Apple’s new child safety tools want to give parents more control over who their kids talk to

Starting later this year, Apple is rolling out a set of revamped child safety features across its entire ecosystem, including iOS 26, iPadOS 26, macOS Tahoe 26, watchOS 26, visionOS 26, and tvOS 26, that aims to give parents tighter control over their kids’ digital lives.

Parents will smile, kids might cry

At the centre of the update is a new communication approval feature. If a child wants to message a new contact, they’ll now need parental permission before the conversation begins. The approval request appears in the Messages app, where parents can simply tap to approve or deny.

Apple is also introducing “PermissionKit,” a developer-facing tool that lets third-party apps build in similar functionality, so kids will have to get the green light from their guardians before sending a follow, friend, or chat request.

This comes alongside enhancements to existing protections. Apple’s parental controls already enforce guardrails like web filters and app limits for kids under 13, but now, similar protections will extend to teens aged 13 to 17.

Apple’s Communication Safety system is also getting smarter. It will now intervene in FaceTime calls that include nudity and blur inappropriate content in shared photo albums.

App Store age ratings are getting a revamp too. Instead of broad classifications, there will now be more granular categories like 13+, 16+, and 18+. And to help apps personalise content without compromising privacy, Apple is allowing parents to share their child’s age range via a new “Declared Age Range API,” rather than revealing an exact date of birth.

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While companies like Meta and Snap have pushed for laws requiring digital platforms to verify users’ ages, Apple has consistently emphasised privacy. In our own backyard, where discussions around child online safety and age-appropriate content are gaining momentum, Apple’s approach could offer a balanced template.

Instead of mandatory ID verification, which raises concerns about data misuse, Apple’s model leans on parental controls and privacy-preserving tools, aligning well with the country’s evolving digital safety framework.