At the WWDC 26 keynote, Apple touched upon a number of new things heading our way in the coming months. Developer beta versions of iOS 27, iPadOS 27, and macOS 27 Golden Gate are already available. Public betas will roll out next month and final versions are expected in September before the next-generation iPhones go on sale. Two things stand out, besides the significantly reworked approach to Apple Intelligence, an artificial intelligence (AI) conversation that was inevitable. First, Apple’s way of communicating what’s new and what’s changed has the sort of human touch missing from Google’s recent I/O keynote and Android announcements. Secondly, Apple has not lost track of things that matter to the humans who use their tech.
The keynote detailed how Apple is adding a suite of child safety features, in addition to many already available to parents. “At Apple, our mission has always been to create technology that empowers people and enriches their lives, while helping keep them safe,” said Sumbul Desai, MD and vice president of health and fitness at Apple.
Also Read:Tim Cook’s final WWDC keynote sets Apple on a new AI course
“Our approach to helping families create safer digital experiences is grounded in the belief that every child is unique. That’s why we build simple and intuitive tools, based on expert guidance, to let parents tailor their kids’ digital journey. Today, we’re introducing major updates to help families thoughtfully establish age-based protections and develop healthy digital habits,” Desai added.
The basis of the new safety features is the Child Account configuration, which will unlock for parents the ability to control what children can see, who they can talk to, and provide broader 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 which apps children will be able to download from the App Store, and now which websites they can access on Safari on iPhone, iPad or Mac. This is in addition to the Ask to Buy feature, where parents still need to approve an app download.
Also Read:Inside Apple’s AI architecture: Custom Gemini, sparse models and divergence
“With AI, both content generation and access has become extremely easy. Higher screen time and what a child has access to in their phones in private is one of the key anxiety points of a parent. Apple has worked a lot towards solving this by building multiple guard rails and giving greater control to a parent on what their child can see, access and even who they can talk to,” said Tarun Pathak, research director with counterpoint research, in a conversation with HT.
This also builds a strong value proposition for a parent to choose iOS or iPadOS for their children for a greater peace of mind,” Pathak added, noting Apple has addressed a ‘key issue’. Across iOS, iPadOS and macOS, new functionality is being added. In the iPhone and iPad for instance, a new setup assistant on devices that are being set up for a child account, will give parents an option to disable certain system apps.
This methodology has been extended to a new Ask to Browse. Parents can also require that kids ask permission to access a new website in Safari, and once enabled, will work seamlessly across iPhone, iPad, and Mac. The option to approve or deny permission to children over who they can communicate with via Apple’s apps including Messages, FaceTime and Phone, is a key addition. Parents will now have the option of approving addition of new contacts in a device set up for a child account, before they can start a conversation with these contacts.
Also Read:Tim Cook praises Indian student’s AI app inspired by grandmother’s struggle
“Communication Safety already blurs nudity when detected in Messages and FaceTime calls, and is turned on by default for users under 18, and now it will also intervene to block gore or violent content when detected in shared images or videos,” says Apple. Daily Child Allowance recommendations for different app categories will also be available to parents. This covers apps across categories, including Entertainment, Games, and Social Media. When setting Time Allowances, parents are given suggestions are based on expert research, with specific tailoring to the child’s age.
“This serves as a helpful starting point for parents, who can easily adjust these settings based on what they determine is best for their child,” the company says. There will be an ability to create flexible schedules depending on day of the week (weekends tend to get more leverage than weekdays, for instance), and parents must approve any extra screen time beyond the time allowance exhaustion.
“At a time when regulatory scrutiny around children’s online safety is intensifying globally, Apple’s parental control enhancements are consistent with its privacy-first positioning. Broadly, digital wellbeing is emerging as a genuine 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, CyberMedia Research (CMR), tells HT.
Also Read:A new silicon equation, and the great PC reset
“Apple’s vertically integrated hardware and software model enables a more consistent, deeply integrated parental control experience, whereas delivering the same level of uniformity across the broader Android ecosystem remains structurally more challenging,” he adds.
Apple is extending a full suite of tools to developers, to allow them to create apps with the dual intention of helping protect kids from seeing inappropriate content like violence or nudity and help ensure parents approve any new in-app contacts. The tools include SensitiveContentAnalysis and PermissionKit, while developers can also integrate the Declared Age Range API, which allows them to request a child’s age range and tailor their app experience accordingly.
Apple already has a Made for Kids section on the App Store, and Apple insists they “review each App Store app to check that it does what it says 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’s appropriate for their child.
