Apple • iOS 27 • Family controls
Apple's iOS 27 Ask to Browse lets a child request permission before opening a new Safari website, with the parent reviewing the request in Messages. Start with a Child Account and Family Sharing, then manage the child's Screen Time controls; availability and defaults can vary by age, region, and device.
What is Ask to Browse in iOS 27?
Ask to Browse is part of Apple's current child-safety controls. When a child tries to visit a new website in Safari, the child can request permission and a parent can review that request in Messages. Apple says the feature works across iPhone, iPad and Mac, so it belongs to the family account setup rather than to one specific device model.
The key boundary is equally important: Apple's public description names new websites in Safari. It does not establish the same request flow for every third-party browser or every link opened inside another app. Treat the controls shown on the child's actual device as the source of truth.
How do I set up Ask to Browse for a child?
- Update the parent's and child's supported Apple devices to the current software available for them. Apple released iOS 27, iPadOS 27 and macOS 27 on September 14, but feature availability can vary by region and language.
- Make sure the child uses a Child Account in the parent's Family Sharing group. If the child does not have one, use the Family settings on the parent's device and follow Apple's prompts to create or add the account with the child's correct age.
- On the parent's iPhone or iPad, open Settings, choose Family, select the child, then open Screen Time. Follow the controls and prompts currently displayed for that account.
- Review the child's App & Website Activity, Downtime, App Limits, Always Allowed, Communication Limits, and Content & Privacy Restrictions instead of treating one switch as the complete setup.
- Test the family flow with a non-sensitive website that the child has not visited. Confirm that the child sees the request path and that the parent receives a reviewable request in Messages.
Apple can apply different defaults according to a child's age and the account's region. Use the correct birth date and review the settings presented for that specific child rather than copying another family's screen or assuming that every control is enabled automatically.
What happens when a child requests a website?
The child starts from Safari and asks for permission to visit a new website. The parent reviews the request through Messages and decides whether to allow it. This gives the family a decision point before access, but it is not a claim that the parent can read the child's message content or remotely inspect everything the child does online.
If the request does not appear, first check that the child is using the expected Child Account, that both people remain in the same Family Sharing group, and that the relevant devices are updated. Also verify that the child is using Safari and that the site is actually new to the child's browsing flow. Region, language and staged availability can affect whether a newly announced control has appeared.
How do Time Allowances and Schedules work?
Apple describes Time Allowances as category-based time that a parent can grant. That can help a family distinguish a general category of use from a fixed period on the clock. Schedules let a parent shape when certain apps or categories are available during the day.
These additions sit beside the established Screen Time controls. App Limits cap time in selected apps or categories; Downtime restricts use during a chosen period; Always Allowed keeps selected apps and contacts available; and Content & Privacy Restrictions manage permitted content, purchases, settings changes and related boundaries. App & Website Activity and Screen Time reports help the parent review usage before adjusting those choices.
A practical setup starts small. Choose a schedule and allowances that match the child's school, sleep and family routines, then review the Screen Time report after several days. A report is a usage signal, not proof of intent or a substitute for a conversation with the child.
How is Ask to Browse different from Ask to Buy?
Ask to Browse concerns permission for a new website in Safari. Ask to Buy concerns purchases or downloads initiated by a child in the family group. A parent may use both, but approving a website does not approve an app purchase, and approving an app does not automatically authorize a website.
Keeping the two requests distinct makes troubleshooting easier. For a website, check Safari, the Child Account and the Messages request. For an app or purchase, review the family's purchase-approval settings and the request generated by the store.
Why might Ask to Browse or a Screen Time control be missing?
- Software: one of the family devices may not yet run the current supported release.
- Account: the child's account may not be configured as a Child Account in the expected Family Sharing group.
- Age or region: Apple can vary protections, defaults and availability by age, country, region or language.
- App context: Apple's Ask to Browse description is specific to new websites in Safari, not every browser or in-app web view.
- Rollout: a platform release date does not guarantee that every account sees every control at the same moment.
Recheck the current Family and Screen Time pages on the parent's device after updates. Avoid installing an unrelated profile, browser extension or third-party monitoring app simply to imitate a control that Apple has not exposed for the account.
What should parents not assume these controls can do?
Ask to Browse and Screen Time can add useful approval, scheduling and reporting steps, but they do not guarantee that a child will never encounter unwanted content or find another route online. They also do not turn the parent into a reader of the child's private conversations. Apple's Communication Safety is designed to protect sensitive content while preserving end-to-end encryption; that is different from giving parents message access.
Do not use software settings as the only response to bullying, exploitation, self-harm concerns, threats or another urgent safety issue. Keep age-appropriate family rules, discuss why requests are approved or declined, and use Apple Support or an appropriate local professional service when the situation needs more than a device setting.