Apple Adds New Parental Controls to iPhone, iPad and Mac: Here’s What Changes

Apple has introduced new parental controls for iPhone, iPad, and Mac devices with the release of iOS 27, iPadOS 27, and macOS 27. The new features include website approval requests, expanded Communication Safety protections, and improved screen time management. Parents can now block or allow access to websites in Safari, with requests sent to a parent's phone before loading.

Communication Safety has been expanded to catch gore and violent content, extending to live FaceTime calls. Screen Time now uses "Time Allowances" for age-based budgets across categories like Social Media, Entertainment, and Games. Apple has simplified the setup of Child Accounts, offering a starter set of apps or a custom list for parents to choose from.

The new child-safety features are part of a closed-by-default model, restricting access by default and requiring deliberate expansion. This approach aims to enhance online safety, prompting other platforms to match Apple's stance. However, the effectiveness of these controls depends on all devices in a Family Sharing group being updated to the matching software, which could be a challenge for some families.