Do you have a young person who uses an Apple iPhone?
A recent Apple update – iOS 26.1 – marks a major shift in how Apple protects teens online. Communication Safety features and web content filters are now enabled by default for all teen accounts up to age 17, closing a longstanding gap in Apple’s parental control system.
A standout feature in this update is the built-in image safety tool in the Messages App. If potentially sensitive content is detected—whether sent or received—the system automatically blurs the image and displays a warning to the user and includes third-party messaging platforms like WhatsApp and Snapchat thereby offering broader coverage across popular teen communication channels.
Apple advises that all content analysis is performed locally on the user’s device using on-device AI. No image data is transmitted to Apple servers, and Apple receives no notification when sensitive content is flagged. Communication Safety also preserves end-to-end encryption of iMessages, ensuring protection without compromising privacy or exposing users to attacks.
We recommend talking with your teen about these new safety features, then sitting down together to set up an iCloud Family Sharing Group, thereby ensuring accurate data including your teen’s birthdate is entered. For teens aged 13 and older, when parents add their teen’s account to their Family Sharing Group remote monitoring and management is enabled. A designated parent or family organiser can be set up, enabling them to be able to adjust restrictions, respond to time-limit exception requests, and fine-tune content filters to suit their teen’s needs which can all be managed via Screen Time in the Settings App.
With the long School holidays imminent and your teen spending more time at home, we recommend checking your Family Sharing settings to help ensure your teen is safe online.