Apple's new video breaks down child account controls

Apple published a new animated video on its YouTube channel this week, walking parents through how to manage Child Accounts across iPhone, iPad, and Mac. The release follows closely on the heels of iOS 27, iPadOS 27, and macOS 27, which expanded Apple's parental control suite with several new features.

According to Apple, the foundation of its parental controls is the child account itself. Setting one up lets parents apply age-appropriate restrictions across a child's devices, from app access to browsing permissions. The video frames this step as the starting point for every other safeguard Apple offers.

After activation of the Child Account, parents have the ability to determine the categories of apps that their children will be allowed to open, and the use of Ask to Buy will help them approve downloads of apps and games prior to the downloading process.

The video also highlights the Ask to Browse, which is one of the newest features available for parents.

Beyond app and browsing controls, the video covers how parents can approve new contacts before a child can message or call them. It also touches on communication safety, which Apple has expanded to flag potentially sensitive content in messages, along with time allowances and schedules that let parents set daily limits or blackout periods for device use.

The video's simple shapes and playful animation style echo Apple's 2013 "Intention" video, which opened that year's WWDC keynote.