Pompom vs YouTube Kids on the TV
Last updated 22 October 2026
YouTube Kids is a big catalog chosen by an algorithm. Pompom starts empty and holds only the single episodes a parent picks, and it's built for the TV.
YouTube Kids on TVs today
Google retired the standalone YouTube Kids app for smart TVs in 2024. On TVs, kids now watch through a kids profile inside the main YouTube app. YouTube Kids' "approve content yourself" mode is set up from the YouTube Kids phone app.
What's different in Pompom
- You approve episodes, not catalogs. Add the exact videos you want; nothing else from the channel shows up.
- No recommendations, search or autoplay. When an episode ends, the TV goes back to the shows.
- Show tiles for little kids. Each show is a big picture tile a toddler can pick with the remote.
- Set up from your phone. Scan a code on the TV once; manage everything from your phone afterwards.
When YouTube Kids is the better fit
If you want a large, constantly refreshed catalog and don't mind the algorithm choosing, YouTube Kids is easier. If you want your kid to watch only what you picked, on the TV, Pompom is made for that.
Ads
Pompom plays videos with YouTube's official embedded player, so YouTube may still show its own ads. Pompom adds none.