Apple has unveiled a major update to its child safety features, introducing Ask to Browse, Time Allowances, redesigned Screen Time, contact approval requests, and expanded Communication Safety protections. The new tools are designed to give parents greater control over what children can access online, who they can communicate with, and how much time they spend on apps across iPhone, iPad, and Mac.
The updates build on Apple’s existing parental controls and Child Accounts, making it easier for families to create age-appropriate digital experiences while helping children develop healthier technology habits. Apple says the new features are based on guidance from child development, health, and online safety experts and will roll out later this year.
“At Apple, our mission has always been to create technology that empowers people and enriches their lives, while helping keep them safe,” said Sumbul Desai, M.D., Apple’s vice president of Health and Fitness. “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.”
Ask to Browse brings parental approval to websites
One of the biggest additions is Ask to Browse, a new feature that requires children to request permission before accessing a new website in Safari.
Parents receive the request directly on their own device and can approve or deny access with a tap. The feature works across iPhone, iPad, and Mac, extending parental controls beyond apps and purchases to web browsing.
Ask to Browse joins Apple’s existing Ask to Buy feature, which already allows parents to approve App Store downloads, subscriptions, and in-app purchases before they are completed.
Time Allowances add smarter app limits
Apple is also introducing Time Allowances, a new way for parents to manage how much time their children spend across categories of apps, including Games, Entertainment, and Social Media.
Unlike traditional app-by-app limits, Time Allowances let parents create boundaries around entire categories. Apple will also provide age-based recommendations informed by expert research, giving families a starting point that can be customized based on individual needs.
Redesigned Screen Time makes monitoring easier
Screen Time is receiving one of its biggest updates yet with a redesigned experience focused on simplicity and visibility.
Parents can quickly view their child’s average daily usage, most-used apps, and active restrictions from a single dashboard. The redesigned interface also makes it easier to pause access, make adjustments in real time, or extend app access when children need additional time to finish an activity.
Apple says the redesign is intended to help parents make informed decisions without navigating through multiple menus.
Communication Safety now blocks violent and graphic content
Apple is expanding Communication Safety with new protections designed to shield children from harmful content.
The feature already detects and blurs nude images shared through Messages and FaceTime for users under 18. Later this year, Communication Safety will also intervene when graphic violence or gore is detected in images and videos.
Apple is also making it easier for parents to manage who their children can communicate with. Through Messages, FaceTime, and Phone, parents can require approval before children connect with new contacts. When a child wants to communicate with someone new, a request can be sent to a parent for approval.
Child Accounts continue to power age-appropriate experiences
Apple says creating a Child Account remains the most important step parents can take when setting up a device for their child.
Child Accounts automatically enable age-based protections across Apple devices, including restrictions on adult websites, access to age-appropriate content, and App Store safeguards. Parents are guided through the setup process when configuring a new device.
Child Accounts are required for children under 13 and available for users up to age 18.
Parents can choose which apps kids can access
Once a Child Account is created, parents can now choose exactly which apps children can access from the beginning.
During setup, families can start with only essential apps, select a recommended starter set, or manually choose which apps are available. Parents can then gradually grant access to additional apps over time while maintaining control over the experience.
Schedules help kids stay focused throughout the day
Apple is also introducing more flexible scheduling tools that allow parents to manage app access during different times of the day and week.
Parents can create daily schedules that help children stay focused during school hours, homework sessions, meals, bedtime, and other important moments. Access can be customized based on a family’s routine and adjusted as needed.
New resources and guidance for families
Alongside the new features, Apple is expanding its support for families with additional educational resources and expert guidance.
The company is working with the American Academy of Pediatrics to adapt its Family Media Plan for Apple products. Apple has also launched a dedicated child safety website where parents can find setup instructions, recommendations, and answers to common questions.
Existing safety tools continue to expand
Apple also highlighted several existing child safety features that remain available across its ecosystem.
Screen Time Passcode Notifications alert parents when the Screen Time passcode is entered on a child’s device. User Reporting Tools, which allow harmful content to be reported directly to Apple, are expanding globally.
Apple Watch For Your Kids also remains an important part of Apple’s family safety efforts. The feature allows children without an iPhone to stay connected through calls, messages, location sharing through Find My, Apple Maps, Apple Music, Apple Cash, and Activity tracking. Schooltime mode helps reduce distractions by limiting notifications and app access during class.
New developer tools support age-appropriate app experiences
Apple is also introducing new tools to help developers create safer experiences for younger users.
SensitiveContentAnalysis can help prevent children from viewing inappropriate content such as nudity or violence, while PermissionKit allows developers to require parental approval before children connect with new contacts inside apps.
Apple is also expanding the Declared Age Range API, which lets developers tailor app experiences based on a child’s age range without requiring access to their exact birth date, helping maintain privacy while supporting age-appropriate content.
These new developer tools complement Apple’s broader parental controls strategy and help extend child safety protections beyond the operating system into third-party apps.
