YouTube Kids TV app to be discontinued in 2024, merges with main YouTube App

The YouTube Kids TV app, previously a standalone application on platforms like Android/Google TV, Apple TV, Samsung, LG, and Fire TV, will be discontinued in July 2024. Google plans to replace it with the main YouTube client, which will be the only way to access YouTube Kids on television.

Users can find YouTube Kids within the main YouTube app by selecting their profile picture and choosing a YouTube Kids profile. The content, parental controls, and settings of YouTube Kids will remain the same. This merger allows Google to manage and update a single application across various platforms, and increases its availability to game consoles, more smart TVs, and Roku.

However, this change will result in the loss of the distinct app icon for YouTube Kids on television homescreens, mirroring how YouTube Music operates within the main client on TVs. Although the specialized Kids service won't actually disappear, there are also other alternatives such as Kidoodle.TV, PBS KIDS Video, or KidsBeeTV.