Here’s How Apple Is Changing Its Child Safety Features in iOS 27

Gardner also questioned why Apple didn’t remove Grok, itself she stayed with celebrities she recently had sex with in Junefrom its App Store.

“When someone says that these apps are targeting young people or that they create content for children, they quietly remove them from the App Store without announcing it, so their disapproval of the App Store is visible,” Gardner said.

Apple has said nudification apps violate its guidelines, and has rejected many and removed others, including those posted by people using the App Store’s reporting tools. The company did not explain why Grok is still available on the platform.

As for whether Apple is still looking to use CSAM detection technology, Apple pointed to its Communication Safety section, which blocks images and videos containing nudity, violence, or flooding in various applications. (It’s automatically turned on for users under 18.) The company will also create a new service for reporting this type of behavior. Users in Australia, Brazil, the US, and the UK will get it first, with greater availability coming to other regions over time.

“We have a long-term commitment to building a safe and reliable platform for kids, and providing many of the industry’s leading tools that help them stay safe and protect their privacy,” Apple says.

Anunay Kulshrestha, a cryptographer and security consultant at the Infosec Clinic, says Apple’s CSAM implementation lacked accountability guarantees. He doesn’t think that Apple’s setup today would be better than what the company would have paid three years ago. “The government can force Apple to add something that isn’t CSAM, and Apple is known to be submissive to governments,” says Kulshrestha.

What Apple Is Changing

So what can you expect later this year iOS 27, iPadOS 27and macOS 27? Let’s explain some of the new developments and technologies.

Courtesy of Apple

Updates to Children’s Accounts

The process for creating a child account has also been updated, with Apple saying it should take about six minutes to set up. It is intended for children under the age of 13 and available to children under the age of 18. This includes limiting websites for adults, setting age-appropriate media, and setting age restrictions in the App Store.

Parents can also choose which apps kids can access on the device—there’s an option to start with a few essential apps, a default set, or select apps manually. (You can add other programs over time.)

Ask Not to Browse

Courtesy of Apple

Request Not to Browse is new in Safari; if enabled, children must ask permission from parents to go to a new website. It works in the same way as Ask to Buy in the App Store (where kids have to ask for permission to buy or install new apps). When they request permission, a message is sent to the parent’s device via Messages.

Accept New Contacts

Courtesy of Apple

By default, kids must ask permission before saving or communicating with a new person on Phone, FaceTime, or the Messages app. Parents will receive a message asking for permission, which they can deny or accept on the spot.

Connection Security Updates

Apple’s existing Communication Safety feature only detects and blocks nudity in Messages, FaceTime, and AirDrop for users under 18. This has now been expanded to include violent or violent content, and Apple says it also works in Shared Photo Albums, Contact Posters, and the Contacts app.

Time Payments and Custom Orders

Apple says it’s working with the American Academy of Pediatrics and its Family Media Plan as a hub for parents and their children’s digital lives. That’s why Time Allowances has recommendations for how much time children should spend in specific categories of programs based on their age, such as Entertainment, Sports, or Social Media.

Parents can change these settings, and there is a daily schedule that allows you to allow groups of programs at certain times of the day or week. For example, parents can block sports programs during school hours. And if you want your child to put away the phone during dinner, parents can turn off the device through their device. In general, the Screen Time feature has been redesigned to show a slower display that shows the use of children’s devices and the most used apps.

Other Small Additions

• Screen Time Passcode Information: You can set up notifications whenever you enter a Screen Time pass on a child’s device.
• Reporting Tools: Apple says the new reporting tool is available in Australia, Brazil, the US, and the UK (more regions to come), making it easier for users to report CSAM or other inappropriate content.
• Child Protection Website: Apple has a dedicated website which uses new tools with resources and answers to common questions.