In today’s digital world, the internet has become an essential part of our daily lives. From education and communication to entertainment and work, we rely on our phones and laptops for almost everything. This dependence has also made it increasingly difficult to keep children completely away from the online world, especially in the modern lifestyles where digital devices are used constantly at home, school, and work.
However, while the internet is a powerful tool for learning and staying connected, it also exposes users to a wide range of content and risks—some of which can be harmful even for adults, and far more so for children. Because of this, there is a growing need to ensure that young users are able to benefit from the positive aspects of the internet while being protected from its unsafe or inappropriate side.
To address this challenge, Apple has introduced a set of new child safety features that give parents greater control over what their children can access online and how much time they spend on their devices. Announced at WWDC 2026, the new features will roll out with iOS 27, iPadOS 27, and macOS updates later this year.
Stronger Parental Controls
A child account is required for children under the age of 13 and available for children up to 18. A key focus of the update is the redesigned setup process for these accounts. Parents can now choose from recommended app sets or create customised access lists, starting children with only essential apps and gradually expanding access over time—making sure that they have full control over the kind of content their children can interact with.
The updated system also makes it easier for parents to control who their children can communicate with. Contacts in Messages, FaceTime, and Phone can require explicit parental approval, if the parents want to oversee that their kids interact with only trusted individuals. Furthermore, the Communication Safety feature that already blurs nudity when detected in Messages or FaceTime calls for users under 18, will now also be able to block gore or violent content when detected.
Ask to Browse
One of the most notable additions is “Ask to Browse,” which extends Apple’s existing “Ask to Buy” model to the web. With this feature enabled, children must request permission before visiting new websites in Safari. This closes a common loophole where kids could bypass app restrictions by switching to web browsers.
Enhanced Screen Time
Apple has also redesigned Screen Time to give parents a clearer view of how their children use devices. The updated dashboard highlights app usage more clearly and allows quicker adjustments to limits and permissions. Parents can set more detailed “time allowances” across categories like games, entertainment, and social media, rather than applying broad device-wide limits.
Apple’s latest child safety update illustrates a shift toward more proactive and customisable parental controls. While the features may increase surveillance, they are designed to balance safety with gradual independence as children grow—and given the state of the world today, they are much needed.
I assume the children won’t be very happy about these restrictions and will almost certainly look for ways around them, keeping Apple on its toes in the years ahead.
