About Communication Safety on your child’s Apple device
If your child receives or attempts to send photos or videos that might contain nudity, Communication Safety warns them, blurs the content and provides helpful resources.
Check for sensitive photos and videos
Communication Safety helps protect your child from viewing or sharing photos or videos (for example, a picture sent through text message or a FaceTime video call) that contain nudity.
If Communication Safety detects that your child receives this type of sensitive content, it will blur the photo or video before your child can view it.
Communication Safety presents multiple interventions before your child can view or send sensitive content.
With these interventions, Communication Safety provides guidance and age-appropriate resources to help them make a safe choice, including the choice to contact someone that they trust.
When you set a Screen Time passcode, children under 13 can't view the sensitive content without your permission.
How Communication Safety protects your child’s privacy
Communication Safety uses on-device machine learning to determine if a photo or video appears to contain nudity. Because the photos and videos are analysed on your child’s device, Apple doesn’t receive an indication that nudity was detected and doesn’t get access to the photos or videos.
Where Communication Safety detects sensitive photos and videos
Communication Safety detects nude photos and videos in these apps and services:
On iPhone or iPad: Messages, AirDrop, Contact Posters in the Phone app and the Contacts app, FaceTime calls and video messages, shared photo albums, and when your child selects a photo or video to share in some third-party apps.
On Mac: Messages, Contact Posters in the Phone app and the Contacts app, shared photo albums, and when your child selects a photo or video to share in some third-party apps.
On Apple Watch: Messages, Contact Posters in the Phone app and the Contacts app, and FaceTime video messages.
On Apple Vision Pro: Messages, AirDrop and when your child selects a photo or video to share in some third-party apps.
Turn Communication Safety on or off in Screen Time settings
Open Screen Time settings:
iPhone, iPad or Apple Vision Pro: go to Settings, then tap Screen Time.
Mac: choose the Apple menu , click System Settings, then click Screen Time.
Scroll down and select your child.
Select Communication Safety.
Turn Communication Safety on or off. You may need to enter the Screen Time passcode for the device.
Communication Safety Requirements
Manage Communication Safety settings for your child's device:
Apple Account: Your child must be signed in to their device with a Child Account.
Family Sharing: Your child must be part of your Family Sharing group.
Software requirements:
Your Apple device and your child’s Apple device need supported software versions.
For a complete set of protections: Update all of the devices in your Family Sharing group to the latest software version. This also makes sure that your Communication Safety settings sync across devices.
Communication Safety in Messages: iOS 15.2 or later, iPadOS 15.2 or later, watchOS 9 or later, macOS Monterey 12.1 or later and visionOS 2 or later
Communication Safety in other supported apps: iOS 17 or later, iPadOS 17 or later, watchOS 10 or later, macOS Sonoma or later and visionOS 2 or later
Default settings:
Children under 18: On by default on iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch with the latest software version. For children aged 13–17, Communication Safety is turned on by default on Apple Vision Pro with the latest software version.
Apple Vision Pro is designed to fit and be used by individuals 13 years of age and older.
What your child sees when sensitive content is detected
If Communication Safety determines that a photo or video your child has received or is about to send appears to contain nudity, it blurs the photo or video and displays a warning. Here's what your child sees:
Ways to get help
Communication Safety offers your child several ways to get help. They can message a trusted adult, leave the conversation or group message, block the contact and access online safety resources. It also reassures your child that it’s okay if they don’t want to view or send the photo or video or if they want to leave the conversation.
Message someone they trust
As an additional precaution, your child has the option to message an adult that they trust about the photo or video. For children under 13, Communication Safety prompts your child to start a conversation with their parent or guardian.
If your child chooses to view or send a photo or video that contains nudity
Communication Safety confirms that they’re sure they want to do so and suggests alternatives, again reassuring your child that it’s okay not to participate and that more help is available.
For children under 13, a parent or guardian needs to enter the Screen Time passcode if they want to view the sensitive content. This additional protection starts in iOS 18, iPadOS 18, macOS Sequoia and visionOS 2.
About Sensitive Content Warning
For adults, you can also turn on Sensitive Content Warning on your Apple devices to help you avoid receiving unwanted nude photos or videos.
Find out more about Sensitive Content Warning
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