Apple gives parents back control over their children’s iPhone use

At its Worldwide Developers Conference, Apple introduced a suite of tools designed to put parents back in control of how their kids use the iPhone. This includes features that let parents decide who a child can talk to, what apps they can use, whether they can visit certain websites, and access other tools to block inappropriate texts, manage screen time schedules, find age-appropriate app suggestions, and more.

The redesigned version of Screen Time controls builds on technology Apple already offers, expanding its capabilities in new ways with more precise controls. This comes as the mental health impacts of technology on children’s development come to the forefront of people’s minds, and as new laws and regulations attempt to curb children’s access to devices and social media.

When a child creates accounts on a new device, Apple will customize age-appropriate safeguards, block adult sites, only allow age-appropriate media, and set age-based restrictions in the App Store. Parents can adjust these settings if they prefer, but now they can go further.

For example, parents can start by providing their children with access only to the content they are comfortable with, and then add more over time, as they see fit. Apple will offer Smart App suggestions upon setup, allowing parents to choose if they want to give the child access to just the essentials, or if they want to pick and choose other specific apps the child can use. This makes especially sense for younger kids who get iPhones, such as teens and other school-age kids, who may not be ready for all the social experiences an iPhone provides.

Additionally, parents will be able to control access to websites that children can browse as well — a feature that has been much requested since children have historically used websites to get around parental controls that would restrict access to certain apps, often social media.

This feature, Ask to Browse, works across iPhone, iPad, and Mac with Safari, Apple notes. It’s turned on by default, along with Ask to Buy for apps and games, for children under 13.

Parents will also be able to control which contacts a child can add to their contacts, and can choose to block media from text messages that may include blood or violence. A similar feature has already been introduced to block any potential nudity, to allay fears around sexting.

The company’s Screen Time controls allow parents to set up a schedule and choose which apps are available on what days and at what times. This feature helps parents limit access to things like social media during school hours, but not on weekends.

What’s new is that Apple is now relying on expert advice to make some initial recommendations for allocating screen time, based on the child’s age and app category. Apple said it consulted with the American Academy of Pediatrics and others about the feature. The company also made special reference to the fact that social media apps are not recommended for children under 13, which is why Apple may suggest turning off this category for younger children.

The Screen Time feature has also been redesigned, to make it easier for parents to see how their kids are using their devices, and to allow parents to adjust that access with just one tap.

Meanwhile, app developers are offered a full set of APIs that allow them to protect against nudity and violent content in apps, help ensure parents approve any new contacts in apps, or ensure a child is of legal age to use their apps, among other options.

The new parental controls will be rolled out to consumers with the release of iOS 27 in the fall.