YouTube is an incredible learning resource in K12. It hosts many excellent content that educates users on any range of subjects. It can also be a wonderful resource for wasting time if not kept in check. Let’s look at the confusing waters of YouTube settings, what they mean, and how to configure them best.
Over time, Google changed how YouTube is handled overall as a service. First off, many schools are noticing that their users are no longer able to create Brand accounts. This is wonderful news for those who want to prevent students from bypassing the settings provided by a brand account. On the other hand, schools can no longer delegate management of centralized school content channels to users with their Google Workspace accounts.
When users switch to a brand channel, they no longer see the allowed listed videos or restrictions an admin places on the User’s Account settings. Many reported that students could not see Approved Videos. Since Restricted Mode was implemented using Network Settings and users weren’t using their “school accounts,” allow lists were being ignored. If Network Restrictions were not in place on the school networks, users would be able to browse YouTube unrestricted.
Speaking about allowed listing videos, Approving YouTube Videos can be done in a few ways. You can use the Classroom Teachers group by Organizational Unit (or a combination of the two),, and any Super Admin can approve videos when the Content Settings > Signed in users in your organization can only watch restricted and approved videos setting is set to ON. However, there are some tricks you can do when approving content.
This checkbox in the Admin console is the master switch for enabling all the settings within the YouTube Additional Service. This allows you to configure Permissions, and once they are configured to, flip this switch.
Just because the video says it’s not approved doesn’t mean it isn’t viewable by users. You don’t need to approve every video, and you can check a video by changing the setting within YouTube to Restricted Mode from the bottom of the page and going back to the video.
It’s also much easier to manage Approve Channels rather than videos. This is done by navigating to the channel’s homepage and clicking the Approve button within the blue bar that will show up on the page. If the channel does not show the blue “Approve this channel” bar, you can add ?disable_polymer=true to the end of the URL and it will show up.
Lastly, it is a good practice to remember that what you approve for users will be available for the entire domain. A full list of approved videos is available for any user who can approve videos (including teachers if you let them approve them) by navigating to this site. Review this list regularly and ensure that the best practices that you have trained users on are indeed being followed.
Many admins find that issues with managing videos within YouTube cannot be handled by using the Settings within the Admin console alone. For those who want additional control over what users can see on YouTube as a platform, it would be worth meeting with Michelle Tindle, to see what platforms can solve your needs.
If you would like assistance with managing your settings, contact our support team.
The best way to reach support is to enter a support ticket through the Help Center. The direct Submit a ticket link, is available at the top of every Help Center page. You can also connect with our support team by emailing support@amplifiedit.cdw.com.
If you want to obtain a support contract or have questions, reach out to a Google Customer Support Specialist.
Learn more about the various ways we can help your team.
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