Social platform · Medium risk
Is Apple Messages safe for your child?
Age guide
13+
We advise Apple Messages from age 13 and up. Overall risk 4/10 (medium risk).
- 5-8
- Younger children might use Messages for simple communication with family, often through audio messages or emojis, with parental oversight of contacts.
- 9-12
- Children in this age group may begin to use Messages for texting friends, sharing photos, and exploring iMessage apps, requiring active monitoring of contacts and content.
- 13-15
- Teenagers frequently use Messages for group chats, sharing media, and integrating with other apps, making features like Communication Safety and content filtering important.
- 16+
- Older teens use Messages as a primary communication tool, often with less direct parental supervision, but should still be aware of privacy settings and responsible sharing practices.
Apple Messages (iMessage) is a built-in messaging service for Apple devices, allowing users to send text, photos, videos, and audio messages. It offers end-to-end encryption for iMessage conversations between Apple users, enhancing privacy.
- Age guide
- 13+
- Overall risk
- 4/10
- Violence
- 1/10
- Toxic behaviour
- 3/10
- Stranger contact
- 4/10
- Addiction risk
- 6/10
- Language
- 3/10
- Influence
- 2/10
What parents should know
Apple Messages is a default communication app on Apple devices, offering text, audio, and video messaging. Key safety features include Communication Safety for detecting explicit content and robust Screen Time controls for managing usage and contacts. Parents should actively manage contact lists and discuss appropriate online communication with their children.
What to do about Apple Messages
Free with a Parentwise account. The age-by-age verdict needs your child's age, which is why it lives behind the account.
- The age-by-age verdict
What we advise for under 8, 8-12 and 13+ - our age guide for Apple Messages is 13+, and the answer changes with your child's age. - The one setting to change tonight
The exact Apple Messages setting that cuts the most risk, with the steps to find it. - What to say
Word-for-word openers for talking about Apple Messages without a row. - Red flags to watch for
The signals in Apple Messages that mean it is time to step in.
Apple Messages age rating and parents guide: common questions
What age rating is Apple Messages?
Parentwise puts Apple Messages at 13+. We advise Apple Messages from age 13 and up. Overall risk 4/10 (medium risk). Violence scores 1/10, language 3/10, stranger contact 4/10 and addiction risk 6/10.
Can a 10 year old use Apple Messages?
Not by default: we advise Apple Messages from 13+, so at 10 it needs your supervision and the settings changed first. Children in this age group may begin to use Messages for texting friends, sharing photos, and exploring iMessage apps, requiring active monitoring of contacts and content.
Can a 12 year old use Apple Messages?
Not by default: we advise Apple Messages from 13+, so at 12 it needs your supervision and the settings changed first. Children in this age group may begin to use Messages for texting friends, sharing photos, and exploring iMessage apps, requiring active monitoring of contacts and content.
Can a 13 year old use Apple Messages?
Yes, 13 is at or above the age we advise for Apple Messages (13+). Teenagers frequently use Messages for group chats, sharing media, and integrating with other apps, making features like Communication Safety and content filtering important.
Is Apple Messages appropriate for kids?
Apple Messages is a default communication app on Apple devices, offering text, audio, and video messaging. Parentwise rates Apple Messages overall as medium risk (4/10), with stranger contact at 4/10 and addiction risk at 6/10.
Is Apple Messages family friendly?
Apple Messages sits in the middle: fine with settings changed and an occasional check-in. Key safety features include Communication Safety for detecting explicit content and robust Screen Time controls for managing usage and contacts.
Apple Messages parents guide: what should a parent know first?
Apple Messages is a default communication app on Apple devices, offering text, audio, and video messaging. The parts that most often catch parents out are stranger contact (4/10) and how hard it pulls for more time (6/10).
Is Apple Messages safe for kids?
We advise Apple Messages from age 13 and up. Overall risk 4/10 (medium risk). Key safety features include Communication Safety for detecting explicit content and robust Screen Time controls for managing usage and contacts.
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Release and popularity data comes in part from RAWG, TVMaze (CC BY-SA) and Wikidata (CC0). Safety guidance is written by Parentwise.