iOS 26 = game-changer for parents

Parenting in 2025 basically requires an IT degree. 😂 Apple just dropped iOS 26, and the new parental controls are both a lifesaver and a brain cramp. Like, thanks Apple…but could you also send someone over to set it up while we hide in the kitchen with coffee? The truth is, every parent we know is saying the same thing: keeping up with our kids’ digital lives feels like a full-time job. That’s why we’re digging in, building the tools we wish existed, and bringing you along for the ride because no one should have to figure this out alone.

iOS 26’s New Parental Controls

Parents, rejoice: Apple has finally given us some real tools with iOS 26. Here are the ones you’ll actually want to get familiar with:

• Communication Requests: When your kid tries to text or call someone new, you get the request first. Total game-changer.

• Convert an Account to a Child Account: If your child’s account was set up with ‘adult’ settings, you can now flip it to a child account with built-in protections like web filters.

• Share Age Range (not birthday): Apps only get an age range, not your child’s exact birthday. Privacy win!

• Communication Safety Expanded: FaceTime and Shared Albums now blur nudity automatically. Under-13s will even need your passcode to view.

Here’s an updated safety checklist you can use if your kid uses an iPhone:

• Update devices to iOS 26

• Add kids to Family Sharing

• Set a Screen Time passcode (don’t give it to them, no matter how much they beg)

• Turn ON Communication Limits + Manage Contacts

• Toggle ON Communication Safety

• Choose Age Range = Always or Ask Each Time

We just built his update, along with steps for how to enable these new features into the Screen Sense Guide. This includes step-by-step instructions, checklists, even “what to say to your kid” scripts, because let’s be honest, turning the settings on is only half the battle. And here’s the best part: when you grab the guide, you’re not just getting a one-time download. You’ll also get regular email updates from us whenever something new drops in the tech world, so you’ll always be in the know (without having to spend hours figuring it out yourself). If you haven’t checked out Screen Sense, now is the time!

TikTok’s Algorithm, Demystified

If you’ve ever wondered how TikTok seems to know your kid loves slime videos, anime edits, or those oddly satisfying soap-cutting clips…it’s not magic, it’s the algorithm. What most parents don’t realize is that the algorithm doesn’t just mirror your child’s interests—it amplifies them. If your kid watches one clip about body image, the app won’t stop there. It starts feeding them more and more of the same, sometimes nudging curiosities into full-blown obsessions or steering them into darker, more mature corners of the internet.

Here’s the good news: you can hit reset. If your child’s For You Page feels like it’s spiraling into content that’s unhealthy, extreme, or just plain weird, go to their TikTok profile → Settings & privacy → Content preferences → Refresh your For You feed. That clears the slate so the app relearns from scratch. Just remember, TikTok picks up patterns fast. This reset works best when it’s paired with real conversations about what’s healthy to watch, and when it’s time to just put the phone down.

When Tech Boundaries = Social FOMO

Sometimes setting healthy boundaries around device use means your kid feels like they’re missing out. Maybe their friends are allowed on Snapchat late into the night or gaming without time limits, while your child has guardrails. Or maybe it’s not even about the apps—it’s about the phone itself. More and more kids are saying they feel left out if they don’t have an iPhone, since group chats default to iMessage and anyone with a “green bubble” instantly stands out. Add on the embarrassment of having to explain screen time rules to friends (“Sorry, my phone shuts off at 9”) and suddenly your kid feels like the odd one out.

Those feelings of exclusion are normal, but that doesn’t make them easy to navigate—for them or for you. Here’s what you can do to help keep those boundaries in place without buckling under the pressure:

1. Listen first. Acknowledge your child’s frustration instead of brushing it off. Apps and devices do matter in their world, even if your decision stands.

2. Give them an exit line. Help kids practice simple responses (or let them “blame you”) so they feel less awkward explaining boundaries to peers.

3. Take away the mystery. Encourage kids to learn about apps they can’t use yet. Understanding the reality and real dangers often reduces the appeal and builds confidence in saying no.

4. Offer alternatives. If an app or game isn’t right yet, suggest age-appropriate substitutes so kids don’t feel like the only one missing out.

5. Connect to family values. Share the why behind boundaries through ongoing conversations—not lectures—to build trust and consistency over time.

Your rules don’t make you the bad guy. They make you the grown-up who’s willing to ride out the eye-rolls in exchange for your kid’s safety and well-being. We’re right there with you!

With all the studies linking social media and device use to rising anxiety in teens, this week’s pod couldn’t be more relevant: Is Anxiety a Superpower?

We recorded this one during our gals trip to LA and we share how anxiety shows up in real life (for Nat: racing heart, overthinking, sweaty palms 🙋‍♀️) and ask the big question could that constant state of alert actually be a hidden strength?

If tech stress or parenting stress has you spinning, this one might help you see anxiety in a whole new light. Listen here.

Catch you next week <3

—Cat & Nat