Apple has introduced Ask to Browse in iOS 27 as part of its expanded parental control features. The new tool gives parents more control over the websites their children visit in Safari. When enabled, a child must request permission before opening a new website, and parents can review and approve or deny the request directly from their devices.
This feature works across iPhone, iPad, and Mac and is integrated with Screen Time and Family Sharing. If you want to create a safer browsing experience for your child, here is how to turn on Ask to Browse in iOS 27.
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Turn On Ask to Browse Using Family Sharing
Before you can use Ask to Browse, your child must be part of your Family Sharing group and have a Child Account set up.
This method enables website approval requests for your child’s Safari browsing activity. When your child attempts to visit a website that has not been approved before, Apple sends a request to the parent through Messages for review.
- Open Settings on your iPhone.
- Tap your Apple ID profile at the top.
- Select Family.
- Tap your child’s account.
- Open Screen Time settings.
- Locate Ask to Browse under the parental control options.
- Turn on the Ask to Browse toggle.
- Confirm any prompts that appear on screen.
Once enabled, your child will need approval before accessing new websites in Safari. Approved sites can be visited again without requiring another request.
Enable Ask to Browse from Screen Time
Apple has redesigned Screen Time in iOS 27, making parental controls easier to access and manage. Ask to Browse is part of this updated experience.
- Open Settings.
- Tap Screen Time.
- Under the Family section, select your child’s name.
- Review your child’s Screen Time settings.
- Find Ask to Browse.
- Enable the feature.
- Verify that notifications are allowed on your device so you can receive website approval requests.
After setup, website requests will appear in Messages, allowing you to approve or deny access quickly.
Manage Approved Websites for Your Child
Parents can build a list of approved websites and control what children can access online. Apple also blocks known adult websites by default for child accounts.
- Open Settings.
- Go to Screen Time.
- Select your child’s account.
- Open website and browsing controls.
- Review previously approved websites.
- Add trusted websites if needed.
- Remove websites that should no longer be accessible.
This allows you to customize your child’s browsing experience according to their age and needs.
How Website Approval Requests Work
Understanding how the approval process works helps parents manage requests more efficiently.
- Your child enters a website address in Safari.
- Safari checks whether the website has already been approved.
- If it is a new site, a permission request is generated.
- The request appears in the parent’s Messages app.
- The parent reviews the website.
- The parent chooses Approve or Deny.
- The child receives the decision immediately.
This process is designed to give parents visibility into new websites before children access them.
FAQs
Ask to Browse is a new parental control feature that requires children to get permission before visiting new websites in Safari. It extends the idea behind Apple’s Ask to Buy feature for apps and purchases.
Yes. Apple says the feature works across iPhone, iPad, and Mac when using Safari.
Yes. Website access requests appear through the Messages app, where parents can approve or deny them.
For younger child accounts, Apple enables stronger protections by default. Parents can also choose to enable Ask to Browse for older children and teens.
Yes. Apple automatically blocks known adult websites for child accounts and provides additional website management tools for parents.
Summary
- Ask to Browse is a new Safari parental control feature in iOS 27.
- Children must request permission before visiting new websites.
- Parents receive approval requests through Messages.
- The feature can be managed through Family Sharing and Screen Time.
- Approved websites remain accessible after approval.
- Known adult websites are blocked automatically for child accounts.
- The feature works across iPhone, iPad, and Mac.
Conclusion
Ask to Browse gives parents a practical way to supervise web access without completely restricting internet use. By enabling the feature in iOS 27, you can review new websites before your child visits them, manage approved sites, and create a safer browsing environment across Apple devices. Combined with the redesigned Screen Time experience, it becomes much easier to stay informed about your child’s online activity while still giving them room to explore age-appropriate content.
