Google-owned YouTube has launched its child-friendly video platform YouTube Kids in India. It is a free, standalone app that can now be downloaded in India from Google Play and the App Store, and features content and user interface customised for the little ones.
The company has roped in top content creators from India to create videos for the new YouTube Kids platform. The Android and iOS app interface consists of larger images and bold icons which makes it easier for to navigate, says YouTube. The new app also supports voice search to let children find videos if they cannot spell or type yet.
YouTube Kids has been launched in over 20 countries. As the app is targeted at children, it features a bright, playful design and makes it easier to find videos. YouTube is a decade-old service and YouTube Kids is just an 18-month old venture but has already raked in huge popularity with millions of downloads. With such a global reach, in a mobile-first country like India, it makes for a great initiative to bring a dedicated platform keeping kids’ sensibilities in mind. Targeted at kids aged 2-10 years, the app offers voice search to find videos even if they can’t spell or type. The voice search has been improved to understand and detect kids’ voice. It comes with support for Indian languages as well. The app comes with age-based customization. However, it doesn’t come with support for multi-user account, which means if parents have different aged kids then they would have to separately choose from the three-categories based on the age. Content includes nursery rhymes, 360-degree travel videos, educational shows, and guest-edited videos.
The YouTube Kids app has channels and playlists across four categories, namely Shows, Music, Learning, and Explore. Users in India will get access to content like Little Krishna videos, new seasons of Cat & Keet and Appu - The Yogic Elephant, as well as learning shows from channels like ChuChuTV and Kids TV. These are in addition to the existing breadth of child-fideos already available on the full YouTube platform, such as Galli Galli Sim Sim, Exam Fever Videos, LittleBabyGum, etc.
“India already has a very diverse and rapidly-growing creator base for kids and learning, with content in this category growing 100 percent year over year. YouTube Kids also provides the perfect platform to showcase India’s incredibly vibrant, growing community of content creators, from animation studios to youtubers,” Malik Ducard, YouTube Global Head for Family and Learning said at the app announcement event.
While Google does keep track of the videos available on YouTube Kids to make sure they are child-friendly, it also allows parents to flag content if they find something inappropriate on the platform. Unfortunately, the app is currently ad-supported. But in future, with the launch of YouTube Red in India, the app will be also available in an ad-free version as well.
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