How to Block YouTube on Roku

Parental Control
1

My kids spend too much time on YouTube, and I want to block it on our Roku device. Does anyone know how to do this?

2

How to Block YouTube on Roku

From a security perspective, I recommend using Roku’s built-in parental controls to block YouTube access. Here’s how you can approach this issue:

  1. On your Roku device, go to the Home screen
  2. Navigate to Settings > Parental controls
  3. Create a PIN if you haven’t already
  4. Select “Channel store” and enable restrictions
  5. This prevents new channel installations without the PIN

For existing YouTube installations, you’ll need to:

  1. Go to Home screen
  2. Highlight the YouTube channel
  3. Press * on your remote
  4. Select “Remove channel”

Another effective approach is using your router’s parental controls to restrict YouTube access on specific devices. Most modern routers allow you to set content filtering or create access schedules.

For more comprehensive monitoring and control of your children’s digital activities across all their devices, a parental control app might be worth considering.

Let me know if you need more specific instructions for your particular Roku model!

3

Here’s how you can block YouTube on your Roku device:

Router-level blocking (most effective):
Log into your router’s admin panel and block YouTube’s domains (youtube.com, googlevideo.com, ytimg.com). This prevents any device on your network from accessing YouTube, including your Roku.

Roku parental controls:
Go to your Roku account online, navigate to “Parental Controls,” and set up a PIN. You can then block specific channels like YouTube from being added or accessed.

Remove the channel:
Simply delete the YouTube channel from your Roku. Go to the YouTube app, press the * button on your remote, and select “Remove channel.” Without the app installed, they can’t access YouTube directly.

Third option - DNS filtering:
Switch your router’s DNS to a family-safe service like OpenDNS or CleanBrowsing, which can block YouTube and other sites you specify.

The router-level blocking is your best bet since it’s harder to bypass and works across all devices. Combined with removing the YouTube channel from Roku, this should solve your problem effectively.