I built a player that only shows the exact videos I handpick for my kids , to prevent them from falling into inappropriate YouTube rabbit holes
Hi , I’m a backend developer and a father of 5-year-old twins. Over the past year, I’ve been struggling with a common parent-dev problem: the YouTube algorithm. Even with restricted modes enabled, my kids were constantly stumbling into weird or inappropriate content that I didn't approve of.
I wanted something much simpler: a dedicated player where only the specific videos or channels I personally approve are visible.
So, I spent my free time building a custom player app called FamilyTube.
It’s been a fun and challenging project—this is actually the very first app I’ve ever shipped to the App Store. My main focus was on three things:
- Total control: If I don't add the video to the list, they can't watch it. No "Up Next," no random recommendations, and no infinite scrolling.
- Simple workflow: I added a "Share" extension so that when I find a high-quality educational video in the main YouTube app, I can just tap "Share" and send it directly to my kids' playlist.
- Kid-focused UI: I kept the interface dead-simple so my 5-year-olds can browse their playlists without accidentally wandering into settings or other apps.
I’m really proud of how it turned out, and it has honestly been a lifesaver for our family's screen time.
If anyone is interested in checking out the build, here is the App Store link:https://apps.apple.com/app/id6758330908
I’d love to hear any feedback—whether you’re a parent looking for similar tools or a dev who has worked on similar projects. Thanks!