Staff answer · Updated August 2026
How to Give Grandparents YouTube Access Without the Parent Password
Set up YouTube Kids with the child's profile on the grandparent's device — grandparents can use the app without the pare...
Set up YouTube Kids with the child's profile on the grandparent's device — grandparents can use the app without the parent password for normal viewing. Only settings changes require the passcode.
Why this matters
YouTube's parental controls are split across multiple systems — YouTube Kids has its own settings, supervised accounts have different options in Family Link and Family Center, and the regular YouTube app has separate per-device preferences. This means a parent searching for "how to give grandparents youtube access without the parent password" needs to know which system applies to their child's specific setup before changing anything.
The answer depends on your child's account type (YouTube Kids profile, supervised Google account, or regular account), which devices they use, and how strict you need the control to be. Below we cover the native YouTube approach and third-party options.
Check these first
Before making changes, confirm the following. Getting these wrong is the most common reason parents think a setting "didn't work" — often the issue is a different account, device, or app rather than a broken control.
- Which device the grandparent uses
- Whether they need to change settings or just let the child watch
Step-by-step setup
Install YouTube Kids on the grandparent's device.
Select the child's profile — viewing works without the parent code.
Give grandparents a simple instruction: open YouTube Kids, select the child profile, hand it over.
After completing these steps, verify the result from your child's device. Open YouTube as your child would, and confirm the expected behavior. Settings that look correct in a parent dashboard still need a child-side check — what you save is not always what your child sees on every device.
Important limitations
Grandparents may have their own YouTube account on the TV — make sure the child watches on the Kids app or child profile.
No single parental control covers every access path. YouTube can be reached through multiple apps, browsers, accounts, devices, and casting routes. A setting that works perfectly on one device may not apply on another. Always test from the child's actual viewing setup, and check again after app updates or device changes.