Apple Introduces Age Verification For UK iPhone Users

Apple has introduced mandatory age verification for iPhone and iPad users in the UK, requiring adults to prove they are 18 or over or face having web content filters automatically switched on across their device.

The change arrives with the iOS 26.4 software update. Once installed, users see a message stating: "UK law requires you to confirm you are an adult to change content restrictions." Adults can verify their age by linking a credit card to their Apple account or by scanning a driving licence or national ID. A debit card is not accepted. For those who already have an account with a payment method on file, Apple will use that to establish age in some cases, and may also take into account how long someone has held their account.

Anyone who declines to verify, or who is confirmed to be under 18, will have Apple's Web Content Filter and Communication Safety features enabled automatically on their devices. These tools restrict access to specific websites across Safari and third-party browsers, and can warn users when receiving or sending images containing nudity. Children under 13 will also be unable to create an Apple account without a guardian’s permission.

Apple said the change is about restricting access to "certain services or features, or take certain actions on their account", though the company was unable to immediately specify which services would be affected by users not confirming their age or by being found underage.

Ofcom praised Apple’s newest update for going beyond what is currently required by law. App stores are not covered by the Online Safety Act's existing age verification requirements, and the regulator said Apple's decision meant "the UK will be one of the first countries in the world to receive new child safety protections on devices." An Ofcom spokesperson said that Ofcom had worked closely with Apple to ensure its rules "can be applied in a variety of contexts in order to ensure users are protected."

However, not everyone has welcomed the new update with the enthusiasm of Ofcom. Silkie Carlo, director of Big Brother Watch, accused Apple of crossing a line. "Apple has put a chokehold on Britons' freedom to search the internet," she said, describing the update as "more like ransomware" that effectively left millions of UK residents owning a "child's device" unless they handed over personal data. She argued that child online safety "requires more thoughtful tech responsibility" and not "sweeping, draconian shock demands by foreign companies for all of our IDs and credit cards." 

Some users echoed those concerns, with one Reddit user writing: "Myself and everyone I know (wife, friends, family, colleagues, etc) are doing everything to bypass these overreaching age checks. I want to have a choice on each occasion to skip or cancel if asked to prove my age."

The move comes as the UK government considers broader restrictions on young people's access to social media, and is currently running a trial involving 300 teenagers to compare the effects of having social apps disabled, capped or left unchanged. A wider consultation is also ongoing on whether to follow Australia in banning under-16s from many social media platforms entirely.