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Apple launches new Families page that puts all its parental tools in one place

Apple launches new Families page that puts all its parental tools in one place

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Shareholders want Apple to address a ‘growing public health crisis’ of smartphone addiction in young people

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In January, Apple said it would introduce new features to help parents control their children’s use of the company’s products. The move came after two Apple shareholders posted an open letter pushing Apple to address what is seen as a “growing public health crisis” of smartphone addiction in young people. Now, Apple has a new page on its site that collects information about the company’s family features and parental controls in one place.

The page showcases features including an Ask To Buy tool that lets parents approve or decline app purchases from their device; an app management feature that lets users automatically block in-app purchases automatically; and the option to limit adult content on kids’ devices and restrict browsing to only pre-approved websites. Apple’s Find My Friends can also help track locations and issue alerts when children leave or arrive somewhere.

“We’re continually designing new features to help make sure kids use them in the ways you want.”

“We’re continually designing new features to help make sure kids use them in the ways you want,” Apple states. The page also highlights health, privacy, and family sharing options. While none of these features are new, the page does pull all of Apple’s safety and privacy features into one place.

Despite its promises, Apple has yet to detail any new features it’s working on for the future. On Android, Google does offer nifty features like the Family Link app, which allows parents to make old Android devices kid-friendly. Digital safety remains as important as ever — in January, Google deleted 60 games from its Play Store after a malicious bug displayed porn ads in game apps, many of which are aimed at children.