Apple’s iOS 26 introduces an array of new safety features aimed at parents, including those that give them more control over chats, apps, and more.
Children under 13 are already assigned a Child Account during setup. With iOS 26, teens aged 13 to 17 will also be subject to age-appropriate restrictions, even if they’re using a standard Apple Account.
Parents of kids under 13 will also be prompted to add their children to a Family group. When apps request a Child Account holder’s age, parents can decide to share an age range. By default, children cannot modify their age range, and parents can decide whether to share it for each app request, always or never. Parents can also change their selection at any time.
(Credit: Apple)
Additionally, parents get better control over who their kids interact with. Texting a new contact now requires parental approval. This feature can also be integrated into third-party apps, provided the developers adopt Apple’s new PermissionKit framework.
On the App Store, age ratings are being expanded to five categories, including 13+, 16+, and 18+. These ratings will be introduced by the end of this year and will be tied to parental control features like Screen Time and Ask to Buy.
Going forward, App Store product pages will also indicate when an app contains user-generated content, in-app parental controls, or age assurance measures, and messaging or advertising capabilities. Discord is currently testing age verification through facial recognition, and Instagram already has restrictions for users under 16.
Apple is also modifying the way it displays apps in the App Store. In the Today, Games, or Apps tabs or in editorial stories, Apple will no longer show apps that have age ratings beyond the user’s age. So, if you are 15 and an app is rated 16+, you won’t see it in the places mentioned.
However, there’s an exception. Ask to Buy will let parents approve apps that are rated for older age groups than their child’s set age.
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Finally, Apple’s Communication Safety, a feature that detects and blurs nudity, has been extended to FaceTime video and Shared Albums in Photos.
Of course, kids often find ways to circumvent parental controls. Next month, we’ll test the iOS 26 public beta to see if Apple has blocked those loopholes.
If you’re eager to try out new iOS 26 features, you can install the iOS 26 developer beta right away. A small note of caution: developer betas tend to be buggy.
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