Frequently Asked Questions

YouGuard connects to your child's YouTube account and shows you their subscriptions, liked videos, and comments — the three signals that shape what YouTube recommends next. Our AI analyzes each subscribed channel and flags content that may not be age-appropriate, so you don't have to review every video yourself. With the Android companion app, you can also monitor SMS/MMS messages and call logs. The browser extension for Chrome lets you filter YouTube channels in real time and log browsing history.

Yes — and that's intentional. YouGuard is designed for transparent, consent-based monitoring, not covert surveillance. The YouTube connection requires your child's Google account login. The Android SMS app shows a visible 'Monitored by [Parent Name]' indicator in the messaging interface, and the browser extension is visible in the browser toolbar. We believe open monitoring builds trust and teaches responsible digital habits, rather than creating an adversarial dynamic.

Unlike YouTube's built-in Restricted Mode (which is imprecise), YouGuard lets you take direct action. You can unlike videos and unsubscribe from channels directly from your parent dashboard — those actions happen on your child's actual YouTube account, which immediately tells YouTube's recommendation algorithm to show less of that content. The browser extension goes further: it blocks navigation to non-approved channels in real time and redirects to an approved video instead.

It's a fair question, and the honest answer depends on how you use it. YouGuard is built around transparency — your child knows monitoring is happening. The goal isn't to catch kids doing something wrong; it's to give parents a clear view of the content ecosystem surrounding their child so they can have informed conversations and take targeted action when needed. Think of it less like a hidden camera and more like a co-pilot seat in the car.

Your data is stored securely in an encrypted database and is never sold to third parties. YouGuard accesses only the YouTube data you explicitly authorize via Google OAuth — we request the minimum scopes needed (subscriptions, liked videos, comments). We use Cloudflare R2 for any media attachments with private-only access. You can delete all your data at any time from the app settings, and your account (plus all connected accounts) is permanently removed within 30 days.

Yes. YouGuard is a tool for parents, not children. Parents create the account and authorize access to their child's YouTube data under their own Google account or via a supervised Google account they control. We do not collect personal data directly from children, and we do not create accounts for users under 13. Our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy reflect these requirements.

YouGuard is $9.99/month or $94.99/year (save ~21%). Every new account gets a free 30-day trial with full access — no credit card required to start. The plan includes monitoring for up to 5 children, YouTube monitoring, SMS/MMS monitoring (Android), the browser extension, and senior scam protection. There's one plan with all features included.

After 30 days, you'll need an active subscription to continue accessing your dashboard. Your data is retained for 30 days after expiry, so if you subscribe within that window, everything picks up right where you left off. If you cancel and your subscription lapses, your data is soft-deleted and permanently removed after 30 days.

Yes. There are no contracts or cancellation fees. You can cancel your subscription at any time from the billing settings in your dashboard. You'll keep access until the end of your current billing period.

The parent dashboard works in any modern web browser on desktop or mobile. YouTube monitoring works for any child with a Google/YouTube account. SMS and call monitoring requires our Android app (Android 8.0+) installed on the child's Android device — it doesn't work on iPhones because iOS doesn't allow third-party SMS apps. The browser extension works on Chrome (desktop) and Chromium-based browsers.

Partially. YouTube monitoring and the browser extension work regardless of what device your child uses, since they connect to the YouTube account and browser respectively. However, SMS/MMS monitoring and call log monitoring require our Android companion app — Apple's iOS restrictions prevent third-party apps from accessing messages or calls. If your child uses an iPhone, you'll have access to YouTube and browser monitoring, but not SMS/calls.

YouGuard requests Device Administrator privileges during setup. If your child attempts to disable or uninstall the app, Device Admin must be revoked first — and that action triggers an immediate alert to the guardian's email. This doesn't prevent a determined teenager from removing monitoring, but it gives you a clear notification when it happens so you can have a conversation.