Nudity and web filters, app lock: Apple's age control reaches Europe
In Great Britain, users must now prove to Apple that they are adults – otherwise their iPhone will block certain functions.
(Image: Sebastian Trepesch / heise medien)
Apple is now playing the role of an age verifier. In Great Britain, customers must now prove their age to continue using all iPhone functions without restrictions. The company did not answer whether such an age gate at the system level will also come to Germany and other European countries in the future. It also appears to be in effect in South Korea.
Age verification by ID or credit card
To be able to “use certain services or functions or perform certain actions in their account,” adults must confirm that they are indeed over 18 years old. This verification is done by scanning an ID document, a credit card, or by “another suitable method,” Apple writes.
The new age check for Apple accounts apparently takes effect after the update to iOS 26.4. According to user reports, the operating system prominently indicates this in the settings, sometimes with a large notification dialog. “You may be prompted to confirm your age after taking certain actions,” explains the manufacturer vaguely.
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Apple usually simply approves long-standing Apple accounts with a stored credit card during the check, but for other customers, the age control leads to problems and confusion: the age verification only works with a proper credit card, but not with common debit cards, it is said. Currently, only driver's licenses seem to be accepted by Apple as ID documents, but not British passports. Apple lists only “driver's license or ID card or a credit card” as “permissible methods.” Other users express outrage on social media and want to refuse to upload an ID scan or their credit card.
Lack of age verification leads to function blocks
However, those who do not prove that they are at least 18 years old must expect concrete restrictions on their iPhone: iOS will then automatically activate the web content filter, which is intended to block adult content among other things – as well as the nudity filter, Apple explains in a support document. Both filters work at the operating system level as part of the restrictions.
Downloading apps from the App Store also seems to be completely blocked as a result. “Depending on where you live, your account may need to be linked to a Family Sharing group where an adult has confirmed their age to perform certain actions in your Apple Account – such as downloading apps or changing certain security settings,” Apple states. It remains unclear whether updates for already installed apps can still be obtained.
It remains unclear which legal requirement obliges Apple to take these drastic measures. The British media regulator Office of Communications (Ofcom) welcomed the measure, stating that they had “worked closely with Apple.” The iPhone manufacturer referred to the Online Safety Act, stating that Apple was complying with Ofcom's associated guidelines. App stores and mobile operating systems do not yet fall under the Online Safety Act, notes the Financial Times.
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