“Today, we’re introducing major updates to help families thoughtfully establish age-based protections and develop healthy digital habits,” said Sumbul Desai, M.D., Apple’s vice president of Health and Fitness.
Here are the seven things parents need to know.
1. A child account is the starting point
Apple says the first step for parents is to create a child account, which allows the device to apply age-appropriate protections across the system.
The account can limit adult websites, restrict media based on age and apply App Store limits linked to the child’s age. Parents will be guided through the process when setting up a new device for their child.
Apple said a child account is required for children under 13 and available for children up to 18.
5. Communication Safety is being expanded
Communication Safety already blurs nudity when detected in Messages and FaceTime calls, and Apple says the feature is turned on by default for users under 18.
The company is now expanding the tool so it can also intervene when gore or violent content is detected in shared images or videos.
The update is designed to reduce children’s exposure to harmful visual content in private communication channels, where parents may not always see what is being sent or received.
6. Screen Time will show parents what needs attention
Apple is redesigning Screen Time to give parents a clearer view of their child’s average device usage and most used apps.
Parents will be able to make changes quickly, including limiting access during meals, outdoor play or other family moments. They can also extend access when a child needs extra time to finish something in an app.
The update is meant to make Screen Time easier to use in everyday situations, rather than something parents only check after a problem appears.
7. Time Allowances add more flexible limits
The new Time Allowances feature will give parents more control over how much time children spend across app categories such as Entertainment, Games and Social Media.
Apple said parents will receive guidance based on expert research and tailored to the child’s age. They can then adjust the settings based on what they think is appropriate.
Parents will also be able to set daily schedules that control which apps children can access at different times of the day or week, including during school hours.
More guidance for families
Apple said it is working with the American Academy of Pediatrics to adapt its Family Media Plan into a guide that parents can use when managing Apple products.
The company has also launched a dedicated website for parents with information on tools, resources and common questions.
Existing safety features include Screen Time passcode notifications, which alert parents when a Screen Time passcode has been entered on a child’s device, and user reporting tools that allow harmful content to be reported directly to Apple in certain countries and regions.
Apple Watch For Your Kids is also part of the wider family safety ecosystem, allowing parents to stay connected with children who do not have their own iPhone. The feature supports calls, messages, location sharing through Find My, activity goals and Schooltime mode, which blocks notifications and disables apps during focused periods.
Developers will also get more tools
Apple said developers also play a role in creating age-appropriate app experiences.
The company is offering tools such as SensitiveContentAnalysis and PermissionKit to help developers protect children from inappropriate content and ensure parental approval for new in-app contacts.
Developers can also use the Declared Age Range API to request a child’s age range and tailor the app experience accordingly. Apple said this is done in a privacy-protective way without sharing the child’s birthday.
When will the new Apple child safety features launch?
The new features will be available after installing the Screen Time update in iOS 27, iPadOS 27 and macOS 27. Apple said features are subject to change.
Nivetha Dayanand is Assistant Business Editor at Gulf News, where she spends her days unpacking money, markets, aviation, and the big shifts shaping life in the Gulf. Before returning to Gulf News, she launched Finance Middle East, complete with a podcast and video series.
Her reporting has taken her from breaking spot news to long-form features and high-profile interviews. Nivetha has interviewed Prince Khaled bin Alwaleed Al Saud, Indian ministers Hardeep Singh Puri and N. Chandrababu Naidu, IMF’s Jihad Azour, and a long list of CEOs, regulators, and founders who are reshaping the region’s economy.
An Erasmus Mundus journalism alum, Nivetha has shared classrooms and newsrooms with journalists from more than 40 countries, which probably explains her weakness for data, context, and a good follow-up question.
When she is away from her keyboard (AFK), you are most likely to find her at the gym with an Eminem playlist, bingeing One Piece, or exploring games on her PS5.
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