Microsoft Family Safety App Preview Available for iOS Users - MacRumors
Skip to Content

Microsoft Family Safety App Preview Available for iOS Users

by

Microsoft today announced that its Microsoft Family Safety app is available in a preview capacity to iOS users who sign up to use the feature.

microsoftfamily
Microsoft Family Safety includes features like device usage tracking, logging of content viewed, and location sharing, all of which Microsoft says is designed to allow parents to have conversations with children about device usage habits.

Find the balance that is right for your family. Give your kids independence to learn and explore, while setting boundaries that help them make good choices. Kids can see the same activity reports their parents see, so everyone can be part of the conversation. Additionally, with Microsoft Family Safety, family members can manage their data and information and who it is shared with. We work around the clock to help protect your information and will not sell your data.

An Activity Reporting feature provides details on how time is spent online, tracking usage, websites visited, and terms searched for. Email summaries are sent each week.

Screen Time Limits cap the amount of time that children can spend using Windows, Xbox devices, and Android smartphones. Limits through Microsoft are not a feature on iOS and parents will need to use the built-in Apple-designed Screen Time features for iPhones and iPads.

Content controls allow parents to create web and search filters to block mature content and limit browsing to kid-friendly websites when using Microsoft Edge.

Location sharing features allow parents to see where their children are at a glance, plus it labels locations visited the most like home, work, and school.

Microsoft is allowing a limited number of iOS users to sign up for Microsoft Family Sharing, and it's ideal for those who also use Microsoft devices. To participate, iOS users will need to make sure to set up a family group on Microsoft's Family website and then sign up to test through a form on the Microsoft website.

Top Rated Comments

lpolarityl Avatar
83 months ago

Can I use this to see if my girlfriend is cheating?
You're not fooling anyone around here. We all know you don't have a girlfriend.
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
JosephAW Avatar
83 months ago
This is like the FBI providing VPN service and telling you that your data is secure. ;)
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Veinticinco Avatar
83 months ago
Yeah I don't think so. Well intentioned I'm sure (assuming they're not being disingenuous on the whole "we won't sell your/your kids data" thing) but there are better and less intrusive ways to appropriately monitor online use, on top of y'know, actual parenting.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
83 months ago
-and the moment parental controls are removed when they get older - they'll binge on everything 24/7. There's no stopping it.
The best parental control is not buying the damn thing for them in the first place.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iPhone Handoff iOS 27 Feature

T-Mobile to Charge $5 a Month for iOS 27 iPhone Handoff

Thursday September 10, 2026 3:58 pm PDT by
T-Mobile will charge customers $5 per month to use iPhone Handoff, an e-SIM feature that allows the same phone number to be used on two separate iPhones. iPhone Handoff requires carrier support, and at launch, only T-Mobile users in the U.S. and Deutsche Telekom users in Germany will be able to use it. T-Mobile says customers can use their number across two compatible iPhone models and...
iOS 27 Feature Dark

Apple Announces iOS 27 Release Date

Wednesday September 9, 2026 10:46 am PDT by
At its event today unveiling the iPhone 18 Pro, AirPods 5, Apple Watch Series 12, and more, Apple announced that iOS 27 will be released later this month. iOS 27 has already been available as a developer beta since June and as a public beta since July, and Apple today said that the update will be released for all users with a compatible iPhone model on Monday, September 14. iOS 27 is...
iphone duo

IMAX Reacts to iPhone Duo's 1:1.4 Aspect Ratio Displays

Friday September 11, 2026 4:42 am PDT by
Production theater company IMAX has responded in a mixed way to Apple's embrace of a 1:1.4 aspect ratio on the iPhone Duo's inner and outer displays. The boxier ratio happens to be very close to the classic "full-frame" IMAX 1.43:1 aspect ratio, which comes from the geometry of the company's original 15-perforation/70mm film system. In response to an X post from someone wondering if we'll see...