Handing an iPhone or iPad to your child often means deciding how much freedom they should have online. With iOS 27, Apple has introduced Ask to Browse, a new parental control that lets children request access to blocked websites while giving parents the final say. Instead of constantly managing website restrictions, you can approve or deny requests as they happen directly from your own device.
Ask to Browse works through Family Sharing and Screen Time, making it easier to manage Safari browsing without taking your child’s device every time they want to visit a new website. Here’s how to set it up and use it.
How to Turn On Ask to Browse
For children under 13 who are part of your Family Sharing group, Ask to Browse is enabled by default.
If you’re managing an older child’s account, you can turn it on through Screen Time:
- Open Settings on the parent’s iPhone or iPad.
- Tap Screen Time.
- Select your child’s account.
- Open the web content or browsing restrictions.
- Enable Ask to Browse.
The exact location of the setting may vary slightly while iOS 27 is in beta.
How to Approve Website Requests
Once Ask to Browse is enabled, your child can request permission whenever they try to visit a blocked website in Safari.
Here’s how it works:
- Your child opens a blocked website in Safari.
- They tap Ask to Browse on the request screen.
- A notification is sent to the parent’s Messages app.
- Review the request and tap Approve or Don’t Allow. If approved, your child can immediately access the website.
The approval process happens in just a few taps, so you don’t need to unlock or use your child’s device to manage website requests.
Things to Know Before Using Ask to Browse
Before you start using the feature, there are a few things worth keeping in mind:
- Ask to Browse works with Safari.
- Both the parent and child need to be part of the same Family Sharing group.
- Screen Time must be configured for the child’s account.
- Children under 13 have the feature enabled automatically, while parents can choose to enable it for older children.
- Parents can update or remove browsing permissions later through Screen Time.
Ask to Browse is one of several new family safety features arriving with iOS 27, alongside updates to Screen Time and other parental controls. For parents who want to give children more freedom online without giving up oversight, it offers a simple way to approve new websites as they’re needed.
