Apple announced the rollout of its latest suite of features designed to help parents protect kids and teens online. The updates are now available across all Apple devices — including iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, Apple Vision Pro, and Apple TV — giving parents more control over their children’s digital experiences.
A Safer Start from Setup
Building on existing tools like Screen Time and App Store parental controls, Apple’s latest update ensures that families can establish age-appropriate safeguards from the moment a child sets up their device.
Earlier this year, Apple simplified the management of Child Accounts, and today’s update adds even more capabilities for parents.
Key New Features
The new online safety tools include:
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Privacy-Preserving Age Sharing – Parents can now share their child’s age range with apps in a secure way that protects personal information.
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Expanded Protections for Teens (13–17) – Strengthened default settings help teens navigate the internet safely.
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Granular App Store Ratings – More detailed age ratings (13+, 16+, 18+) and clearer labeling of app features such as advertising, user-generated content, and parental controls.
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Enhanced Communication Limits – Parents can remotely approve new contacts for their children using Apple apps, adding another layer of oversight.
Privacy and Ease of Use at the Core
Apple emphasized that these features were designed to be intuitive for families to use and built with privacy and security as top priorities.
Availability
The new parental control tools are included with iOS 26, iPadOS 26, macOS Tahoe 26, watchOS 26, visionOS 26, and tvOS 26, available today as free software updates for eligible devices. Some features may vary by region, language, or device model.
Parents and caregivers can learn more about these tools and get setup guides at apple.com/families.
