Samsung wants you actively approving or blocking your child's apps

There are all kinds of apps available in the Play Store and Galaxy Store. Some you may not want your children gaining access to. That can even extend to some preinstalled apps, like Facebook. Samsung will soon roll out an update that aims to give parents and guardians more control over what kids can access on their phones.

Samsung has announced that it will roll out new parental control features on Galaxy devices. Starting in 2027, some of the apps on your child’s handset will be grayed out. You’ll have to approve those apps first before your child can access them. This will affect both preinstalled apps and apps that the child already downloaded.

Samsung doesn’t go into detail on which apps will be grayed out or the criteria it will use to make those judgments. It also avoided offering an exact date for the rollout. However, the company does say the update will arrive as part of the next One UI software update. It’s unclear if the tech giant is referring to One UI 9.5, which is set to roll out with the launch of the Galaxy S27. Samsung could also be referring to One UI 10.

The company recommends preparing for the update by creating or joining a family group. If the child is 13 or older, you can invite them into your group. For children under 13, you’ll have to set up a Samsung Child Account. From there, you want to turn on Samsung Parental Controls, which will let you approve or block apps on your child’s device from your phone.