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How to Turn off Restricted Mode on YouTube, Step-by-Step with Photos

Updated: August 28, 2023 by Carl Field | Leave a comment

YouTube has millions of videos, but not all are family-friendly. Restricted mode can help keep certain types of content out of your feed, and it’s a feature often used by public institutions and businesses.

When you want to turn off restricted mode on YouTube, you’ll need to go through a few steps to unlock mature content. The methods in our guide will show you how to turn it back on, unless it’s been enabled by an administrator.

What Is YouTube Restricted Mode?

Have you ever stumbled across a video that was NSFW on YouTube? That can be an issue in the office and embarrassing when you’re trying to show off a video to friends and family. Restricted Mode on YouTube is the answer to that problem for millions of users, and the best way to block mature content on the service.

With restricted mode on, videos considered mature are automatically filtered out from search results. It only takes a few minutes to turn the feature on, but it can be a bit more challenging to disable. If you’re interested in removing these restrictions from any Android-based device, follow the steps below.

How to Turn off YouTube Restricted Mode via Web

YouTube may be available on a dozen platforms, but it sprang to life on the web. That’s the easiest place for most people to disable restricted mode as well.

Step 1: Sign in to YouTube

Go to the company’s official website at YouTube.com and click the profile link to log in to your YouTube account.

Step 2: Go to Account Profile

Once you are logged into the site, go to the upper right-hand corner where your profile photo is and click to bring up a menu. Scroll down until you see Restricted Mode, and click on that section to bring up a pop-up.

Step 3: Turn Off Restricted Mode

From this screen, you’ll see a toggle for Restricted Mode. Click on it to deactivate content blocking, and the page should refresh. If successful, you should now be able to view content with no restrictions.

How to Turn off Restricted Mode on YouTube App

The YouTube app allows users to do almost everything that they can from the web, including accessing Restricted Mode. The process to get to these settings is a bit different on Android and iOS compared to the web, however.

Step 1: Open the App

On your smartphone or tablet, locate the YouTube app and tap it. If you’re not already logged in, do so now.

Step 2: Access Account Settings

Locate your account icon and tap on it to bring up the submenu. Look for a section that says Settings and click on it to proceed.

Step 3: Turn off Restricted Mode

From the settings menu, tap on General to open up a new set of options. Scroll down and you’ll see a section that says Restricted Mode. Tap on the toggle to turn it off and unblock content for your account.

To see the steps above in action check out the video below.

Android TV and Other Devices

Android is a product of Google, which also owns YouTube. That means you can find versions of the operating system on a variety of products, along with apps like YouTube.

With TVs that run Android, you’ll need to sign into your account and go to the Home Screen. From here, scroll until you see the app row and select YouTube. Click on Settings in the YouTube app, and look for a setting called Safety or Restricted Mode. Turn the setting to off, and restricted videos on the account will become unblocked.

Another device that you can find YouTube on are smart displays. The Nest Hub is a good example, although Amazon and other manufacturers produce similar devices. With most of these displays, you simply need to go to the YouTube app and find the feature under Settings.

If you own a Google-branded display, you can use the Home app from your smartphone or tablet. You’ll find the restricted mode under Settings by navigating to Digital wellbeing.

Administrative Access and Restricted Mode

If you’re trying to turn off restricted mode on YouTube but don’t see the option or it stays on, there could be an issue with administrative privileges. If you’re using a shared computer at home or one in a public space, like a university, this could be the problem.

To see if an administrator has set up a restriction on a YouTube account, follow this link. You’ll be able to see if there are any restrictions currently on your account; or network, if it’s a work PC or not your personal system.

Wrap Up

Having YouTube block a video you’re trying to watch can be a hassle, but the steps outlined in our guide will have you back in action quickly. If you followed our steps and still have restrictions on a mobile network, you may need to check the content filters for your mobile provider.