iPlayer Kids has stopped working. How can I set up children’s profiles on iPlayer?

BBC iPlayer Kids will no longer be available from 1^st February 2022.  If you have children (or grown ups) that adore shows such as Hey Duggee, Numberblocks and Blue Peter, then don’t panic as the children’s profiles are being introduced to the main BBC iPlayer.

Unfortunately, there isn’t (yet) a way to keep the iPlayer app locked into the children’s profile and it’s very easy to flip back to the adult one.  After we’ve shown you how to setup children’s profiles on the BBC iPlayer app, we’ll also step you through setting up Parental Lock. This will help prevent access to programmes that the BBC have deemed to have adult themes.

iPlayer Children’s Profiles: Before you begin

Before you’re able to setup a child’s profile, you’ll need to be signed in with a standard ‘grown-up’ iPlayer account.  If you don’t have one, then follow this link to the setup page.

Open the App and look for the profile icon in the top right.  On the website, it’s towards the left of the BBC menu bar.  Click the icon.

Select Add Child.

Fill in the details, then select Create profile.  The BBC state that their requirement for date of birth information is so your child can see content that’s appropriate for their age. There’s nothing to stop you using a false date of birth if you don’t want to hand that data over.

This process can be repeated for all the family. iPlayer child profiles are associated with the adult profile and will automatically appear wherever the adult profile is used.

BBC iPlayer: Parental Lock

The children’s profile is a great addition to the iPlayer app, but if your little one is inquisitive, they can easily jump out of the children’s profile and back into the adult one.  Within a couple of clicks, they can get from Mr Tumble to Mrs Brown’s Boys, so we advise that Parental Lock is added to the main profile.

On the app, select the cog icon to open settings. Find Parental Guidance and create a PIN and secret question. (Free BTQ Tip: Don’t use 1234 as the PIN….ever 😉)

To setup Parental Guidance via the BBC iPlayer website, visit https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/guidance.

Some words of caution

Unlike the child account, which automatically syncs across devices, Parental Lock does not. It requires setup on each device.

Also, the Parental Lock will only activate on programmes which have a G symbol to indicate content with adult themes. Pre-watershed programmes may not trigger Parental Lock, so be aware that your children could go from Octonauts to Eastenders in the blink of an eye.

To change the Parental Lock settings on the app, head back into the settings. You cannot modify the settings on a browser. The only option is to clear the cache and then repeat the setup.

For more information about the BBC’s Parental controls, visit this link: https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/help/questions/parental-controls/

And if there’s some stuff in your iPlayer history you’d rather the kids, or anyone else, couldn’t see, read our article on how to clear your iPlayer archives.