iOS 27.2 adds selfie-based age confirmation that skips credit cards and IDs, Apple's support page says

Apple has added a selfie-based way to prove you are an adult in iOS 27.2 and iPadOS 27.2, according to a new Apple support document that MacRumors highlighted. The option is meant for people who are asked to confirm their age but would rather not hand over a credit card or a government-issued ID.

When you might be asked

Apple says the age check can come up at several moments: when you create an Apple Account, when you install a software update, when you try to download an app rated 18+, or when you change certain safety settings. Whether you see a prompt at all depends on where you live. Apple's page does not list the places where the selfie option is offered, saying only that it appears in certain states, countries or regions, and that other methods such as a credit card or ID remain available elsewhere.

How the check works

After choosing the selfie option and tapping Get Started, you center your face in the frame and slowly turn your head right, left, up and down, so the camera captures four angles. An age-estimation model then evaluates the result, which Apple says can take a moment. Apple suggests even indoor lighting, moving closer to the camera, removing masks, hats or sunglasses, and making sure no one else is in the frame. If the check fails, the company advises checking your internet connection and trying again, or confirming your age another way.

Privacy claims

Apple says the analysis is split between the device and its Private Cloud Compute servers, with the results combined on the device. According to Apple, nobody, including the company, can access the selfie, and it is deleted once your age has been confirmed. Once you have established that you are an adult, Apple says you will not be asked again. These are Apple's own statements; the support page does not describe accuracy rates, the age threshold the model uses, or what happens when the estimate is wrong.

Younger users

For people under 18, Apple notes that, depending on location, some actions may require joining an adult's Family Sharing group, and others may be unavailable until they turn 18.

The feature arrived with iOS 27.2, which Apple released on October 26. Apple has not said which regional rules prompted the rollout in specific places.