iOS 26 Enhances Parental Controls: New Features to Safeguard Minors

iOS 26 to Introduce New Tools for Parents and Developers to Manage Child App Usage. Apple has previously hinted at its ongoing projects by releasing a document titled “Helping Protect Kids” in February. Simultaneously, both Apple and Google are confronting new U.S. legislation that requires them to independently verify the ages of their users. Apple proposed a different strategy earlier this year, which it elaborated on during the WWDC.

In its previous update, iOS 18.4, along with other platforms updated at the same time, Apple made several changes to its parental control system. When a parent sets up a phone for their young child and doesn’t have time to complete all the Screen Time settings, iOS automatically configures the necessary basics to ensure a minimal level of protection is in place. It’s then up to the parent to fine-tune these settings later. To make this setup easier, when a parent creates an account for a child under 13, it is automatically added to the family group and converted into a child account with all age-appropriate settings enabled by default.

With the upcoming release of iOS 26 and related platforms in September, Apple is introducing additional features for both parents and developers. For parents, it will be easier to correct a child’s age on an account if it was initially entered incorrectly. For developers, Apple is rolling out a new framework called Declared Age Range. This toolkit allows apps to receive limited information about a child without revealing sensitive details like their exact age or birthdate. Apple has defined three age categories for this purpose: under 12 years, 13 to 15 years, and 16 years and older.