What Readers Should Know
iOS 27 introduces updated parental controls for website approvals, app time budgets and communications. Families must check eligible device updates and complete setup before using the redesigned Screen Time experience.
Key Takeaways
- Your child needs a separate Apple Account within Family Sharing.
- Update eligible family devices before installing the new controls.
- Ask to Browse requires approval for new websites.
- Time Allowances help manage usage across app categories.
- Contact management and Communication Safety provide additional protections.
Managing a child’s iPhone involves more than deciding how long they can use it. Parents also need to consider websites, downloads and the people their child can contact.
Apple’s updated parental controls in iOS 27 bring these decisions into a redesigned Screen Time experience, with tools for approving websites, setting app time budgets and managing communications.
Check your family’s devices first
Start with Family Sharing and make sure your child has their own Apple Account in the group.
Open Settings > Family > View Family Devices to review devices that need updating. Apple says all eligible devices in the family group must run version 27 or later of their respective operating systems before the updated parental controls can be installed.
Once those updates are complete, go to Settings > Family > Get Started to transfer existing controls or set up new ones. Legacy devices can continue using older Screen Time settings.
Choose which apps and websites are accessible
Ask to Buy lets parents approve eligible downloads and purchases. Ask to Browse requires permission before a child accesses a new website in Safari or another supported browser.
Parents can also approve websites ahead of time, making school resources available without repeated requests.
Build a manageable screen time routine
Time Allowances provide a daily budget that parents can divide among app categories, including games, entertainment and social media.
Schedules can differ between weekdays and weekends. Parents can also pause device use or adjust access when the day’s routine changes.
Review communication settings
Parents can manage approved contacts and require permission before a child adds someone new.
Expanded Communication Safety helps protect children from detected nudity, gore and violence in supported photos and videos.
These settings give families practical ways to establish boundaries. Review them regularly with your child, since needs change with age and feature availability varies by region and device.
Sources
- Apple Support: Set up parental controls.
- Apple Support: Update family devices for new parental controls.
- Apple: New child safety features now available.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where should parents start?
Open Settings > Family and review the devices and child accounts in the group.
Is updating the parent’s iPhone enough?
No. Eligible family devices need updates, and a parent or guardian must complete the parental-control setup.
What is Ask to Browse?
A feature that requires approval before accessing new websites in supported browsers.
Can weekdays and weekends have different schedules?
Yes. Screen Time supports separate routines for different days.
What happens to devices that cannot update?
Legacy devices can continue using older Screen Time settings.
Gabriel
Introvert, wanderer, blogger, foodie, a hip-hop music writer, and one of the co-founders of a tech start-up company called GigsManila.
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