Parents, Take Note: Recent Changes to Windows and iOS Parental Controls

Every year Apple and Microsoft change how their parental controls work, and every year some parents discover the change only when a setting stops doing what they expected. This page rounds up the changes that matter most for families as of October 2026, so you can check your setup.

iOS: two big updates in two years

iOS 26 (released September 2025)

Apple's iOS 26 cycle focused on child accounts and communication.

• Easier child accounts. Setting up a child account through Family Sharing became simpler, with age-appropriate defaults turned on from the start.
• Protection for teens by default. Users aged 13 to 17 get web content filters and Communication Safety turned on during setup, whether or not their account is a formal child account.
• Approval for new contacts. Children can be required to ask a parent before messaging a new phone number, and parents can approve with a tap in Messages. Apps that adopt Apple's PermissionKit framework can route friend or chat requests to parents the same way.
• Age range sharing. Parents can choose whether apps can learn a child's age range (without the birth date) always, case by case, or never, through Apple's Declared Age Range system.
• New App Store age ratings. Apple added 13+, 16+ and 18+ ratings, giving parents finer control over which apps can be downloaded.
• Ask to Buy exceptions. Parents can grant a one-time exception for a specific app and revoke it later.

iOS 27 (released fall 2026)

The iOS 27 update brought a redesigned Screen Time and moved settings around.

• New location for controls. For each child in your family group, settings now live under Settings > Family > [child's name]. Sections include Apps & Websites, Allowed Contacts, Communication Safety, Time Allowances, Screen Time Schedule and Content & Privacy Restrictions.
• Ask to Browse. Children need your approval before visiting a new website in Safari. It works across iPhone, iPad and Mac.
• Time Allowances. Set limits by app category, such as Social Media, Entertainment and Games, starting from age-based suggestions you can adjust.
• Screen Time Schedules. Control which apps are available at different times of day, for example during school.
• Broader Communication Safety. Beyond blurring nudity, it now intervenes on gore and violent content in shared images and videos, including during live FaceTime calls.
• Redesigned overview. A quick look at average use and most-used apps, with one-tap adjustments.

The catch: Apple says every device in the Family Sharing group needs to be updated to the 27 releases (iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS and visionOS) to use the new Screen Time. Older devices that can't update keep the previous Screen Time under Settings > Screen Time. If something looks missing, check that both your device and your child's are up to date.

Apple's parental controls support page lists each setting and its new path. Our guide to iOS Family Sharing pros and cons explains how the family group itself works.

A knock-on effect for third-party apps

Changes to iOS also affect third-party parental control apps. OurPact, for example, states that on iOS 18 and earlier it could stop a child from removing it, but on iOS 26 and later a child can remove it, with the parent alerted. If you rely on a third-party app on iPhone, read its notes on recent iOS versions, and keep a Screen Time passcode as a backstop. See our OurPact review for more.

Windows: Microsoft Family Safety

Location and driving features are gone

Microsoft removed location sharing, location alerts and drive safety from the Family Safety app on November 29, 2024. Microsoft said families were using the digital safety tools far more than the physical safety ones. If you relied on Family Safety to see where your child is, you'll need another option, such as Apple's Find My, Google Family Link, or your mobile carrier's family locator.

Web filtering is Edge-only

Family Safety's web and search filters only work in Microsoft Edge. When you turn on "Filter inappropriate websites and searches," other browsers such as Chrome or Firefox are blocked on your child's Windows device so the filter can't be bypassed. You can unblock another browser, but the filters won't apply there. If your child insists on Chrome, consider Google's own supervision tools or a network-level filter instead.

What still works

• Screen time limits for Windows and Xbox
• App and game limits and blocking
• Content filters by age rating
• Activity reports
• Spending controls for the Microsoft Store

Manage these at family.microsoft.com or in the Family Safety app, once your child has their own Microsoft account in your family group.

Use a separate child login

On a shared Windows PC, make sure your child signs in with their own Microsoft child account rather than yours. Controls only apply to the child's account.

A quick check-up for your family

1. Update every family device to the latest iOS, iPadOS, macOS or Windows release it supports.
2. On iPhone, open Settings > Family > [child's name] and review each section, especially Ask to Browse and Allowed Contacts.
3. Confirm your Screen Time passcode is one your child doesn't know.
4. On Windows, check Family Safety is linked to each child's account and decide which browsers to allow.
5. Replace Family Safety location tracking if you were still expecting it.
6. Recheck any third-party parental control app against the latest iOS.
7. Talk to your kids about what's changed, especially new approval requests, so they know why they're seeing them. Our tips on talking with kids about online safety can help.