Revamped parental controls are coming to iPhone with iOS 27

Apple has announced a refreshed version of the iPhone’s Screen Time features for iOS 27, giving parents a new way to ensure children only access the content that’s right for them.

Alongside iOS 27, parental controls will also extend to the iPad with iPadOS 27 and the Mac, with macOS 27.

Screen Time has long allowed parents to limit which apps their kids use, and how long they can use them. With iOS 27, announced at WWDC 2026, Apple has refreshed the way this system works.

New for iOS 27 and beyond

With iOS 27, Apple makes it easier for parents to create a new Apple Account for their children. They’ll be shown how to modify their child’s access to the apps installed on that device. More apps can be enabled over time, too.

Apple also announced that iOS 27 will build on an existing feature that allows children to request access to an app. With iOS 27 installed, this will be expanded to include websites, giving parents the ability to preview the site before approving it for viewing.

With Apple’s 2026 software updates, kids will also be warned if they receive an iMessage that includes blood or gore. Currently, this feature is limited to images with possible nudity.

Time Allowances will give parents more control over how long and when their children can use their devices. Building on the existing Screen Time features, Time Allowances is a clearer, more easily managed system at a time when screen time is a hot topic for parents.

To help back up this refreshed and expanded Screen Time experience, developers will be given a slew of APIs to use. Apple’s new software updates will then hook into these APIs when managing a child’s access to apps and features.

Apple’s new software updates are set to be made available for all of its platforms later in 2026.