Apple Releases Family Screen Time Guide With American Academy of Pediatrics

Apple and the American Academy of Pediatrics have released a guide for parents on setting screen time expectations and using Apple's parental controls. The six-step guide pairs the pediatric group's advice with features introduced in Apple's recent Screen Time update.

The 'Building Healthy Digital Habits' guide starts with a conversation about how devices fit into a family's routine. It then walks parents through creating a Child Account, reviewing apps and websites with Ask to Buy and Ask to Browse, and setting Time Allowances and Schedules around sleep, school, exercise, and time together.

Another section covers who a child can contact and Apple's Communication Safety protections, which are on by default for users under 18. The final step asks families to revisit their plan as children grow. The guide also includes age-specific advice from the AAP, from infancy through the teenage years.

Apple released the updated child safety and Screen Time controls earlier this month. The guide is meant to help parents put those controls to use rather than introduce another set of device settings.

The Screen Time update is available with iOS 27, iPadOS 27, and macOS 27. Apple says every device in a Family Sharing group must be updated to the corresponding iOS 27, iPadOS 27, macOS 27, watchOS 27, or visionOS 27 release to use the updated features. Availability can vary by region, language, and device model.