CUPERTINO, Calif. — Apple released a software update on Thursday adding stronger default child-safety controls to iPhones, as parents and child-safety groups debated the appropriate age for a first smartphone. The update tightened Communication Safety and Screen Time defaults for accounts registered to minors.

The rollout followed months of pressure from campaigners and regulators over children's exposure to explicit content, contact from strangers and compulsive use. Apple has expanded its Family Sharing tools and age-assurance features throughout 2026, positioning parental controls as a central selling point ahead of the holiday season.

Child-safety organisations, including the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children and UK charity the Internet Watch Foundation, have long urged device makers to make protective settings the default rather than optional. Advice columns this week listed seven online risks parents should assess before handing a child a first phone, reflecting sustained public interest in the issue.

Digital-wellbeing advocates welcomed stronger defaults but said hardware settings alone could not substitute for parental engagement and platform-level moderation. Groups such as Common Sense Media have argued that app stores and social networks bear greater responsibility for age verification.

"Safety features should protect children by default, not by accident," a spokesperson for the Internet Watch Foundation said, urging other manufacturers to match the changes.