Child Safety

Committed to building a safe and trusted platform for kids.

A child uses an iMac at home with adult supervision.

Features that are easy
and intuitive to use.

Three overlapping circles with Memojis, each representing a unique Child Account.

Child Accounts

Protections built in from the beginning.

The first and most important step for a parent or guardian is to set up a Child Account with Family Sharing. A Child Account is required for children under 13 — and available for children up to 18.1 It automatically enables age-based safeguards designed to help keep children safe and provides parents with access to controls they can use to manage their child’s experience. And it’s easy to set up.

iPhone displaying the Family interface with multiple family member accounts, from children to adults.
  1. Open Settings, tap your name, and then tap Family.
  2. Next tap the Add Member button.
  3. Tap Create Child Account and follow the onscreen prompts.
  4. Sign in to the Child Account on the child’s device.

For more information, visit Apple Support.

Parental Controls

Start focused. Add over time.

When setting up a personal device for a child, parents can provide access to only the content they’re comfortable with. Then gradually, when a child is ready, they can choose to add more.

Screen Time

Tools to manage when they get access.

We provide parents with features and guidance — shaped by expert health research — to help children develop healthy digital habits.

Apps

Loved by kids. Trusted by parents.

The App Store is designed to be a safe and trusted place for children to discover and download new apps.

Communication and Safety

Safe ways to stay connected.

We create tools that help children keep in touch with friends and family while giving parents ways to help protect them.

Explore our Child Safety resources.

Questions? Answers.

  • The first step is to create a Child Account with Family Sharing, which is available for children under 18.

    Child Accounts enable safeguards across the system based on a child’s age. A Child Account also provides parents with powerful controls that help manage what content a child can see, who they can talk to, when they have access to apps, and more.

  • Open Settings or System Settings. Then under Family, tap your child’s name. You’ll see parental controls there.

  • If your child is using a device that is signed in to someone else’s Apple Account, they may not have access to the same age-based safeguards and parental controls designed to help them stay safe, and they may be able to access content that’s not appropriate for them.

    To switch them to a Child Account, open Settings or System Settings, then sign out of the Apple Account on the child’s device. Tap the name associated with the account. Scroll down to the bottom of the screen and tap Sign Out.

    Once you’ve signed out, you’ll be able to sign back in using your child’s account.

  • If the birthday associated with your child’s account is incorrect, some age-based safeguards may not be enabled, and parents may not be able to use the full set of child safety features Apple provides.

    To update your child’s birthday, use Settings or System Settings on a device with their account signed in, or sign in with their account on account.apple.com.

  • You can still create a Child Account directly on your child’s device. This enables age-based safeguards and allows you to set up parental controls, including Screen Time. We also recommend setting up a Screen Time passcode that your child does not know. This is designed to help prevent children from changing these settings.

  • With Family Sharing, you and up to five family members can share access to Apple services like iCloud+, Apple Music, Apple TV, and more — without sharing an Apple Account. You can even help locate each other’s missing devices, share your location, and manage a child’s device with Screen Time and parental controls.

    To do this, open Settings, tap your name, then tap Family, and follow the onscreen prompts to invite family members or create a new Child Account.