20/09/2025
New Apple features to better protect children online
With the launch of iOS 26, iPadOS 26, macOS Tahoe 26, watchOS 26, visionOS 26 and tvOS 26, Apple introduces a range of improved features that allow parents to protect their children and teenagers better online. These new capabilities build on existing tools such as Screen Time and parental control settings in the App Store, but are smarter and more user-friendly than ever. Read on to discover all the updates and how they make daily use easier.
With the new updates, also available via iOS 18.4, iPadOS 18.4 and macOS Sequoia 15.4, setting up these accounts is simpler and faster. If parents complete the account setup later, default settings appropriate for the child’s age are automatically applied. This ensures that safety settings are active from the very first moment a child uses a device.
In addition, parents can now more easily check that the age settings are correct and have access to extensive parental control options, ensuring their child’s online experience is always safe and appropriate.
Parents can set this information to be shared always, only when an app requests it, or not at all. Children cannot change this setting by default, but parents can grant permission to allow changes via the content and privacy settings.
Apple is also extending online protection to teenagers aged 16 and 17. Age-appropriate features, such as content filters and communication safety settings, are active from the beginning, regardless of whether the teen’s account is set up as a child account or a standard Apple account.
In addition, the App Store now uses improved age ratings. With this update, these ratings are expanded to five categories, including three specifically for teenagers: 13+, 16+, and 18+.
Thanks to the new PermissionKit framework, children can also request permission in third-party apps to chat, follow others, or add friends, giving parents a convenient way to supervise online interactions.
Table of Contents
- Easily manage your children’s accounts
- Share age range with apps safely without compromising privacy
- New protection options and improved age ratings
- More control over who your child can reach
- Additional improvements
- Existing safety
- Conclusion
Easily manage your children’s accounts
It is not new that Apple offers features for parents or guardians to manage their child’s account. However, Apple now makes it easier to manage accounts for children. Children under 16 must have a special Apple account linked to a parent or guardian’s account in a Family Sharing group, although accounts are available up to 18 years old.With the new updates, also available via iOS 18.4, iPadOS 18.4 and macOS Sequoia 15.4, setting up these accounts is simpler and faster. If parents complete the account setup later, default settings appropriate for the child’s age are automatically applied. This ensures that safety settings are active from the very first moment a child uses a device.
In addition, parents can now more easily check that the age settings are correct and have access to extensive parental control options, ensuring their child’s online experience is always safe and appropriate.
Share age range with apps safely without compromising privacy
A new feature is the Declared Age Range API. This allows parents to choose to share their child’s age range with apps without revealing the exact date of birth or other sensitive personal data.Parents can set this information to be shared always, only when an app requests it, or not at all. Children cannot change this setting by default, but parents can grant permission to allow changes via the content and privacy settings.
New protection options and improved age ratings
All children under 16 are required to have a child account. This ensures that various protection features, such as web content filters and app restrictions, are active from the start.Apple is also extending online protection to teenagers aged 16 and 17. Age-appropriate features, such as content filters and communication safety settings, are active from the beginning, regardless of whether the teen’s account is set up as a child account or a standard Apple account.
In addition, the App Store now uses improved age ratings. With this update, these ratings are expanded to five categories, including three specifically for teenagers: 13+, 16+, and 18+.
More control over who your chill can reach
With the latest update, parents can better control who their children communicate with. In addition to the existing communication limits in Phone, FaceTime, Messages and iCloud, children now need to send a request to their parents if they want to contact a new phone number. You can easily approve this with a single tap in Messages.Thanks to the new PermissionKit framework, children can also request permission in third-party apps to chat, follow others, or add friends, giving parents a convenient way to supervise online interactions.
Additional improvements
On top of the previously mentioned updates, Apple is also introducing several useful upgrades in the App Store, communication safety, and Screen Time:- Clear information in the App Store: Product pages now indicate whether apps contain user-generated content, messages, or ads, and whether parental controls or age restrictions are available.
- Adjusted app visibility: Apps that exceed a child’s set age limits no longer appear in the ‘Today’, ‘Games’, and ‘Apps’ tabs or in featured articles.
- Flexible approval: With ‘Ask to Buy’, parents can allow exceptions for apps that would normally be restricted. This approval can be revoked at any time via Screen Time.
- Improved communication safety: During FaceTime calls, nudity is automatically detected and blurred. Nudity is also blurred in shared photo albums to ensure safety.