YouTube Block

How it works

The app runs a VPN that never leaves the phone and carries nothing but address lookups. When anything asks for a YouTube address, including googlevideo.com, where the video actually streams from, it answers “no such site”. Every other lookup goes through untouched.

What she’ll see

• Basic mode: the YouTube app still opens, but nothing loads. The feed, videos and thumbnails all fail. youtube.com in any browser, and YouTube videos embedded in other sites, won’t load either.
• Full mode: the YouTube apps are gone. YouTube, YouTube Kids and YouTube Music disappear from the home screen, the app drawer and search, and can’t be opened. If one is reinstalled, it’s hidden again. Everything else stays blocked as in basic mode.
• Either way, no notification, and nothing in recent apps to swipe away. In full mode the YouTube Block icon can be hidden too.

Set up

1. Install the APK. From this page on the phone, allow installs from the browser when asked. Or from a computer: adb install youtube-block.apk
2. Open YouTube Block, set a parent PIN, tap Turn blocking on and accept the VPN prompt. That’s basic mode. It works, but the VPN can still be switched off in Settings.
3. For full mode, which hides the YouTube apps and removes the switches from Settings, turn on USB debugging, temporarily remove every account from the phone (Android requires it), connect a computer and run adb shell dpm set-device-owner dev.oneoff.ytblock/.AdminReceiver Then add the accounts back and turn USB debugging off.
4. Optionally, tap Hide app icon. To get back in, use Settings → Apps → YouTube Block → its settings link, or dial *#*#9825#*#*.

What it doesn’t cover

• Basic mode can be switched off under Settings → VPN. Full mode fixes that.
• Browsers other than Chrome that use their own secure DNS, such as Firefox or Brave.
• Sites that copy YouTube videos onto their own servers under other names.
• A factory reset from the recovery menu. It wipes the phone, and setting it up again needs the Google account password.
• A small key icon stays in the status bar. Android shows it for every VPN.

It relies on her account being Standard

On a Mac an administrator can undo anything, so this works when her account is a Standard account and yours is the administrator. Installing, turning it off and uninstalling all ask for your admin password. Check in System Settings → Users & Groups: her account should say Standard.

How it works

The installer tells macOS to send lookups for YouTube’s addresses, the same list as on Android, to a tiny responder on the Mac itself that answers “no such site”. Every other lookup goes out as before. It also turns off Firefox’s own secure DNS and iCloud Private Relay, which would otherwise go around it. An optional browser settings profile makes Chrome, Edge, Brave and Firefox block YouTube themselves too.

What she’ll see

• youtube.com, in any browser and any account: “can’t find the server”. YouTube videos embedded in other sites don’t load either.
• Nothing in the Dock or menu bar. The YouTube Block app in Utilities only says whether it’s on, and every button asks for an admin password.

Set up

1. Download the installer on her Mac, then right-click it → Open → Open. On macOS 15 and later, if there’s no Open button: System Settings → Privacy & Security → Open Anyway.
2. Click through and enter your admin name and password. Blocking is on as soon as it finishes.
3. Open Applications → Utilities → YouTube Block → Install browser settings, then approve it in System Settings → General → Device Management.
4. Quit and reopen any browser that was open.

What it doesn’t cover

• An admin account. If hers is one, she can undo all of it.
• Browsers the profile doesn’t cover, set to their own secure DNS, such as Tor Browser.
• Sites that copy YouTube videos onto their own servers under other names.