Apple unveils new child safety features

Apple is rolling out a comprehensive set of new child safety features designed to give parents more control over their children’s digital experiences. The updates, announced today from Cupertino, California, will arrive with software updates this fall, offering tools like a simplified setup process, Ask to Browse, Time Allowances, and a redesigned Screen Time dashboard. These additions build on Apple’s existing parental controls, reinforcing the company’s commitment to creating a safe and trusted platform for young users.

“At Apple, our mission has always been to create technology that empowers people and enriches their lives, while helping keep them safe,” said Sumbul Desai, M. D., Apple’s vice president of Health and Fitness. “Our approach to helping families create safer digital experiences is grounded in the belief that every child is unique. That’s why we build simple and intuitive tools, based on expert guidance, to let parents tailor their kids’ digital journey. Today, we’re introducing major updates to help families thoughtfully establish age-based protections and develop healthy digital habits.”

The foundation of these new features is the child account, which parents can create when setting up a new device for their child. A child account is required for children under 13 and available up to age 18, and it automatically applies system-wide safeguards tailored to the child’s age. These include blocking adult websites, restricting media to age-appropriate content, and setting age-based limits in the App Store. Once the account is active, parents can choose exactly which apps their child can access, starting with a curated set of essentials or a few handpicked selections, and gradually add more over time.

For web browsing, the new Ask to Browse feature requires kids to request permission before visiting a new website in Safari, working seamlessly across iPhone, iPad, and Mac. This complements the existing Ask to Buy tool, which already lets parents approve or deny app downloads and in-app purchases. On the communication front, parents can manage who their children can contact via Messages, FaceTime, and Phone, and require approval before connecting with new contacts. Additionally, Communication Safety already blurs nudity in Messages and FaceTime calls by default for users under 18, and it will now also block gore or violent content in shared images or videos.

Managing screen time becomes more flexible with Time Allowances, which let parents set limits for app categories like Entertainment, Games, and Social Media. These allowances come with expert-backed guidance tailored to the child’s age, giving parents a helpful starting point they can easily adjust. Parents can also create daily Schedules to control which apps are accessible at different times, such as limiting distractions during school hours.

The redesigned Screen Time dashboard offers an at-a-glance view of average device usage and most-used apps, allowing parents to make instant adjustments with a single tap. For example, they can quickly restrict access during meals or outdoor play, and grant extra time when kids need to finish something in an app.

Apple has long integrated insights from clinical research and online safety experts into its products. The company is now working with the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) to adapt its Family Media Plan into a guide for Apple users. Apple also continues to collaborate with researchers on children’s digital wellbeing, aiming to advance the science in this area.

To help parents stay informed, Apple has launched a dedicated website featuring tools, resources, and answers to common questions. Existing tools like Screen Time Passcode Notifications, which alert parents when the passcode is entered on a child’s device, remain available. User Reporting Tools for reporting harmful content will expand globally, and Apple Watch For Your Kids allows parents to stay connected with children who don’t have their own iPhone, offering features like Find My location sharing, calls, messages, and Schooltime mode to block notifications.

Developers also play a role in creating age-appropriate app experiences. Apple provides tools like SensitiveContentAnalysis and PermissionKit to help prevent kids from seeing inappropriate content or making new in-app contacts without parental approval. The Declared Age Range API lets developers request a child’s age range in a privacy-protective way, tailoring app experiences without sharing the child’s exact birthday.

These new features will be available after installing the Screen Time update in iOS 27, iPadOS 27, and macOS 27. Features are subject to change, and more details on availability can be found at apple.com. The minimum age for account creation may vary by region.