Apple fixes difficulties activating revamped Screen Time across family devices
Apple’s revamped Screen Time parental controls, released with iOS 27, are proving difficult for some families to activate. The author cannot use the new features on her 15-year-old daughter’s iPhone because Apple’s setup process appears to depend on updates and device records across the family’s connected devices, including her adult son’s MacBook.
Apple says it is working to resolve delays and make setup easier. The author reports that her Mac Mini is incorrectly shown as running an older operating system, a handed-down iPad is still listed under her account, and an older iPad Pro cannot update to OS 27. Apple says incompatible legacy devices should not block access on newer devices, though some users have had to remove old devices from their accounts; the new controls include features such as Ask to Browse.
- Apple’s new Screen Time is difficult for some families to set up.
- Family devices may need updates or account-list changes.
- Apple says it is working to resolve rollout delays.
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Screen Time is Apple's parental control system that allows parents to manage how their children use iPhones, iPads and other Apple devices, setting limits on screen time and controlling app access. It is a feature many families rely on to help regulate children's technology use.
Apple has released a revamped version of Screen Time with its latest iOS 27 update, designed to improve parental controls. However, some families are finding it difficult to activate these new controls on their children's devices.
The activation difficulties appear to stem from the setup process, which requires information and updates to be synchronised across multiple devices in a family's account. When families have older devices or devices with compatibility issues, the system can struggle to complete the activation process.
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Originally published by The Verge as “I can’t use Apple’s new Screen Time on my daughter’s iPhone because my son won’t update his MacBook”.