In the WWDC 26 keynote, Apple discussed a number of new things coming in the coming months. The developer beta versions of iOS 27, iPadOS 27 and macOS 27 Golden Gate are already available. The public beta will be released next month and the final version is expected in September before the next generation iPhones go on sale. In addition to Apple’s significantly reworked approach to intelligence, two things stand out, one being the artificial intelligence (AI) conversation that was inevitable. First, Apple’s way of communicating what’s new and what’s changed has the human touch missing from Google’s recent I/O keynote and Android announcements. Secondly, Apple has not lost sight of the things that are important to the humans who use its technology.
The keynote detailed how Apple is adding a suite of child safety features, in addition to the many features already available to parents. “At Apple, our mission has always been to create technology that empowers people and enriches their lives, while also helping keep them safe,” said Sumbul Desai, MD and vice president of health and fitness at Apple.
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“Our approach to helping families create safer digital experiences is based on the belief that every child is unique. That’s why we create simple and intuitive tools, based on expert guidance, to give parents the flexibility to customize their children’s digital journey. Today, we’re introducing major updates to help families establish age-based protections and develop healthy digital habits,” said Desai.
The foundation of the new safety features is child account configuration, which will unlock the ability for parents to control what kids can see, who they can talk to, and provide comprehensive guidance for their digital content consumption. Apple says a child account is required for children up to age 13 and is also available as an option for children up to age 18.
Once this account is set up, parents will be able to unlock selected content and apps at any time. This includes what apps kids will be able to download from the App Store and what websites they can now access on Safari on iPhone, iPad or Mac. This is in addition to the Ask to Buy feature, where parents still need to approve app downloads.
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“With AI, both content creation and access has become extremely easy. High screen time and what a child has access to privately on their phone is one of the major concern points of parents. Apple has worked a lot towards solving this by creating multiple guard rails and giving parents more control over what their child can see, access and even who they can talk to,” Tarun Pathak, research director, Counterpoint Research, told HT. I said.
It also creates a strong value proposition for parents choosing iOS or iPadOS for their children for peace of mind, Pathak said, adding that Apple has addressed a ‘major issue’. In iOS, iPadOS, and macOS, new functionality is being added. For example, in iPhone and iPad, a new Setup Assistant on devices that are being set up for a child account will give parents the option to disable certain system apps.
This method has been extended to a new Ask to Browse. Parents can also require that kids ask for permission to access a new website in Safari, and once enabled, it will work seamlessly on iPhone, iPad, and Mac. The option to allow or disallow kids to choose who they can communicate with through Apple’s apps, including Messages, FaceTime, and Phone, is an important addition. Parents will now have the option to approve adding new contacts to the device set up for the child’s account, before starting to interact with these contacts.
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“Communications Protection already blurs nudity in messages and FaceTime calls when it’s detected, and is turned on by default for users under 18, and it will now also step in to block explicit or violent content if it’s detected in shared images or videos,” Apple says. Daily child allowance recommendations for different app categories will also be available to parents. It includes apps from all categories including entertainment, games and social media. When setting time allowances, parents are given suggestions that are based on expert research, with specific adjustments according to the child’s age.
The company says, “This serves as a helpful starting point for parents, who can easily adjust these settings based on what’s best for their child.” There will be the ability to create flexible schedules based on the day of the week (for example, weekends get more leeway than weekdays), and parents will have to approve any additional screen time beyond the expiration of the time allowance.
“At a time when regulatory scrutiny regarding children’s online safety is intensifying globally, Apple’s enhancement of parental controls is in line with its privacy-first positioning. More broadly, digital well-being is emerging as a true platform differentiator. The platform most credibly positioned as a safe environment for children holds a meaningful structural advantage,” Prabhu Ram, vice president-industry research group at Cybermedia Research (CMR), told HT.
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He added, “Apple’s vertically integrated hardware and software model enables a more consistent, deeply integrated parental control experience, while providing the same level of uniformity across the broader Android ecosystem remains structurally more challenging.”
Apple is providing developers with a full suite of tools so they can create apps with the dual intention of helping protect children from viewing inappropriate content like violence or nudity and helping ensure that parents approve any new in-app contacts. Tools include SensitiveContentAnalysis and PermissionsKit, while developers can also integrate the Declared Age Limits API, which allows them to request a child age limit and customize their app experience accordingly.
Apple already has a made-for-kids section on the App Store, and Apple emphasizes that they “review every App Store app to check that it does what it says it does and meets our high standards for privacy, security, and content.” Every app listed on the App Store has an age rating that helps parents decide whether it is suitable for their child or not.
