Google’s video streaming service YouTube – some of you may have heard of it – released a “Kids”-branded app experience back in February of this year. As is often the way with new Google Services the app was originally restricted to certain markets and Australia was not amongst them. All of that is now a distant memory, with Google Australia today announcing that YouTube Kids is heading to Australia.
The app provides parents and kids alike with a “kid-safe” custom interface designed to simplify the experience of content discovery with small finger friendly touch targets, voice search and pre-curated playlists. The app of course includes Chromecast support to allow the little ones to watch their content on the big screen.
At launch, YouTube has already made some local content partnerships with the likes of ABC Kids (who have their own kids branded app, sans Chromecast support), National Geographic, Charli’s Crafty Kitchen, Bounce Patrol, and Hi-5 TV. With local content deals having to be made you can understand and even appreciate, the delay in an Australia launch.
The App itself provides several extra controls for parents:
- Search settings – to allow parents to further refine the searchable content
- Play timer – set a timer and the app will simply alert your child when their view time has run out (I don’t know about your children but just because the app stops the shows isn’t going to stop me being the target of a post-TV tantrum)
- Sound settings – to get rid of the apps annoying background sounds
- a Passcode – should be self explanatory
From the international feedback and reviews of the Kids branded experience, the overall response has been positive. And as a parent I’m defiantly trying to install this on my devices, however on that it seems that the message to release the app upon the Australian Playstore might have been met with a hiccup.
If you want to try out YouTube kids, you don’t actually need kids to give it a go!
There are some issues getting at the app right now, though – everyone from Ausdroid has been met with the “This app is incompatible with all of your devices” message, on mobile some have managed to install the app (Dan’s installed it on his Nexus 6P), and others have been told “This app in not available in your country”. We’ve asked Google PR to look into the issues and will update when the issue is resolved. Update And just like that, as soon as we mentioned it, it was fixed!
Have you been waiting for YouTube Kids to come down under? Let us know in the comments below.
Nexus 5 😀