube account setting you control yourself, found under Settings > General on both computer and phone.
  • Turning Restricted Mode off removes YouTube's filter for mature content, but does not change your account's birth year or age category.
  • If a parent set up parental controls on a child's account, the child cannot turn off Restricted Mode without the parent's password or PIN.
  • YouTube does not have a separate "age restriction" setting beyond Restricted Mode — the birth year you entered when creating your account is only used for account features like YouTube Premium may be able to access.

The difference between Restricted Mode and your account age

YouTube has two separate age-related systems, and they do different things. Restricted Mode is a content filter you can toggle on and off. Your account's birth year — the date you entered when you created your account — is a separate piece of information that YouTube uses to determine which features you can access, like whether you're old enough to create certain types of content or purchase YouTube Premium.

You cannot change your birth year on a standard YouTube account. If you entered the wrong birth date when you created your account, you would need to create a new account with the correct date. YouTube does this to prevent people from misrepresenting their age to access age-restricted features.

Turning Restricted Mode on or off on a computer

Open YouTube in your web browser and sign in to your account. Click your profile picture in the top right corner — it's a small circle with your initial or profile photo inside. A dropdown menu will appear with several options.

Click "Settings" from that menu. You'll be taken to your account settings page. On the left side, you'll see a sidebar with different categories. Click "General" — it's usually the first option. Scroll down until you see "Restricted Mode." The setting will show as a toggle switch that is either on (blue) or off (gray). Click the toggle to change it. YouTube will ask you to confirm your choice. Click "Save" or "Confirm" depending on what appears on your screen.

After you save, the change takes effect when ready on that computer. If you use YouTube on multiple devices, you'll need to change the setting on each one separately, because Restricted Mode is tied to your device and browser, not just your account.

Turning Restricted Mode on or off on a phone or tablet

Open the YouTube app and tap your profile picture in the top right corner. A menu will slide in from the right side of the screen. Tap "Settings" — it usually appears near the bottom of that menu. On the next screen, tap "General."

Scroll down until you see "Restricted Mode." You'll see a toggle switch next to it. Tap the toggle to turn Restricted Mode on or off. The app will ask you to confirm. Tap "On" or "Off" depending on what you want, then tap "Save" or "Done." The change takes effect right away on that device.

Like the computer version, Restricted Mode on your phone is separate from Restricted Mode on other devices. If you use YouTube on both a phone and a tablet, you'll need to change the setting on each device.

What happens when a parent has set up parental controls

If your parent or guardian created your YouTube account and turned on parental controls, you won't be able to turn off Restricted Mode without their password or PIN. When you try to toggle Restricted Mode off, YouTube will ask for a password. If you enter the wrong one, the setting stays locked.

If you've forgotten the password or PIN, you'll need to ask the parent or guardian who set it up. They can either unlock it themselves or help you change it. There's no way around this through YouTube — the parental control is specifically designed to prevent a child from disabling it without permission.

Why YouTube might keep Restricted Mode on even after you turn it off

If you turn off Restricted Mode but it keeps turning back on, the most common reason is that a parent or school administrator has locked it. Some schools and libraries set Restricted Mode to "always on" for all devices on their network. If you're using YouTube on a school or library computer, the setting may be controlled by their system, not by your account.

If you're at home and Restricted Mode keeps re-enabling, check whether a parent set up a Google Family Link account for you. Family Link is Google's parental control system, and it can lock Restricted Mode on. If that's the case, ask the parent or guardian managing your account to adjust the setting in Family Link.

Another possibility is that your browser has an extension or plugin that enforces content filtering. Some parental control software installs browser add-ons that override YouTube's own settings. If you suspect this, check your browser's extension or add-on list and ask a parent or guardian whether they installed anything.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I change my birth year on YouTube?

No. YouTube does not allow you to change the birth year you entered when you created your account. If you need a different birth year, you would need to create a new account with the correct date. This policy exists to prevent people from misrepresenting their age to access features they shouldn't have.

Does turning off Restricted Mode let me watch age-restricted videos?

Restricted Mode filters out videos YouTube's system flags as mature, but it is not the same as YouTube's age-restriction system for individual videos. Some videos are marked as age-restricted by their uploader, and those require you to sign in and confirm you're at least 18 years old — turning off Restricted Mode does not bypass that requirement. Restricted Mode only removes the general content filter.

If I turn off Restricted Mode, will my parents know?

Your parents won't automatically see that you changed the setting unless they're actively monitoring your YouTube account through Family Link or another parental control tool. However, if they check your watch history or the videos you've watched, they may notice you're viewing content that was previously filtered out.

Why does Restricted Mode look different on my phone than on my computer?

YouTube updates its app and website at different times, so the menus and layouts can look slightly different between devices. The setting itself works the same way — it's just in a different visual location. If you can't find Restricted Mode on your device, search for "Restricted Mode" in your device's settings search bar, and it should take you to the right place.

Can I set different Restricted Mode settings for different people using the same device?

No. Restricted Mode is tied to your YouTube account and the device you're using, not to the device itself. If multiple people sign into different YouTube accounts on the same computer or phone, each person can have their own Restricted Mode setting — but you have to be signed into your own account to change your own setting. You cannot control what other people see on their accounts.