All articles tagged with #parental controls
Apple’s revamped Screen Time parental controls, launched with iOS 27, require every device in a Family Sharing group to be updated to OS 27. This has caused frustration for families, as one outdated device can block the entire group from using the new features.
WhatsApp has introduced optional parental controls for teenagers, allowing parents to manage privacy settings and receive activity alerts without accessing private messages. The move responds to regulatory pressure but faces criticism over its voluntary nature and reliance on user adoption rather than mandatory age verification.
Apple has released tvOS 27 for the second and third-generation Apple TV 4K, introducing a new parental control feature that allows users to block specific apps from launching under child profiles. The update also brings Hi-Res Lossless audio and AutoMix to Apple Music, video support for the Podcasts app, and improved AirPlay performance. While the software update is modest compared to previous years, it enhances the existing profile system and aligns with broader iOS 27 parental control upgrades.
Apple released iOS 27 in September 2026, introducing a revamped Siri AI, enhanced parental controls, and new Safari monitoring tools. The update is available for iPhone 11 and newer, but advanced AI features require newer devices and a waitlist. Early testing reveals mixed performance, particularly on Apple Watch, while new safety features offer granular control for parents.
Apple published an animated video on its YouTube channel detailing the expanded parental controls introduced in iOS 27, iPadOS 27, and macOS 27. The update, which launched on September 14, centers on the Child Account system, allowing parents to manage app access, browsing permissions, and screen time across devices. Key new features include 'Ask to Browse' for website approval and 'Time Allowances' for category-based usage limits. The release aims to simplify safety management for families while responding to increasing regulatory scrutiny regarding child online safety in the United States, United Kingdom, and Australia.
The EU Commission published a draft EU KIDS Act that would apply to online games sold in EU territories, requiring parental controls and age verification, restricting excessive use by minors (including login bonuses and rewards tied to play time), limiting contact between minors and other users, and introducing binding codes of conduct and monetization transparency considerations. The regulation would be directly applicable in member states if approved, but the text is not final and awaits Parliament and member-state sign-off.
Apple's iOS 27, iPadOS 27 and macOS 27 introduce a redesigned Screen Time and broader parental-controls suite, including easier Child Account setup, Ask to Browse for Safari, configurable daily/weekly app categories and time allowances, contact approvals, and expanded Communication Safety—synchronizing across Family Sharing devices and requiring all devices to run version 27.
The European Commission is preparing the EU Kids Act to bar under-15s from creating accounts on social media and video-sharing platforms without parental approval, extend safety-by-design requirements to video games and AI chatbots, introduce an EU-wide age-verification system, and shift enforcement to tech companies, with the draft set to be published soon and broad European pressure for a harmonized rulebook.
Apple's macOS 27 Golden Gate debuts a standalone, cloud-powered Siri AI on Mac with capabilities to draft text, edit emails, analyze visuals, act across apps, and remember prompts, plus customizable voices; new photo tools like Spatial Reframing, stronger parental controls, Safari tab groups, and Shortcuts describe-a-shortcut automation; plus faster AirDrop, faster file browsing, and improved Maps details, with some features rolling out in future updates and support for Apple silicon Macs (including MacBook Neo).
Wirecutter offers 10 practical strategies for limiting kids' screen time, including device-level parental controls, screen-time apps, removing YouTube, tightening home-network controls with a router and optional firewall, creating age-appropriate streaming profiles, locking TV apps, leaning on single-use devices, and visible timers or Guided Access on iPhone to reduce friction and promote healthier tech habits.
OpenAI is rolling out ChatGPT for Teens (ages 13–17) with stronger safeguards, content filters around suicide, self-harm, romance and other restricted topics, plus features like quiet hours and safety alerts. The teen version is designed to guide learning rather than provide easy answers, uses age assurance to route under-18 users to teen mode, and requires parental opt-in for certain controls, aiming to promote healthy, age-appropriate AI use in schools and homes.
League of Legends patch 26.14 adds opt-in parental controls to help parents manage their child’s social interactions, purchases, and playtime. Features include viewing/editing friend lists, turning text/voice chat on or off, blocking incoming requests, and visibility into 18+ accounts that messaged your child within 30 days; purchase and playtime limits are platform-specific (Riot platform purchases and PC playtime are handled in-game, others must be managed separately). The tools are optional and aimed at increasing child safety, with potential for future features.
The article highlights five often-overlooked router features: a guest network to share internet safely, parental controls to schedule and restrict access, USB-connected storage (NAS) and printer sharing, network-wide ad blocking via DNS changes, and options to extend coverage using a repeater or turning an old router into an access point—though availability depends on model.
9to5Mac reports that Apple’s iOS 27 adds Assistive Access, a feature that lets you convert an iPhone into a controlled, kid-friendly device by selecting allowed apps, arranging a grid of large tiles, and even blocking web browsing by omitting Safari, enabling a strong parental-control style dumb-phone setup.
At WWDC, Apple rolled out expanded child accounts with customizable screen time and a feature to block violent images in messages, framing the tools as parental safeguards in a broader fight over online safety regs; Apple said developers share responsibility for age-appropriate experiences, highlighted APIs for parental approvals, and noted it has lobbied against strict age verification while citing ongoing regulatory debates with Meta and others.