Parents need to know that Huvi is an app for kids to watch YouTube videos, similar to YouTube Kids, but parents have control over the included content. Huvi has a more basic interface, but allows parents to create profiles for each child in their family. They can then add individual videos to those profiles that meet with their approval. Kids are not allowed to search YouTube content, nor are they allowed to follow through to recommended videos. Ads are stripped as well. The parental account can be locked down using the device passcode or Touch ID. Families can also add passcodes to individual profiles so that kids of different ages will have access to only their own content. Parents can add a daily time limit for each kids’ account. Read the app’s privacy policy to find out about the types of information collected and shared.
WHAT’S IT ABOUT?
Parents start by signing up with Huvi using an email address. They then set up a profile for each family member with an icon (or picture), their age, their time limit, and their passcode, as applicable. After searching YouTube for and previewing videos, parents can add to one profile or several at a time. Parents can’t simply add an entire channel, but they can add videos in bulk. Once in their profile, kids can watch what’s there and nothing else. They can’t follow through on recommended video or click on embedded links.
IS IT ANY GOOD?
This YouTube video viewer truly puts parents in control of their kids’ content, on a kid-by-kid basis. Huvi doesn’t look like much; it’s got a barebones interface and no bling to be found. But it does what it’s supposed to do and it does it fairly well. It’s easy to set up profiles and browse content. There are a few drawbacks, though. The first is the inability to add videos by channel. If you have a child who just wants to watch their favorite (safe) YouTuber’s new content, it would be nice to add the channel and not have to add new videos several times a week. The second is that the videos are listed in a profile alphabetically with no search option or folders, making it difficult for young kids to find the episode they want to watch again. There was also a glitch that consistently crashed the app when trying to take a picture for a profile image, but families can get around that by taking the shot outside of the app and selecting from there. Overall, these are small complaints for a free app with no advertising that is mostly geared toward younger kids who are happy watching the same 10 videos on repeat.
———
Common Sense Media is an independent nonprofit organization offering unbiased ratings and trusted advice to help families make smart media and technology choices. Check out our ratings and recommendations at www.commonsense.org.
RATING AND CONTENT
Recommended for ages 3 and older
Quality: 4 out of 5
Educational value: 3 out of 5
Ease of play: 4 out of 5
Violence and scariness: 0 out of 5
Sexy stuff: 0 out of 5
Language: 0 out of 5
Drinking, drugs, and smoking: 0 out of 5
Consumerism: 0 out of 5 (Are products/advertisements embedded? Is the title part of a broader marketing initiative/empire? Is the intent to sell things to kids?)
APP DETAILS
Devices: iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad
Price: Free
Release date: October 29, 2016
Category: Entertainment
Size: 26.80 MB
Minimum software requirements: iOS 8.0 or later
