BloomPlayer is a free web app that lets young children watch YouTube videos without any player controls — no rewind, no skip, no progress bar. A parent sets it up, locks it with a PIN, and hands it to the child. The video just plays forward. That's it.
It was built by a mom of a teenager on the autism spectrum. The rewind button became a loop he couldn't escape — the same second of video, repeated for hours. That behaviour is called stimming, and for some children it's reinforced by the very design of YouTube's player. BloomPlayer removes the controls entirely, before the habit can form. You can read the full story on our about page.
Right now, yes — completely free to use. No ads, no paywalls, no hidden fees. If you want to help keep it free for others, there's a voluntary Ko-fi link — no pressure at all.
No download needed. BloomPlayer runs in any browser. On iPhone you can tap Share → Add to Home Screen to install it like an app. On Android, Chrome will prompt you to install it automatically.
Sign-in & account
Yes. BloomPlayer requires a free account to use — you can sign in with any email address or your Google account. Sign-in takes one tap and you'll stay signed in permanently. This saves your PIN so it never resets. A Google account is only needed if you want to save your own personal video list.
It creates a Google Sheet in your Google Drive called "BloomPlayer" where your personal video list is stored. It also saves your PIN to your account so it never resets. Your name and email are stored in our database only to identify your account — nothing else.
Make sure pop-ups are allowed for BloomPlayer in your Safari settings. Go to Settings → Safari → Block Pop-ups and turn it off, or add BloomPlayer as an exception. If the problem persists, try using Chrome on iPhone instead.
The parent PIN
The default PIN is 1234. You should change it before giving the device to your child. Long press the BloomPlayer logo on the home screen to open Settings, where you can set a new PIN.
If you're not signed in, the PIN is stored in your browser's local storage. On iPhone, Safari can clear this after a period of inactivity. The fix is to sign in with Google — your PIN is then saved to your account and will never reset.
On the PIN entry screen, tap Forgot PIN? You'll be asked to verify your Google account, and your PIN will be reset to 1234. You can then set a new one in Settings.
BloomPlayer is designed for young children who don't know what a PIN is. Older children may figure out workarounds — they could close the browser tab, for example. It's not a security product, it's a habit prevention tool.
Watching videos
Either tap a video from the suggested list, or paste a YouTube link into the box. The video loads in a player. Tap play, then tap Lock the controls. An invisible overlay covers the player — your child can't interact with any controls.
Yes. Sign in with Google and you'll see a personal video list section. Tap + Add to paste a YouTube link. Your list is saved to a Google Sheet in your own Google Drive.
Tap the Suggest a fix button on that video. You can submit a replacement link and we'll update the list. You can also reach us at hello@bloomplayer.com.
Privacy & safety
Go to Parent Mode → Danger Zone → Delete account. This permanently deletes your account, saved PIN, and all associated data from our servers within 24 hours. Your Google Sheet stays in your own Drive — you can delete it yourself from there. To request manual deletion instead, email hello@bloomplayer.com.
No. Children never interact with any sign-in, form, or data collection. BloomPlayer is configured entirely by the parent. See our full privacy policy.
BloomPlayer is an independent project built by a parent. While we use the standard YouTube embed player, we have no formal relationship with Google or YouTube. We are also actively working on supporting other video-streaming websites to provide a consistent, distraction-free experience across the entire web — because we believe this kind of focused viewing isn’t just useful for kids, but for anyone who wants to watch without distraction.