YouTube is going after a ripe, under-tapped market for the streaming giant: kids.
The online video provider owned by Google (GOOG) will launch a new app called YouTube Kids to run on smartphones and tablets featuring original episodes of popular children’s television shows such as “Thomas the Tank Engine” and “Sesame Street.” The app will also collate YouTube’s kid-safe channels into one location, reported the Wall Street Journal.
The free mobile app will be kid-friendly — think minimal scrolling with a big, colorful design — and will be separate from the larger YouTube universe, so parents don’t have to worry about less savory clips being easily accessible. It will also add a timer so parents can create boundaries around how long kids are allowed to watch the app.
However, be aware: the app will only work on Google Android devices at launch, according to the Journal. So, if you have an Apple (AAPL) iPad or iPhone, you’re out of luck — at least for now.
YouTube will officially announce the app on Monday at Kidscreen Summit, a conference for the children’s entertainment industry, the paper said.
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