iOS 18.2 adds iMessage child safety feature for reporting nudes to Apple

The first iOS 18.2 beta brought a ton of new features and changes, with powerful Apple Intelligence upgrades being the highlight. But the release also introduced a new iMessage child safety feature for reporting nudes to Apple. Here’s what you should know.

Communication Safety expands in iOS 18.2

As of iOS 17, children under 13 with an Apple device will have a feature called Communication Safety turned on by default.

As Apple’s website explains, “If your child receives or attempts to send photos or videos that might contain nudity, Communication Safety warns them, gives them options to stay safe, and provides helpful resources.”

In iOS 18.2, this existing feature is getting expanded with new reporting capabilities. Children will be presented the option of reporting the images directly to Apple.

Here’s what happens when a child files a report.

Josh Taylor at The Guardian explains:

The device will prepare a report containing the images or videos, as well as messages sent immediately before and after the image or video. It will include the contact information from both accounts, and users can fill out a form describing what happened.

The report will be reviewed by Apple, which can take action on an account – such as disabling that user’s ability to send messages over iMessage – and also report the issue to law enforcement.

Apple is initially rolling out this new iMessage child safety feature in Australia only. So currently, only Australian iOS 18.2 users will be able to use it.

Global rollout coming later

Fortunately, the company told The Guardian that “it would be released globally in the future.” It’s unclear what the timeline for global expansion is, but hopefully it will be ready for a wide release before iOS 18.2’s public launch, which is expected in December.

In case you’re unfamiliar with Communication Safety, it’s important to note that the feature is only available for children who are part of a Family Sharing group. That will still be true following its iOS 18.2 expansion.

Parents can manage Communication Safety for their child’s device by visiting the Screen Time section in Settings.