Hulu App Review

‍

What is Hulu?

‍

Similar to Netflix, Disney+, HBO, etc, it's a video streaming service with many exclusive shows and movies.

‍

Hulu has historically been voted the least safe streaming service. Since it is often paired with a Disney+ subscription, parent groups clamored for parental controls.

‍

What Do Parents Need to Know about Hulu?

‍

There's explicit content on Hulu. Nudity, sex, drugs, horror, violence, gore, you name it - and Hulu has it. In fact, most streaming services contain shows and movies with these elements.

‍

Treat Hulu like it's always one click away from something you don't want your kid to see. Because often times, that's the reality.

‍

How to Make Hulu Safer:

‍

Thankfully, there are pin controls. We show you how to set them below.

‍

But first, regardless of the app, these three actions mitigate the risks we’ve shared. We teach these actions in our parent presentations:

‍

1. Require approval for all app downloads.
2. Follow the 7-Day Rule
3. Enable in-app controls and settings

‍

We explain each of them briefly below. If you’ve already set up approvals for downloads and have used the app, please skip to the In-App Controls & Settings.

‍

Require Approval for App Downloads

‍

You can control app stores by requiring permission for apps to be downloaded. This is ensures your child doesn’t have access to an app without your knowledge. Here are the steps (for Apple and Android users):

‍

For Apple Devices:

‍

To require permission to download an app, you’ll need to set up Screen Time and Family Sharing (Apple’s Parental Controls). We explain this process step-by-step in our Complete iOS Guide (click here).  

‍

Once Screen Time and Family Sharing are established, here’s how to require permission to download apps on an Apple device:

1. Go to your Settings app.
2. Select your Family.
3. Select the person you want to apply this setting to.
4. Scroll down to “Ask to Buy” and enable.

‍

For Android Devices:

‍

You’ll have to use Family Link (Android’s parental controls) to ensure you retain control over what apps are downloaded. We explain this process step-by-step in our Android Guide (click here).

‍

Once Family Link is established, here’s how to require permission to download apps on an Android device:

1. Go to the Family Link App
2. Select the person you want to apply this setting to.
3. Select “Google Play Store”
4. Select “Purchases & download approval” and set it to “All Content.”

‍

For controls related to Smart TVs, see our post here: Smart TV Device Guide

‍

Follow the 7-Day Rule

‍

This is our tried-and-true method of determining whether a specific app is safe for your specific child.

‍

Before you let your child use it, download the app and use it for 7 days.

‍

Create an account with your child’s age and gender and use it for 7 days. Play through a few levels, review the ads, see if anyone can chat with you, and poke around like a curious child.

‍

After a week, ask yourself, “Do I want my child to experience what I did?”  Even if you decide to allow them to download the app, now you have a basis for curious conversations about the app when you check in.

‍

Enable In-App Controls & Settings

‍

Quietly, Hulu added a pin restriction similar to Disney+ for new profile creation and profile access.

‍

PIN Protection can be enabled through your Profile settings. Unfortunately, you can only make these changes through the desktop version of Hulu, similar to Netflix. To turn on Hulu’s PIN Protection, follow the steps below:

‍

1. Visit Hulu.com and hover over your Profile icon (upper right), then select Manage Profiles.
2. You’ll see Parental Controls with a toggle labeled PIN Protection.
3. Toggle or select your desired action:
   
   • Turn on PIN Protection to enable – now used to access non-kid profiles AND for creating new non-kid profiles.
   • Turn off PIN Protection to disable.
   • Manage PIN to change PIN.
4. Enter your Hulu password.
5. If you’d like to change your PIN, enter your new PIN and select Save Changes.

‍

Your password will be required if you choose to change your PIN or disable PIN Protection in the future.

‍

Bottom Line: Is Hulu Safe for Kids?

‍

With pin restrictions in place, it can be.

‍

We'd recommend to never leave children alone with access to Hulu and to always bepresent whenever they're watching it. Even if it's a show or movie you've approved. With mature content so accessible on Hulu, it only takes one mistake for your child to see something they shouldn't.

What if I have more questions? How can I stay up to date?

‍

Two actions you can take!

‍

1. Subscribe to our tech trends newsletter, the PYE Download. About every 3 weeks, we’ll share what’s new, what the PYE team is up to, and a message from Chris.
2. Ask your questions in our private parent community called The Table! It’s not another Facebook group. No ads, no algorithms, no asterisks. Just honest, critical conversations and deep learning! For parents who want to “go slow” together. Become a member today!

‍