WWDC 26: Apple revamps parental controls with Ask to Browse, new time limits, and redesigned Screen Time
On stage at WWDC 26, Apple announced a significant expansion of its safety features for children and teenagers, introducing new parental control tools that cover content management, contacts, usage time, and web browsing, with the stated aim of providing parents with a more powerful and intuitive system.
The Starting Point: the Child Account
Apple identifies the new child account as a mandatory first step: activating it automatically enables age-appropriate protections, including the blocking of adult sites, access only to age-appropriate content, and restrictions in the App Store. Those who have not yet configured a child account can convert an existing account. Based on this, Apple has built the new features announced this year.
Ask to Browse and Extended Communication Safety
The most visible new feature is Ask to Browse, which extends the already known logic of Ask to Buy to websites. When a child wants to visit a new site, they must ask for permission from the parent, who can review the request before approving or denying access. The feature works seamlessly on iPhone, iPad, and Mac via Safari. Both Ask to Browse and Ask to Buy are enabled by default for children under 13 years; parents can also enable them for teenagers.
Apple has also extended Communication Safety: until now, the feature detected and blurred images and videos containing nudity, even during live FaceTime video calls. Starting this year, it will also intervene before children can see content featuring graphic violence in shared images or videos.
Time Allowances, Renewed Screen Time, and Developer Responsibilities
On the usage time front, Apple introduces time allowances, a flexible system that brings to the forefront entertainment, gaming, and social media categories, with a recommended daily time limit that encompasses all three and separate recommendations for each. These thresholds are defined based on the child's age and developed with child clinical and developmental experts, including the American Academy of Pediatrics, with which Apple has adapted the Family Media Plan into a practical guide for parents. The limits remain adjustable: each family can tailor them to their needs.
Regarding social media, Apple echoes the experts’ indication that children under 13 should not use them, and that parents should carefully assess when a teenager is ready to access them.
Parents can now also set time slots: choosing which apps are available at specific times of the day, such as during school hours, and combine this function with time allowances to provide, for example, extra time on weekends. Screen Time has been completely redesigned to make the usage overview more readable and quick modifications accessible with a single touch.
Cupertino has also emphasized the responsibilities of developers to ensure age-appropriate experiences within their applications. To this end, it provides a series of APIs and resources, including the declared age range API, which allows tailoring the experience based on the child's age group in a way that preserves privacy. Finally, Apple announced a new dedicated website that gathers all safety features for children and answers common questions, including instructions for getting started.