The online safety of those children who start using smartphones at younger ages is becoming increasingly important. Parents should look after what their child is doing on the screen.

Big tech companies like Apple are becoming innovative in coming up with solutions to protect young users. One of the very important features that parents should know about is the Communication Safety feature from Apple, available in the Messages app on iPhones.

What is Communication Safety on iPhones?

How to Turn On Communication Safety on Your iPhone

Apple introduced the feature of Communication Safety in iOS 15.2 to protect children from explicit content when they use the Messages app. The feature relies on on-device machine learning to detect images of nudity and blur them before they are viewed. For this feature, the photos never leave the device, so neither Apple nor third parties will have access to them.

If possible nudity is detected in a photo, the photo blurs up with a sensitive content alert. It's here the child can tap to ask for help from a trusted adult, which gives three very important options: message a trusted adult, block the content, or look at resources that are available to handle issues connected with online content.

How Does Communication Safety Work for Received Photos?

The app will automatically blur a potentially sensitive photo if it includes one. It will then warn you that the content may be explicit and offer choices to seek help. If the child attempts to view the photo, options and supportive text will appear on their screen. These options are either "Don't View" or "I'm Sure."

A second warning screen even precedes the image itself, reminding children to keep away from the lousy content and to allow a trusted adult to guide them if needed.

Now, a user stands between the "View" and "Don't View" options in combination with the ability to "Message a Grown-Up." A message will automatically be filled for an emergency contact, thus making it an easy way out for the children.

How Communication Safety Helps in Picture Sharing

Communication Safety by Apple does not just prevent kids from looking at inappropriate photos; it also cautions them before they choose to share one. The app notifies an educational screen when it detects that the sharing of an explicit picture is in the attempt stage. The options on this screen are three- "Not Now," "How to Get Help," and "I'm Sure."

If the child selects "I'm Sure, another screen appears: last chance to cancel the process contact a trusted adult, or proceed to send. This multiple-step screen gives young users yet another chance to reflect - and in so doing, be capable of making thoughtful decisions.

How to Turn Communication Safety On or Off

Turning on Communication Safety is a breeze if a parent is managing their child's device through iCloud Family Sharing. Here's how:

1. Go to Settings: Open the iPhone's Settings app.
2. Screen Time: Navigate to Screen Time settings
3. Select Child's Profile: If you are doing this on a child's device tap their name in Family
4. Communications Safety: Find that within their profile
5. Toggle "Check for Sensitive Photos" On: To turn the setting on or off, flip the toggle switch.
6. Here you can also discover more resources to keep you safe and also opt if you want to share your analytics with Apple.

Why Communications Safety Matters for Parents

The Communication Safety feature by Apple is a true reflection of its commitment to users' safety. Empowering parents with tools to protect their children's digital lives shows how much Apple cares about supporting families in keeping young users secure and safe.

Communication Safety is a practical, effective feature that every parent ought to implement on their child's iPhone to foster responsible technology use and keep one's mind at peace.

It's better to be safe than sorry when dealing with things online. And this is one way to teach the children how to safely navigate the iPhone.