Only 2 Seconds! This is How to Work 18+ Age Verification on iOS 26.4

Apple has officially added an age verification feature in the developer beta version of iOS 26.4. For the initial stage, this feature is only available in the UK in response to the Online Safety Act regulation which requires age-based content access restrictions.

This feature appears alongside other updates such as an increase in RCS message encryption. However, public attention is focused on a new system called "Confirm You Are 18+". It now appears at the top of the Settings menu after the update is installed.

When users tap the option, the iPhone will display a brief explanation that the UK requires adult confirmation to change certain restrictions.

Apple explains that the system can verify age by checking the payment method connected to the Apple Account. "A valid credit card can help confirm that you are at least 18 years old, because opening a credit card account requires adult status," Apple wrote in the screen.

Users are given two options: Continue or Confirm Later. If you choose Continue, the process is very fast. With Face ID scanning, verification can be completed in less than two seconds.

In some cases, the system says verification is based on the length of time the Apple account has been used. This means that accounts that have been active for a long time may not need additional processes. However, new users or those who do not have a credit card registered may be asked to enter additional details, such as scanning a payment card.

Not for Adult Sites

Apple menegaskan, implementasi ini bukan bagian dari kewajiban verifikasi usia untuk situs dewasa di Inggris. Sistem tersebut lebih difokuskan untuk pengaturan pembatasan aplikasi sesuai usia di perangkat iPhone.

In the future, Apple plans to open this age verification API so that it can be used by websites. However, the feature is not currently enabled.

Regulatory Pressure Increases

This implementation is inseparable from the strict supervision of digital platforms in various countries. The Online Safety Act in the UK previously required adult sites to perform age verification, and some of them have been fined for not complying with the rules.

However, in the field, the age verification system on many sites is said to be easy to trick. A number of reports say users can get away with just showing an adult photo to the camera.

In fact, VPN usage increased dramatically after the rules were enacted. Services such as NordVPN reported a spike in purchases of up to 1,000 percent from the UK, while Proton VPN recorded a 1,400 percent increase in registrations within minutes of the rules coming into force.

According to the analytics firm Sensor Tower in July 2025, iPhone users in the UK were more aggressive in downloading VPNs than Android users. In the first few days after the law was implemented, VPN registrations on Android rose by about 5 percent per day, while iPhone users jumped by 100 percent.

Apple's Global Steps

Apple previously announced plans for an "age assurance" system in February 2025, including protection so that developers cannot access users' personal data on the grounds of age verification.

In March 2025, the state of Utah in the United States became the first region to require Apple to conduct age verification. Shortly thereafter, in April 2025, companies such as Meta Platforms and Spotify were among the group that stated that Apple should be responsible for the age verification system at the platform level.

Now, with iOS 26.4 officially released soon, Apple is one of the first technology companies to integrate age verification directly into its operating system. For some, this move is considered safer because credit card data remains within the Apple ecosystem, without having to be shared with various third parties.

The question is, is this system that only takes two seconds really effective in protecting minors, or will it trigger a new wave of ways to circumvent digital rules? Time will tell!