Does this block the YouTube app AND the website on LG Smart TV?

Yes — the method in this guide blocks both the YouTube app and youtube.com in the browser. If only the app is removed, kids can still watch YouTube in a browser, so it's important to cover both.

Is it free to block YouTube on LG Smart TV?

Yes — blocking YouTube on LG Smart TV is completely free. No extra apps or subscriptions required.

Can my child bypass this YouTube block?

Bypass risk is low. Once set up with a strong password your child doesn't know, LG Smart TV is difficult to work around. The most common bypass attempt is switching to mobile data instead of Wi-Fi — pair it with device-level controls if that's a concern.

Will the YouTube block survive a factory reset of the TV?

A factory reset will wipe the PIN lock on most smart TVs. For a more persistent block, combine the PIN lock with a router-level block — that way, even if the TV is reset, YouTube won't load because it's blocked at the network level.

How to Block YouTube on LG Smart TV (webOS, 2026)

Block YouTube on an LG Smart TV using the built-in Safety Lock. Free, works on webOS 4 through webOS 24. Step-by-step guide. Updated for 2026.

Last updated 11 April 2026·

Difficulty🔨🔨🔨

Free

Bypass risk🐹🐹🐹🐹🐹

What You'll Need

Your LG Smart TV remote (Magic Remote or standard)
About 10 minutes

LG Smart TVs running webOS have a built-in Safety (or Safety Lock) feature that lets you PIN-protect any app — including YouTube. This is free, requires no extra hardware, and works on most LG TVs from 2017 onwards.

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Which webOS version do you have?

Go to Settings → Support → TV Information to check your webOS version. LG has released webOS 3 (2016), 4 (2017–2018), 5 (2019), 6 (2021), 22 (2022), 23 (2023), and 24 (2024). The Safety/parental control menu moved slightly between versions — both paths are covered below.

Part 1: Set Your Safety PIN

Before locking any apps, set a PIN that only you know. The factory default is 0000 — change it immediately.

webOS 6, 22, 23, 24 (2021–2024 models)

Open Settings

Press the Settings (gear) button on your Magic Remote, or press the Home button and navigate to the Settings icon.

Go to System → Safety

Select All Settings → General → Safety. On some 2023/2024 models it is under All Settings → System → Safety.

Change the Safety password

Toggle Safety to On (if not already). Select Safety Password → enter the current password (0000) → enter your new 4-digit PIN twice. Store it securely.

webOS 3, 4, 5 (2016–2019 models)

Open Settings

Press the Settings (gear) button on your remote.

Go to Safety

Navigate to Settings → General → Safety (webOS 4/5) or Settings → Safety (webOS 3).

Change the Safety password

Select Safety Password → enter 0000 → enter your new PIN twice.

Part 2: Lock the YouTube App with a PIN

webOS 6, 22, 23, 24 (2021–2024 models)

Go to Application Locks

Settings → General → Safety → Application Locks.

Find and lock YouTube

Scroll through the app list to find YouTube. Toggle the lock icon next to it On. You'll be prompted to enter your Safety PIN to confirm.

Test it

Press Home, open YouTube. The TV should now ask for the PIN before launching the app.

webOS 3, 4, 5 (2016–2019 models)

Go to Application Locks

Settings → Safety → Application Locks. Enter your PIN when prompted.

Lock YouTube

Find YouTube in the list and toggle it locked. Some older webOS versions list apps alphabetically; scroll down to Y.

Part 3: Remove YouTube from the Home Screen

Even with the app locked, the YouTube icon remains visible on the home launcher. Hide it to reduce temptation and visibility.

Enter Home Screen edit mode

Press the Home button on your remote. Scroll to the YouTube app icon.

Remove from Home Screen

On a Magic Remote, point at the YouTube app and hold the Scroll Wheel button (or the Select/Enter button) until a menu appears. Select Remove from Home Screen or Edit → remove.

On an older standard remote, press and hold the OK button on the YouTube icon until options appear.

The app remains installed but hidden

The app is still installed and locked — it's just removed from the shortcut row. To relaunch it would require navigating to the full app list and entering the PIN.

Part 4: Block YouTube via the LG Web Browser

LG TVs include a built-in web browser that can access youtube.com directly, bypassing the app lock.

Lock the LG Web Browser app

Using the same Application Locks setting from Part 2, also find and lock the Web Browser app (sometimes listed as LG Browser or Internet).

Remove the browser from Home Screen

Same as Part 3 — remove the Web Browser icon from the home launcher.

Part 5: Kids Mode (webOS 6 / 22 / 23 / 24 only — Recommended)

LG's Kids Mode (available on 2021+ models running webOS 6 and later) is the cleanest solution for young children. It replaces the standard home screen with a curated kids launcher — YouTube and the web browser are excluded by default, and the LG Content Store is disabled so new apps can't be added without the PIN.

Navigate to Kids Mode

Settings → All Settings → General → System → Safety → Kids Mode

On some 2022/2023 regional firmware builds, Safety may be under Settings → All Settings → Support → Safety instead.

Set or confirm your Safety PIN

You'll be prompted to enter your PIN (the same one set in Part 1). Kids Mode uses the same Safety PIN to enter and exit.

Choose which apps are visible

A list of kid-friendly apps appears. Toggle on what you want visible (e.g. YouTube Kids, Netflix Kids, a streaming app with kids profiles). Regular YouTube is not in the list and cannot be added.

Start Kids Mode

Tap Start Kids Mode. The home screen immediately switches to the Kids Mode launcher. Your child sees only the approved apps. The web browser and LG Content Store are gone.

Exiting Kids Mode requires the PIN

To exit, go to Settings within Kids Mode → enter PIN → Exit Kids Mode. A child without the PIN cannot leave.

Part 6: DNS Filtering as a Network Backup

For complete protection across all apps and any firmware updates, add DNS-level blocking at the router.

Change DNS on the LG TV directly (optional)

Settings → Network → Wi-Fi Connection / Wired Connection → select your network → Advanced Wi-Fi Settings → change DNS from Auto to Manual.

Enter CleanBrowsing Family DNS:

Primary: 185.228.168.168
Secondary: 185.228.169.168

This blocks youtube.com and googlevideo.com (YouTube's video delivery CDN) on this TV regardless of which app or browser is used.

Or block at the router for all devices

See the DNS filtering guide for full router instructions. This is more reliable as it covers every device on your network and can't be changed from the TV.

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How Kids Bypass This

Factory reset: If your child performs a factory reset (Settings → Support → Reset to Initial Settings), all Safety settings — including your PIN and app locks — are wiped. To prevent this, lock the Safety settings themselves: Safety → System Locks → enable. Some models allow you to lock access to the reset function directly.

USB keyboard: A USB or Bluetooth keyboard connected to the LG TV can sometimes navigate menus faster and access hidden options. Remove or hide any keyboards your child has access to.

LG Account with different region: Changing the TV's country/region in LG Account settings may show a different app store with different Safety restrictions. Prevent account changes: Safety → System Locks.

Factory reset clears Kids Mode too: If Kids Mode is active and a factory reset is performed, all Safety settings are wiped. Kids Mode is re-enterable after setup, but the window immediately after a reset leaves the TV unprotected. Router DNS filtering is your safety net here — it survives any TV reset.

VPN apps: If a VPN app is installed on the TV from the LG Content Store, it can route traffic around router-level DNS filtering. Prevent this by locking the LG Content Store with Application Locks (same process as Part 2). Or use Kids Mode — the Content Store is disabled entirely inside it.

Casting: YouTube can be cast to the TV via Google Cast (Chromecast built-in) from a phone or tablet. Casting bypasses TV-level app locks entirely — the video is being sent from the phone, not launched on the TV. Block YouTube on their casting devices too, and consider DNS filtering at the router level.

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Counter-Measures

Router DNS is the most reliable TV protection: Smart TV parental controls vary between firmware updates. Router-level DNS filtering works regardless of which app or browser is used, and can't be bypassed from the TV. Use it as your primary layer, with app locks as backup. See the DNS filtering guide.

Check after firmware updates: LG TVs update automatically. A firmware update occasionally resets Safety settings or changes menu locations. Check that YouTube is still locked after any major update notification.

Combine with device blocks on phones: Children with phones can cast YouTube to the LG TV even if the TV itself is fully locked. Block YouTube on their phone via Screen Time (iPhone) or Family Link (Android) to close this gap.

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