A video app where parents choose what plays
YouTube Clone gives children familiar video browsing and playback, with every available video selected by a parent.
Live · used by family and friends
My role. Designed and built the iOS app and its supporting backend.
Early parent feedback
- Using YouTube Clone with family and friends
- 6 parents
- Reported drop in YouTube usage
- 50%
Make the library a deliberate choice
YouTube Clone keeps the familiar feed, Shorts and video player, while parents decide which videos belong in the library. Children browse within that selection.
The library has two modes: education and fun. A parent chooses which collection is active, so the child’s feed stays within that set of videos.
Give parents a practical way to curate
Parents enter a PIN-protected area to add a video or select videos from a channel. Folders organise the collection, and videos can be downloaded for later.
Adding and managing content happens inside the app.
Keep playback useful beyond one screen
A persistent mini player lets a long video continue while the child browses elsewhere in the app. Playback history supports Continue watching and resumes a video from where it stopped.
If the backend cannot be reached, YouTube Clone shows an offline library of downloaded videos. Cached folders and video details keep that collection browsable. Downloads are required for offline playback.
What parents are seeing
Six parents among family and friends are using YouTube Clone. They report a 50% drop in YouTube usage, along with less crankiness and fewer demands related to Shorts content.
These are parent-reported observations from a small rollout. The reduction refers to YouTube usage, not a measurement of total screen time.