Top 13 Fixes for YouTube Restricted Mode Won’t Turn Off

YouTube has an incredible feature that prevents children from accessing potentially mature content that is meant for an older viewer base. Though this is not accurate all the time, this is being used by a lot of parents.

Some time ago, in an online community that we belong in, a lot of people weren’t able to disable this feature, when they tried to disable it. If you are one of those YouTube watchers not able to disable the Restricted Mode on YouTube, this article will help you fix this issue and disable the Restricted Mode, even when it is being adamant.

Disabling the YouTube Restricted Mode

Your most basic instinct should be to try and disable the YouTube Restricted Mode in the traditional method. 

These are your steps to turn this feature off, typically.

1. Launch a web browser app on your computer. We use the Google Chrome browser for pictorial references. 
2. Type in the YouTube site link in the address bar and open the website. 
3. Click on your account icon, which is located on the top-right corner of your screen.
4. From this menu, click on the Restricted Mode option at the bottom. 
5. This shrinks the pop-up menu into a smaller one where you have to click on the Activate Restricted mode toggle switch. 

This will turn off Restricted Mode for your YouTube account, on that device, in the browser that was used to disable the YouTube Restricted Mode. If you want to turn off Restricted Mode on YouTube on a different device, check out the YouTube restricted mode article.

Solutions to fix the YouTube Restricted Mode not turning off issue

These are the different steps to remove the Restricted Mode filter when it can’t be disabled normally.

1. Reboot the Device
2. Try turning it off in an Incognito window
3. Connect to a Wi-Fi network
4. Uninstall and Reinstall the YouTube mobile app
5. Look for restrictions on your YouTube account
6. Turn the VPN off
7. Change your Primary and Secondary DNS server addresses
8. Disable your network firewall
9. See if third-party programs are causing trouble
10. Clear the YouTube cache memory
11. Remove the Google Family connection
12. Delete the Browser Cache
13. Log out of your Google account and Login again

Fixing the YouTube Restricted Mode not turning off problem

The following procedures can be used to turn off Restricted Mode when users aren’t able to turn it off with the usual steps. You will have to try to disable it again, after implementing these fixes. 

Reboot the Device

The easiest method to fix a number of issues including being unable to turn off Restricted Mode in YouTube, is to restart the computer. 

This is a very simple fix that can set the configurations back to default and thereby, fixing the issue.

Try turning it off in an Incognito window

Incognito mode or private browsing is a browser feature that lets users access online material without having to worry about the browser storing data like the cache, history, saved passwords, and cookies. You can use an incognito tab to go into the YouTube site and see if the Restricted mode could be disabled. 

Press the Ctrl + Shift + N keys on your keyboard to open a new incognito window on your computer. 

Connect to a Wi-Fi network

You may not be able to turn Restricted Mode off if you are connected to the internet with the help of a LAN cable. This might sound unusual but there is no explanation for this fix. Try to connect your computer to the internet with the help of a wireless connection and then, try to turn off Restricted Mode. 

Uninstall and Reinstall the YouTube mobile app

If you are a mobile user, you’ll have the YouTube app installed on your smartphone by default. Another way to fix the ‘Restricted Mode won’t turn off’ error on your mobile, is to remove the YouTube app and install it again. This is not an option for every mobile.

Some mobiles do not permit integrated applications like Google and other apps developed by Google, to be deleted. If you can delete it, uninstall the application and reinstall it from the Google Play Store.
If users cannot uninstall the YouTube app, check if there are available updates for the application and install them. If none of the above options are available, use the next step. 

Look for restrictions on your YouTube account

Some barriers might not let users access certain content on YouTube, through your network. These needn’t necessarily be restricted videos. If you are trying to watch YouTube videos on a computer that is supervised by an IT administrator of a school, office, or organization, you may not be able to. The videos might also be permanently restricted if the Google account belongs to a child account with a parent mail ID. 

To check for restrictions on your account, go to the YouTube Content Restrictions web page on your browser. If you find any restrictions, jump to the next three solutions. 

Turn the VPN off

If you use a third-party VPN (Virtual Private Network) application to give your system and network a proxy, it might affect the content you watch and your configuration of the platform settings. Disable the VPN and check if you are able to disable the Restriction filter on your devices. 

Change your Primary and Secondary DNS server addresses

The Domain Name System (DNS) server address for your network can cause network-related issues on your computer. You can change it to a standard address and see if it can let you disable the enabled Restricted Mode filter. 

This is one of the methods to change the current DNS server address.

1. Launch the Windows Settings and go into the Network & Internet option. 
2. Choose the Ethernet or the Wi-Fi option from the left panel.

3. Click on the active network and you’ll see the details of the network.
4. Navigate to the IP settings section and click on the Edit button at the bottom. 

5. From the Edit IP settings drop-down menu and choose the Manual option.
6. Enable the IPv4 toggle switch by clicking on it. Two slots for the primary and alternate DNS addresses appear on your screen. 
7. Enter the following addresses – 

Preferred address – 8.8.8.8

Alternate address – 8.8.4.4

8. Select the Save option to save these changes. 

These are the server addresses for GoogleDNS.

Disable your network firewall

The Network Firewall is a filter that acts as a barrier to malware and other internet-related threats, that can enter your computer through the internet. If you have a third-party antivirus, it disables the Windows Firewall and enables that of the antivirus. Though this is a very useful tool, there is a little catch. It can suspect legitimate websites and prevent safe files from being accessed or downloaded. 

The Windows Firewall can be disabled in the Network Settings and the antivirus firewall can be turned off through the Windows Task Tray. This step is quite risky as an open firewall can invite threats to get inside your computer. Keep this danger in mind, before you deactivate the firewall. 

See if third-party programs are causing trouble

There are a number of third-party applications that can interfere with the networking of your computer. If you have an anti-virus or a VPN application, they can alter the network which will cause complications. Disabling this will set your networking settings back to default and maybe, this will let you turn off the restriction filter.

Clear the YouTube cache memory

If the restriction filter couldn’t be removed on your YouTube mobile application, you can try to delete the cache memory. This is not a guaranteed fix to this issue but it is worth trying. 

These are the steps to 

1. Launch the Settings application on your android mobile.
2. Locate the Apps or Applications settings and tap on it. 

3. Navigate to the YouTube application, in the list of apps and tap on it. 

4. Then, find and click on the Clear Data and Clear Cache options.

This will remove the previously saved cache memory and reset the YouTube application for your phone. 

Remove the Google Family connection

If the Google email ID that is restricted on YouTube has a parent account with a family link, meaning that the account is created in the name and credentials of a minor, YouTube’s Restricted Mode cannot be disabled. Though it is easier for parents to ensure that their children do not watch mature content by mistake, it can be annoying when you want it to be disabled. To solve this problem, your only option is to remove the family link between the parent account and the child account. 

You will have to use the Google Family website or application to remove the device that does not permit Restricted mode to be disabled. 

Delete the Browser Cache

If you have been using your web browser for a while, you need to consider the fact that your browser will have a lot of cookies and other forms of cache memory. This can interfere with the operations of your browser and your activities in it. Clearing this could help you proceed with disabling the Restricted Mode on YouTube. 

These are your steps to disable your browser’s cache memory.

1. Open the Chrome settings (chrome://settings/).
2. Go into the Privacy and Security tab, on the left panel. 

3. Choose the Clear browsing data option and check the Cookies and other site data and Cached images and files options in the Basic tab. 
4. Now, press the Clear data button at the bottom of the screen. 

Your browser will be reset and new data will be cached when you continue browsing. You can try to deactivate YouTube’s Restricted Mode feature again. 

Log out of your Google account and Login again

If your Restricted Mode is enabled on your YouTube app or site, your last option is to sign out of your Google account and sign in again with the same account or a different account. This will remove temporary settings and restore defaults. You should be able to log in again without the restricted mode. 

These are the steps to stream a restricted video, even when a user cannot disable the Restricted Mode feature on your Android phone app or computer website. We hope you found this article helpful! Happy Streaming!

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