Apple will let parents specify children's ages to restrict access to apps

Apple is planning to introduce a number of new features to ensure child safety in its ecosystem, including allowing parents to specify the age of their children in apps. In addition, the company will update the age ratings system in the App Store and make it easier for parents to create child accounts. The new features will be introduced this year, writes The Verge.

Parents will be able to specify an age range for their child in their account (e.g. 4+, 9+, 13+, etc.). This will automatically restrict access to apps in the App Store that have age restrictions. Such apps will not appear in the store on the child's smartphone.

The age range will be "be shared with developers if and only if parents decide to allow this information to be shared." The feature also won’t provide children’s birth dates.

Apple will also update the age ratings on the App Store. The new rating categories will be: 4+, 9+, 13+, 16+, and 18+. Developers will be asked to indicate in their app descriptions whether they contain user-generated content or advertising opportunities that may affect the availability of content that is not age-appropriate, and whether the app has its own tools to control content.

Regarding child accounts, Apple says it will implement a new setup process and allow parents to correct the age associated with an account if it has been set incorrectly.