Questions parents ask

About COONI

What is COONI?

COONI is a YouTube filtering app for parents. It helps you filter what your child watches: allow only the channels you trust, block channels that are not right for kids, and block single videos inside a channel while keeping the rest of that channel's useful videos. Videos come from YouTube and play in the official YouTube player, but your child only sees what fits your rules: the channels you allow, the videos you hide, the topics and words you block, the categories you keep on, and the daily time you choose.

Is COONI a YouTube Kids alternative?

COONI is an independent app for parents who want to choose exactly what their child watches from YouTube. You pick the channels, hide single videos, block topics such as brainrot, scary videos and Halloween across every channel, and set screen time. Videos play in the official YouTube player. COONI is not made by YouTube or Google.

How do I block brainrot and scary videos on YouTube for my child?

In COONI, open Parent Mode → Content and switch on the topics you don't want, such as Brainrot & meme slang, Scary, Horror and Halloween. Matching videos are hidden everywhere in Child Mode: Home, Search, Categories, Channels and recommendations. With "Only channels I allow", your child also sees only the channels you chose.

Can I block one video without blocking the whole channel?

Yes. Many good channels have one or two videos you would rather skip. In Parent Mode → Channels, open "Manage videos" on an allowed channel and tap Hide on that video. Only that video disappears from Child Mode; the channel and its other useful videos stay. You can show it again or tap Reset at any time.

How do I block a channel that is not right for kids?

In Parent Mode → Channels, search for the channel (or paste its link or @handle) and tap Block. None of its videos appear anywhere in Child Mode. With "Only channels I allow", channels you have not allowed never appear either.

Why was COONI made?

Kids' video apps are run by recommendation algorithms that decide what plays next. Some of it is wonderful — songs, stories, science. Some of it is loud, fast, nonsense "brainrot", look-alike cartoons and endless Shorts, and parents can't choose what shows up next. COONI puts the parent in charge: nothing appears unless it fits your rules.

Is COONI affiliated with YouTube?

No. COONI uses the YouTube API Services and plays videos in the official YouTube player, but it is not affiliated with or endorsed by YouTube or Google. By using COONI you also agree to the YouTube Terms of Service.

How much does COONI cost?

COONI is free. COONI Plus is optional and adds more parent tools (your own blocked words, viewing hours, filter sensitivity, the Recently filtered review, the weekly viewing chart and email summaries) for $3.99 a month or $29.99 a year. Auto-renew starts with a 1-day free trial (one per account). Watching videos is always free on every plan.

Can I pay without a PayPal account?

Yes. Choose "Pay once" on the Plus page: $3.99 for 30 days or $29.99 for 1 year, paid with a debit or credit card in PayPal's secure window, with no PayPal account needed in most cases. It is never charged again by itself: 3 days before your time ends, Parent Mode shows a reminder and we send an email, and paying again adds the new time on top. Auto-renew (charged automatically every month or year) needs a PayPal account, because PayPal only allows automatic payments from PayPal accounts.

How do I pay for COONI Plus, and how do I cancel?

Open Parent Mode and tap Plus (or Settings → Subscription). Choose "Pay once" (30 days or 1 year, by card or PayPal, never renews) or "Auto-renew" (every month or year, with a PayPal account). Payments go through PayPal, so COONI never sees your card details. Cancel Auto-renew any time in Settings → Subscription or in your PayPal account; you keep Plus until the end of the period you paid for. Pay once has nothing to cancel. Payments already made are not refunded.

Will I know before my Plus ends?

Yes, whenever Plus will not renew by itself (Pay once, or Auto-renew you cancelled). In the last 3 days the Plus badge at the top of Parent Mode turns amber and says "Plus ends in 3 days", the Dashboard shows a reminder with "Add more time", and we send you an email. When the time is up, your account goes back to the Free plan on its own and nothing is charged; the Dashboard then tells you Plus has ended. Auto-renew that is still on renews automatically, so there is no reminder.

What happens to my rules if Plus ends?

They keep protecting your child. Your own blocked words and viewing hours stay on, and you can still turn them off. Adding or changing Plus rules needs Plus again.

Does COONI promise that every video is safe?

No filter is perfect. COONI filters using the information YouTube provides (titles, descriptions, tags, length and YouTube's Made for Kids label), so it can miss things or hide good videos. You always have the final say: you can block or allow any single video or channel.

Setting up

Which email can I use?

A Gmail address (@gmail.com). We send a link to confirm it is yours before the account works. One account per Gmail inbox: addresses with a "+" part are not accepted, and dotted versions of the same address count as the same inbox.

Does my child need an account?

No. Only the parent creates an account. COONI never asks for a child's name, age, photo or contact details.

What happens after I create my account?

You confirm your Gmail address, choose a Parent PIN, and then "Set up COONI" walks you through the basics in about 3 minutes: the channels your child can watch (suggested kids' channels or your own search, with Preview), the kinds of videos, what to block and screen time. Your choices save as you go. Busy? Tap "Skip for now" and finish later from the Dashboard, or run it again any time in Settings → Run setup.

Child Mode says "COONI isn't set up yet". Why?

No channels have been chosen yet, and with "Only channels I allow" Child Mode stays empty until you choose at least one. Tap "Set up COONI (grown-ups)", enter your Parent PIN and pick a few channels.

What is the Parent PIN?

A 4-digit PIN that keeps Parent Mode closed to little hands. You choose it after creating your account. Children use Child Mode; the PIN is needed to change any rule.

I forgot my Parent PIN. What do I do?

On the PIN screen tap "Forgot PIN?", enter your account password, and choose a new PIN.

How do I choose which channels my child can watch?

Open Parent Mode → Channels. Pick from the suggested kids' channels, or search by name or paste a channel link, @handle or video link, then tap Allow. With "Only channels I allow" your child sees only those channels. Check the @handle and subscriber count to find the official channel, and use Preview to look inside before allowing it.

Can I install COONI like an app?

Yes. On iPhone or iPad open cooni.online in Safari, tap Share (or ••• → Share) → Add to Home Screen → Add. On Android open it in Chrome, tap ⋮ → Install app (or Add to home screen) → Install. On a computer use Chrome or Edge and click the install icon at the end of the address bar; on a Mac with Safari choose File → Add to Dock. A short video with every step is on the Help page and in Parent Mode → Settings → App.

Everyday use

How do time limits and allowed hours work?

In Parent Mode → Viewing you set a daily limit (for example 30 minutes or 2 hours) and, with COONI Plus, the hours videos are allowed (for example 7:00 AM to 8:00 PM). Outside those hours Child Mode shows "Cooni is resting"; when the daily limit is used up it shows "Time for a break!". Time is counted in your own time zone.

Why are there only a few Shorts?

The "Short clips (under 1 minute)" rule is on by default. It hides videos of 1 minute or less and anything tagged #shorts, which is most Shorts. Turn it off in Parent Mode → Content to see more. Shorts are always kept apart from regular videos and never play automatically.

My child found a video I do not like. What can I do?

Open Parent Mode. You can block that single video or the whole channel, add words to a blocked topic in Content, or turn a category off. The change applies straight away.

Can my child leave COONI by tapping the YouTube logo on a video?

The YouTube logo and video title on the player link to YouTube, and YouTube's rules do not allow apps to hide or cover them. COONI keeps them away from small screens: the mini player at the bottom always pauses the video and shows COONI's own picture instead of YouTube's player, and if your child does leave COONI, the video pauses so it does not keep using viewing time. To keep your child from switching to the YouTube app or any other app, lock the device to COONI while they watch: Guided Access on iPhone and iPad (Settings → Accessibility → Guided Access), or App pinning on Android (in Settings, search for "pin"). Parent Mode → Settings → Keep your child in COONI shows every step. The lock does not stop the logo itself: in COONI from the Home Screen, it opens YouTube's website in a window on top of COONI, where your child can browse YouTube until they close it. Computers have no simple lock: the logo opens YouTube in a new tab, and when your child comes back to COONI it says “Welcome back” so they can keep watching. You can also block the YouTube app with Screen Time or Google Family Link.

Why does the first video on iPhone need a tap on play?

Apple does not let websites and web apps start a video with sound until the person taps the video. After that first tap, COONI goes full screen and the next videos can play on their own. Android starts the first video by itself.

The video went black or stopped moving. What do I do?

COONI restarts the video by itself, at the same moment, when YouTube's player stops or fails to load. If it still does not play, tap "Reload video" under the video. If it says the video stopped loading, check the internet connection and tap "Try again".

Why does a video say "Nothing available here right now"?

That video does not fit your rules (for example its channel is not allowed or it matches a blocked topic), YouTube does not allow it to be played in other apps, or it was removed from YouTube.

What does "Some videos are resting right now" mean?

COONI can ask YouTube for a limited number of videos per day. When that daily amount is used up, some channels can't load until it resets (midnight Pacific Time). Nothing is lost.

Account and security

Why does a button say "wait" or show a countdown?

To protect your account and COONI's email service from abuse, some actions have limits: the settings summary email can be sent once every 5 minutes (up to 5 a day), your password can be changed once a minute (up to 5 a day), and a password reset email once a minute for each address. The limits are checked on COONI's servers, so they apply everywhere; the button shows how long to wait.

I forgot my password. What do I do?

On the sign-in page tap "Forgot password?", enter your Gmail address and tap "Send reset link". Open the link in the email and choose a new password.

Privacy and your data

What does COONI store?

Your email, a hashed Parent PIN, your rules, the YouTube IDs of channels and videos you act on or that are watched (with a title and picture that are refreshed or removed after 30 days), and viewing time so limits work. COONI does not sell data or show its own ads. See the Privacy page for details.

How do I delete my account?

Parent Mode → Settings → Delete my account and data. An active Auto-renew subscription is cancelled first, then your account and everything saved for it are deleted right away. You can also clear watch history any time in Settings.

How do I contact COONI?

Email support@cooni.online with questions, problems, or privacy and data requests.