Apple made it easier for parents to specify the ages of children when creating Child Accounts intended to protect kids when they’re using an iPhone or iPad. And all Child Accounts have age-appropriate settings. Plus, a future iOS update will let parents update the ages of their children listed in their accounts.
The goal is to further ensure that children only have access to age-appropriate applications and content.
Protect young iPhone users with a Child Account
Parents can already create a Child Account on iPhone and iPad, and set age-based parental controls. This lets children access Family Sharing, Messages, the App Store and other services, but not the parents’ personal data. And now Apple is going a step further.
Apple said Thursday that, with the upcoming release of iOS 18.4, setting up a new device includes the option to set the age of the user when creating a Child Account. Even if the parent doesn’t, child-appropriate default settings will still be applied.
“A child can immediately begin to use their iPhone or iPad safely, and parents can be assured that child safety features will be active in the meantime,” noted Apple.
As a follow up, later this year, parents will be able to correct the age that is associated with their kid’s Apple account. If the child is under 13, the account will switch to a Child Account, and Apple’s parental control options will be enabled. Plus, parents will be encouraged to connect the account to their family group.
Sharing kids’ ages with iPhone apps
Apple also promised on Thursday that, later in 2025, parents will be able to share the age range of their children with third-party applications. Developers will then be able to use this information to provide age-appropriate content for their users.
The iPhone-maker promises that this will be done in a way that protects user privacy, and won’t give unscrupulous companies easy access to users’ ages and birth dates.
Apple’s white paper on the topic points out that “some apps may find it appropriate or even legally required to use age verification” to protect children from age-restricted content — which is code for porn.
Nevertheless, sharing a child’s age range is entirely up to their parent, who can change their mind at a later date.
