Apple Updates Child Safety Features in iOS

Apple announced a suite of new child‑safety features that will arrive on iPhones, iPads, Apple Watches and other devices in the coming months. The company said the updates will expand the existing Screen Time and Family Sharing tools, adding finer‑grained controls for app usage, content filtering and location sharing. Parents will be able to set limits on how long children can spend on specific apps, block or approve new downloads, and view a daily activity report that shows time spent on each app. The new location‑sharing feature will let parents see a child’s real‑time whereabouts on a map and receive alerts if the child leaves a pre‑defined safe zone.

Apple also highlighted privacy‑first design choices. The updated controls will be integrated with the device’s built‑in privacy settings, ensuring that any data shared with family members is encrypted and only visible to authorized users. The company said the changes will be rolled out through the next iOS, iPadOS, and watchOS updates, with beta releases already available to developers. Apple’s announcement follows growing public and regulatory attention to digital safety for minors, and the company reiterated its commitment to giving parents more tools to protect children while maintaining a user‑friendly experience.