At WWDC 2026, Apple previewed a new set of child safety and parental control features designed to help parents manage what their children can access, who they can communicate with, and when they can use apps across iPhone, iPad, and Mac.
The updates include a simplified Child Account setup experience with a recommended set of essential apps, Ask to Browse, Time Allowances, and a redesigned Screen Time experience. The new features expand Apple’s existing parental controls and child safety tools.
Child Accounts and setup experience
A Child Account enables age-appropriate protections across Apple devices and services. These protections include restrictions on adult websites, access to age-appropriate media, and age-based App Store controls.
Parents are guided through creating a Child Account when setting up a new device for their child. Child Accounts are required for children under 13 and are available for users up to 18 years old.
App and web access controls
Once a Child Account has been created, parents can decide which apps their child can access. They can start with a small group of essential apps, choose from a curated set of apps, or manually select apps they consider appropriate.
Parents can:
- Allow only a few essential apps
- Start with a curated selection of apps
- Manually approve apps
- Gradually expand access over time
Apple’s Ask to Buy feature continues to allow parents to require approval before a child downloads an app from the App Store or makes an in-app purchase.
Apple is also introducing Ask to Browse, which requires children to request permission before accessing a new website in Safari. The feature works across iPhone, iPad, and Mac.
Communication safety updates
Parents can manage who their children communicate with through Messages, FaceTime, and Phone. Children can also be required to obtain parental approval before connecting with new contacts.
Communication Safety already blurs nudity detected in Messages and FaceTime and is enabled by default for users under 18. Apple is expanding the feature to also intervene when gore or violent content is detected in shared images and videos.
Time Allowances and schedules
Apple is introducing Time Allowances, which provide parents with additional ways to manage the amount of time children spend in app categories such as Entertainment, Games, and Social Media.
When setting up Time Allowances, parents receive age-based recommendations informed by expert research. These settings can be adjusted to suit individual family preferences.
Parents can also create daily schedules to control which apps are available at different times of the day and throughout the week. Apple says these controls can help children remain focused during school and other important activities.
Redesigned Screen Time
Screen Time is receiving a redesign that provides an overview of a child’s average device usage and most-used apps.
Parents can quickly adjust app and web access settings when needed. Apple says the feature can be used to limit access during meals, outdoor activities, and other family moments. Parents can also extend app access if additional time is needed to complete an activity.
Resources for families
Apple says it continues to incorporate guidance from child development research, healthcare professionals, and online safety experts into its products and services.
The company is working with the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) to adapt its Family Media Plan into a guide that parents can use when managing technology use on Apple devices.
Apple also says it continues to collaborate with researchers to better understand the impact of technology on children’s wellbeing and support ongoing research in this area.
To help families learn more, Apple has launched a dedicated website that includes information about child safety features, setup guidance for parents, helpful resources, and answers to common questions.
Existing child safety tools
Apple also highlighted several existing family-focused features.
These include:
- Screen Time Passcode Notifications, which alert parents when a Screen Time passcode has been entered on a child’s device
- User Reporting Tools, currently available in certain countries and regions, which allow harmful content to be reported directly to Apple and will expand globally
- Apple Watch For Your Kids, which brings communication, fitness, health, safety, and location-sharing features to children who do not have their own iPhone
- Schooltime mode, which helps children stay focused by blocking notifications and disabling apps
Apple Watch For Your Kids allows parents to contact their children, locate them through Find My, and provide access to features such as phone calls, messages, personalized Activity goals, Memoji, Apple Maps, Apple Music, and Apple Cash.
New tools for developers
Apple is also introducing tools designed to help developers create age-appropriate app experiences.
These include:
- SensitiveContentAnalysis, which can help prevent children from viewing inappropriate content such as nudity or violence
- PermissionKit, which helps ensure parents approve new in-app contacts
- Declared Age Range API, which allows developers to tailor app experiences based on a child’s age range
Apple says the Declared Age Range API works in a privacy-focused manner and does not require sharing a child’s birthday.
Availability
The new child safety features will be available after installing the Screen Time update in iOS 27, iPadOS 27, and macOS 27. Apple notes that features remain subject to change.
Speaking on the announcement, Sumbul Desai, M.D., Apple’s vice president of Health and Fitness, said,
At Apple, our mission has always been to create technology that empowers people and enhances their lives, while helping keep them safe. 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 help 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.