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Apple Shares New Video Promoting iOS 27 Parental Controls

Apple today shared a video promoting the new parental control features it added in iOS 27.


Apple says Child Accounts are easier to set up in ‌iOS 27‌ and more intuitive to use. Improved controls allow parents to choose the types of apps children have access to, while Ask to Buy lets kids request new apps and games.

Ask to Browse gives parents a way to block or allow the websites children visit in Safari, plus parents can decide who kids can call and message. Communication Safety in Messages and FaceTime detects and blocks both violence and nudity in images and videos.

Time Allowances and Schedules let parents customize what children can access by the day, hour, and activity, with options to limit apps during school hours. There are one-tap controls to pause access entirely during family events like dinnertime or allow unlimited screen time.

Apple's updated parental controls come as the company deals with regulatory pressure over child safety in countries like the UK, U.S., and Australia. The UK has called for device-level controls that keep kids from viewing and sharing inappropriate images, while the U.S. Kids Internet and Digital Safety Act is now in the Senate. Australia has already prohibited children under 16 from creating accounts on certain social media apps.

Apple's new child safety features became available on September 14 with the launch of ‌iOS 27‌, iPadOS 27, and macOS Golden Gate. Every device in a Family Sharing group needs to be running the latest software for the Screen Time update to work.

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Top Rated Comments

turbineseaplane Avatar
17 hours ago at 09:59 am
The best parental control is keeping your kids away from these devices as much as you can.

Have them do social stuff on a web browser on a Mac in a common area of the home and put some time limits on it.

Smartphones, and their software, are designed to create addiction.

There are very good reasons that so many of the folks who work on this technology keep their OWN kids away from it.
I mean ... just think about how messed up that is..

They are so "proud of their work", they make sure their own kids are nowhere near it.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
16 hours ago at 11:15 am
All our devices are on iOS 27 and still don’t see an updated Family interface. It looks like it’s super buggy.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
16 hours ago at 11:02 am
Classic Apple. Every device needs to be on the latest version for this feature to work. While they know in most households kids get an older iPad handed down to them.

They could have released an update for older kids devices.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Small White Car Avatar
16 hours ago at 11:25 am

They still could use refinement and enhancements. Being able to set multiple time windows when activities are disabled/or enabled is a big one. It would be nice to be able to set downtime during school hours and then again at bedtime.
This alone proves to me that everyone who works on these features spends no actual time parenting their own kids. It’s all hypothetical to them, because even one week out in the real world would have demonstrated this to them.

It’s actually insane that they put people in charge who have no actual experience using the software they write.

I suspect this is a problem in many Apple departments, but your example here is probably the clearest one I can think of.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Slix Avatar
17 hours ago at 10:07 am
These are really good ways to give parents control over what their children can interact with and do on their devices. I had time limits back in the day on the Mac as a kid and while it was annoying to me as a kid, I think my parents just wanted the best balance for me with the technology I had access to and I respect them for making those decisions.

Now, the biggest thing here is that parents actually need to use these tools in order to help keep their kids safe online and not spend too much time on their devices.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
11 hours ago at 03:44 pm
What I’d really like is a managed account for elderly parents. The number of scams and accidental self destructive behavior that I’ve had to clean up recently makes me think that would be useful.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
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