Apple is enhancing its child safety features with the upcoming release of iOS 27, announced during its Worldwide Developers Conference earlier this month. This new initiative comes after years of criticism regarding the company's approach to child safety in its products. The enhancements are expected to roll out this fall, marking a significant shift in Apple's policy towards protecting children online.
New Features for Enhanced Child Safety
The latest updates in iOS 27 aim to improve child safety through various new functionalities. Notable among these is the revamped onboarding process for creating child accounts, which is now streamlined to take approximately six minutes. This process is mandatory for children under 13 and available for kids up to 18, allowing parents to set age-appropriate restrictions and limit access to adult websites.
Additionally, parents can choose what apps their children can access, starting with essential apps, a curated selection, or manually selecting apps. This flexibility is designed to give parents more control over their children's online experiences.
Ask to Browse: A New Safari Feature
Another significant addition is the Ask to Browse feature in Safari. When enabled, this feature requires children to request permission from their parents before visiting new websites, mirroring the existing Ask to Buy function in the App Store. This measure aims to foster responsible browsing habits among younger users.
