Apple is introducing new child safety features across its devices later this year.
Parents will gain more control over communication, web browsing, app access, and screen time.
Several tools are designed to make child accounts easier to set up and manage while maintaining privacy protections.
Apple is expanding its efforts to help families manage children’s online experiences with a new set of child safety features coming to its devices later this year.
The updates, previewed by Apple this month, focus on giving parents more control over what their children can access, who they can communicate with, and how much time they spend on their devices. The company says the new tools are designed to help families create age-appropriate digital experiences while making parental controls easier to use.
“At Apple, our mission has always been to create technology that empowers people and enriches their lives, while helping keep them safe,” Sumbul Desai, M.D., Apple’s vice president of Health and Fitness, said in a news release.
“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 new features
Among the most notable additions are improvements to Child Accounts, which Apple says will include built-in protections tailored to a child’s age. Parents will be guided through the setup process when activating a device for a child, and safety protections can be enabled even before a child is added to a family group.
Apple is also introducing new communication controls that allow parents to approve or decline requests when children want to contact someone new through Messages, FaceTime, or the Phone app.
In addition, a new “Ask to Browse” feature will let parents require approval before children can visit unfamiliar websites in Safari.
The company is also expanding its Communication Safety protections. Existing tools that help shield children from nude images and videos will now be enhanced to address additional types of sensitive content.
Apple is introducing new Time Allowances that let parents set limits for categories such as social media, games, and entertainment, while updated Screen Time controls will make it easier to view device usage and adjust restrictions.
Apple says many of these settings are informed by child-development and online-safety research and can be customized by families.
Giving parents more control
For consumers, the announcement signals that parental controls are becoming a larger part of the Apple ecosystem.
Families who already use iPhones, iPads, and Macs may soon have additional tools to manage screen time, oversee communications, and create age-appropriate experiences without relying on third-party apps.
While the features won’t replace a parent’s judgment, they could provide more options for families looking to balance technology use with safety and supervision. Apple says the new child safety tools will roll out with upcoming software updates later this year.