YouTube Restricted Mode on Google Home: Disable [2023]

One bug that has persisted to be in Youtube for quite a while now is the Restricted Mode bug.

Youtube seems to have its restricted mode turned on, despite having never turned it on or passing all required qualifications for it to stay disabled.

This affected many users, especially Google Home users who had it rough as they aren't given proper feedback as to why Google isn't playing their requested content.

With this troubleshooting guide, I am compiling all the information internet has blessed us with and forging the best methods to fix this restricted mode glitch.

If restriction mode cannot be disabled for Google Home devices, check the YouTube settings on a per-device basis. Check with the device administrator for any rules relaxation. Check connected VPNs and firewalls for DNS restrictions. Carriers like Sprint have been known to push content filters that may trigger restriction mode.

Check Youtube Settings

Even though the restricted mode is linked with the youtube account, the settings are not mirrored across all devices and hence it needs to be toggled on each and every device.

This is an intended feature as the viewer's preferences usually change with respect to the device they consume their content with.

Therefore the restricted mode you disabled on your phone will not reflect across the Google Home device, and that must be what's causing the issue.

To turn off restricted mode on Google Home devices, simply follow the following steps:

• Link the Google Home device with the main Google account.
• Open the Google Home app and choose the Google Home device.
• Tap on Settings and select the Notifications & Digital Wellbeing option.
• From the resultant page, select Youtube Settings to toggle the Restricted mode.

Check With the Device Administrator

If there has been a parental lock set up previously, or if the device account is owned by a public institution, chances are they are the system admin and have set up these restrictions.

This is a common restriction put up by these public entities (or parents) to safely monitor user activities and regulate content that is being searched.

If the Google Account is connected to Google's Family Link app, then only the parent has the power to toggle the restricted mode.

In such cases, contact the Device Administrator and seek permission to disable the restricted mode for your particular login.

Check Connected Third-Party Apps

Some third-party apps that invoke parental controls, as well as apps that monitor networks, can enable restriction rules that can invoke the Youtube Restricted mode by default.

Apps and services that provide VPN connections and firewalls are major culprits behind such censorship practices as a safety measure to block unwanted content.

Since they are restricted by a network basis from a master computer unit, they apply the restrictions across all devices in the network, including the Google Home device.

The best way to counter this is to simply install the required security app and service on a per-device basis, thus having the freedom to selectively restrict by the device.

Alternatively, check whether the firewall or VPN service has a blacklist feature to isolate particular networks, thus not compromising the network security.

Factory Reset

A reset to factory settings resolves any temporary software bug that plugged the Google Home, due to an erratic update or a misinterpreted cache error.

Do note that performing a factory reset will also unlink the Google Home device from the Google account and one will have to link it again after the reset process.

To perform a factory reset on the Google Home, simply follow the following steps:

• Link the Google Home device with the main Google account.
• Open the Google Home app and choose the Google Home device.
• Tap on Settings and click on the hamburger menu in the top right corner.
• Tap on Factory Reset.

Update To the Latest Firmware

Always keep the Google Home device updated to the latest firmware, as update patches usually contain bug fixes and system stability fixes.

These fixes can also include updates for the Google Assistant and the Google ecosystem in general, which might fix the Youtube restriction mode glitches too.

Similar to the Google Home device, the Google Home app on the phone or tablet should also be kept freshly updated to prevent issues.

To update the Google Home app on the master device, which can be a phone or a tablet, simply follow the following steps:

• Navigate to the Google Play store or Apple Appstore, depending on the phone or tablet's operating system.
• From the search bar on top of the store homepage, search for Google Home.
• Select the top result leading to the app homepage of Google Home.
• Tap on Update, if the option is available. If no such option is shown, chances are the app is already in its latest version.

For updating the Google Home device firmware, simply follow the following steps:

• Link the Google Home device with the main Google account.
• Open the Google Home app and choose the Google Home device.
• Tap on Device settings and select the Current System Firmware option at the end of the screen.

Switch from Mobile Data

If the Google Home device is operated via a WiFi hotspot from a mobile carrier service such as Sprint, then the restriction mode bug is the fault of the carrier.

Certain carriers such as Sprint/T-Mobile and Boost have been setting up certain restrictions and policies pertaining to blocking content falling under adult content and malware.

Since the block is across the whole network, YouTube simply follows the rules and auto-configures restriction mode, thus barring users from watching select content.

But thankfully, this restriction can be somewhat removed from Sprint-enabled users by simply following the following steps:

• From the phone or tablet interlinked with Sprint mobile, visit the following address
• Login with the credentials associated with that particular Sprint account
• Tap on My Account and select the Profile & Settings option
• Select the Limits & Permissions tab from the resultant page and click on Permissions
• From the list, select Block adult content and malware and disable the filter

This should solve any restriction issues associated with the carrier.

Submit a Feedback To Google

If all else fails, it is best to wait patiently till Google sends out patches to fix the problem.

But for that, they need user and diagnostic data relating to the specific youtube restriction mode bug and hence that's where feedback and bug reports come into play.

With enough bug reports from multiple users, Google can determine the root cause and send in bug fix patches to the masses.

To send feedback to Google, simply follow the following steps:

• Link the Google Home device with the main Google account.
• Using the registered voice, give the Google Assistant the following command: "Hey Google, send feedback".
• Google will confirm a 30-40 second window where one can voice their complaints and feedback.

This process is purely based on luck and the popularity of the device, as Google has the freedom to ignore the reports and move on with their next-gen devices, learning from their mistakes.

Google also collects device logs during the feedback process, which might include user data along with diagnostic data.

This can be a major red flag for the privacy-conscious as Google doesn't have a great reputation for the proper use of user data. So it's best to read the terms and conditions first.

Final Thoughts

Youtube has grown tremendously to become one of the most popular internet services that many deem to be a bare essential to the functioning of their daily life.

Youtube being a cross-platform service tenders to everyone with an internet connection on their smart device.

Due to this bug, many adult users want to consume content of their favorite YouTubers but are barred from doing so because it is content Youtube deems inappropriate.

But the fact that it is fixable says a lot about how much Google, as well as its community, cares about the service and how deeply woven it all is into their lives.

I hope my troubleshooting guide on how to fix the Youtube restriction mode issues with Google Home devices has been a fruitful read.

Have a good day!

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Can VPN remove device admin restrictions from Google Home for unrestricted Youtube?

VPN is configured with the network, but the device administrator has rights over the Google Home device which is more fundamental. A VPN can't help relax restrictions set up by the admin.

Can third-party apps be used to play Youtube unrestricted on an admin-protected Google Home device?

There are third-party applications like Newpipe which can help in playing YouTube videos on Google Home without restrictions.

But you won't be able to access your YouTube subscriptions and account data from Newpipe as it is intended to be a privacy-focused front-end fork of YouTube.

Can Google Home devices be used without WiFi?

Google Home devices have Bluetooth built-in, in order to be used as Bluetooth speakers, provided the devices have already been linked with a Google account initially with WiFi.

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