WWDC 2026 is now in the books, and with it comes a whole wave of additional features that will be coming to the Apple ecosystem in the near future. While the focus was on the upgraded Siri and Apple Intelligence, the tech giant also previewed some upcoming child safety features, which will be the subject of this article.
The company says that the system will introduce “easy-to-use” features and changes which allow parents to more easily manage the content their children see. These features include Ask to Browse, Time Allowances, and a redesigned Screen Time, to name a few.
About Child Accounts
To access many of these parental control features, parents can create a Child Account for their children. Apple says the experience is integrated across its ecosystem and automatically applies protections that are tailored to the child’s age.
These protections include web content filtering, age-based restrictions in the App Store, and age-appropriate default settings for content and privacy. Parents can also adjust these settings to better suit their family’s needs. According to Apple, Child Accounts are designed for users aged 16 and below, although parents can continue to use the feature for children up to the age of 18.
Controlled Content: Ask To Buy & Ask To Browse
Once the account is set up, parents can choose which apps their children can access on their devices. Apple says parents can start with a small selection of essential apps, opt for a curated set of apps, or manually choose apps they deem suitable. Additional apps can be added over time.
Apple is also highlighting Ask to Buy, an existing parental control feature that allows parents to approve app downloads from the App Store before they are installed on a child’s device. The feature applies to both free and paid apps and also extends to in-app purchases.
Another feature is Ask to Browse, which allows children to request access to websites that have been restricted through Safari’s web content controls. Parents can then approve or deny these requests. Apple notes that the feature works across the iPhone, iPad, and Mac.
Time Allowances
To help parents better manage their children’s device usage, Apple is introducing a new feature called Time Allowances. The feature allows parents to set limits on how much time their children can spend in app categories such as Entertainment, Games, and Social Media. In addition, parents can create daily schedules to determine which apps their children can access at different times of the day and throughout the week.
According to the company, the recommended Time Allowances settings are based on expert research and tailored to a child’s age. That said, parents can also customise these limits and schedules to better suit their family’s needs.
Screen Time
Apple is also introducing a redesigned Screen Time system. According to the tech giant, parents can receive an at-a-glance view of their child’s average screen time, device usage and most-used apps. Moreover, parents can adjust their child’s access to apps and the web from the feature.
Communication Safety
Apple is also expanding the tools available to parents who want greater oversight of their children’s communications. Parents can manage who their child can contact through Messages, FaceTime, and Phone, and can require approval before their child connects with a new contact.
Separately, Communication Safety can automatically blur nude images and videos shared through supported apps. Apple also says the feature can intervene when it detects graphic or violent content in shared media. According to the company, Communication Safety is enabled by default for users under the age of 18.
Dedicated Website
To coincide with all of this, Apple is launching a dedicated website for parents which will feature the latest tools and resources, in addition to answering the most common questions. From this website, parents can learn about trusted tools like Screen Time Passcode Notifications, which alert parents when their Screen Time Passcode has been entered on their child’s device.
Availability
Apple says the new child safety features will be available through Screen Time in iOS 27, iPadOS 27, and macOS 27. The features are included in the developer beta that is available starting today, while the public beta is scheduled to arrive in July. A wider rollout will take place when Apple releases the new operating systems later this September.
(Source: Apple)
