Apple previews new child safety controls aimed at content, contacts, and screen time

Apple on Monday previewed a new suite of child safety features it says will give parents more direct control over children’s digital experiences, spanning three areas Apple highlighted as most important to families: what content kids can access, who they can communicate with, and how and when they can use apps.

The updates, which Apple said will be available after installing a Screen Time update later this year, include a simpler setup experience when creating a child account, additional “ask permission” protections for web access, more granular ways to manage app time by category, and a redesigned Screen Time view that aims to make adjustments quicker for parents in the moment.

A child account remains the foundation of the system, Apple said. Parents create it during initial device setup so safeguards can be tailored to a child’s age, including limits on adult websites, age-appropriate media access, and age-based restrictions in the App Store. Apple said a child account is required for children under 13 and available for children up to 18.

After a child account is created, Apple said parents will be able to choose which apps the child can access at the start, including options that begin with a small set of “essential” apps or a curated starter selection, then allow parents to gradually add additional apps over time. Apple also tied the new approach to existing App Store approval tools, with “Ask to Buy” continuing to require parental permission before a child can download apps or make in-app purchases.

For web browsing, Apple previewed a new “Ask to Browse” feature that extends the approval model beyond apps. In Apple’s description, parents can require children to ask permission before accessing a new website in Safari, and the capability works across iPhone, iPad, and Mac. Apple also reiterated that parents can manage contact approvals for new users across Messages, FaceTime, and Phone, requiring permission before connecting with new contacts.

Apple said it is also expanding “Communication Safety.” It described an existing capability that blurs nudity when detected in Messages and FaceTime for users under 18, and it said an added intervention will block gore or violent content when detected in shared images or videos. Apple did not provide additional detail on thresholds, detection methods, or how often false positives or misses might occur.

For device access timing, Apple previewed “Time Allowances,” which it described as guidance-driven limits across app categories such as Entertainment, Games, and Social Media. Apple said parents receive age-tailored guidance based on expert research and can adjust the settings as they see fit. It also described daily Schedules that let parents manage which apps are available at different times of the day and week, such as during school.

Apple’s redesigned Screen Time, meanwhile, is positioned as an at-a-glance dashboard, showing average device usage and the child’s most used apps, with controls that allow parents to adjust app and web access “with just a tap.” Apple said parents can quickly limit access during events it considers important for attention, like meals and outdoor play, and can extend access if a child needs extra time to finish something in an app.

Beyond consumer-facing controls, Apple also addressed developers. It said its tools for building age-appropriate experiences include “SensitiveContentAnalysis” and “PermissionKit,” along with the “Declared Age Range API,” which lets developers tailor experiences based on a child’s age range without sharing a child’s birthday. Apple said it is also working with the American Academy of Pediatrics to adapt the AAP’s Family Media Plan into guidance parents can reference when using Apple products, aligning its approach with the AAP’s longstanding focus on family-centered media boundaries rather than purely technical restrictions.