The Yoto player has been a firm favourite in our house for years. If you haven’t come across it before, it’s a screen-free audio player designed specifically for children, with physical cards that let little ones choose their own stories, music, podcasts and activities. There’s also plenty beyond the cards, including radio, podcasts, sleep sounds, a night light and sleep-training features.
My four-year-old daughter has been using her 3rd generation Yoto (£89.99, Yotoplay.com) for years. It has become one of the few children’s products that genuinely gets used every single day, and that I regularly recommend to parents. But, there haven’t been any significant updates to the gadget since it launched in 2023. Until now, that is.
Yoto has finally announced its fourth generation – and the launch has got me very excited. The new Yoto player 4th gen and Yoto mini 4th gen bring a number of hardware and usability upgrades, plus there’s a refreshed design.
Better still, they have launched just in time for Christmas shopping. Pre-orders open today, 10 September, with the Yoto mini 4th gen expected to dispatch from 30 September and the Yoto player 4th gen from 15 October.
But if you’re wondering whether it’s worth buying the latest version – or upgrading the Yoto you already own – here’s everything you need to know about the Yoto player and Yoto mini 4th gen, including what’s new, how much they cost and when they officially launch.
Read more: How the Yoto player helped us cut down on screen time with (almost) no drama
Yoto player 4th gen
The Yoto player 4th gen is the larger of the two new models and is designed primarily for use around the home. Like the current Yoto player, it’s a screen-free audio player for children, with physical cards providing access to stories, music, learning and activities. What makes the new version particularly interesting is that Yoto hasn’t simply given the existing player a cosmetic refresh – there are several genuinely useful changes.
The biggest new feature is the green button, which gives children card-free access to a personalised playlist of up to 20 favourite titles. Once an adult has set it up in the Yoto app, your child can simply twist and press to play their favourites, including physical cards already in their library, digital-only content and free audio such as soundscapes or toothbrush timers. I can see this being particularly useful for younger children who have a handful of firm favourites but don't necessarily want to rummage through a pile of cards every time.
The player 4th gen also has a new full-panel night light, with seven colours and the ability to create personalised routines. You could, for example, set up a morning playlist with Yoto daily and a toothbrush timer, then a bedtime playlist with stories, lullabies or sleep sounds.
Under the hood, there’s a faster processor, more memory, Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 6.1, while storage has doubled to 64GB, enough for more than 1,000 hours of offline audio. It also gets USB-C and wireless charging and up to 14 hours of battery life.
The price is £119.99, with pre-orders opening today at Yotoplay.com and estimated dispatch from 15 October 2026.
Key specifications:
- Bluetooth: 6.1
- WiFi: 6
- Storage: 64GB
- Light: Enhanced night light LED panel
- Charging: USB-C and wireless with Yoto wireless charging dock
- Headphone jack port: Yes
- Battery life: Up to 14 hours
- Replaceable battery: Yes, with plans for a battery replacement kit to be available in 2027
Yoto mini 4th gen
The Yoto mini is essentially the pocket-sized sibling to the player, designed for taking Yoto beyond the bedroom and outside the house. It offers the same card-based, screen-free listening experience in a smaller, more portable format, making it particularly useful for car journeys, holidays, sleepovers and trips to grandparents.
The fourth-generation mini gets many of the same internal upgrades as the larger player. There’s now 64GB of storage – enough for more than 1,000 hours of audio – alongside faster Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 6.1. It also gets the new green button, meaning children can have up to 20 favourite titles loaded into a personalised playlist and access them without having to find the corresponding physical card.
The big change for the mini, though, is durability. The new model has an IP67 splash- and dust-resistant design, making it much better suited to the inevitable knocks, spills and general rough and tumble that come with being a portable kids’ gadget. It also comes with a new wrist lanyard, which makes even more sense when you consider it’s designed to go everywhere with them.
There’s no night light on the mini, but it does have a headphone jack alongside Bluetooth headphone connectivity, USB-C charging and up to 12 hours of battery life.
The Yoto mini 4th gen costs £89.99 and is available to pre-order from today, with estimated dispatch from 30 September 2026. It will be sold through Yoto and Amazon.
Key specifications:
- Bluetooth: 6.1
- WiFi: 6
- Storage: 64GB
- Light: No
- Charging: USB-C
- Headphone jack port: Yes
- Battery life: Up to 12 hours
For more, we’ve tested the best audio players for kids
