In Which I Am Apparently A Child...
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In Which I Am Apparently A Child...
So, I saw today's news about DarkSword, and although I don't have anything with iOS that old (v18.7 or older), I noticed a new version of iOS out (26.4) and decided to update.
Bad move. Bad, bad move.
iOS 26.4 implements age verification.
It's very simple - just scan your credit card or government id and bingo.
I don't have a credit card.
The government ID is apparently:
- a driving license (which I don't have)
- a passport (which isn't scanning)1/2
So, until I can get the passport working as ID, my iPhone is feature-limited.
I can live without the ability to download 18+ apps.
The ability to make in-app purchases? That's a bit more severe; there are plenty of things you can buy in-app that aren't porn or loot boxes.
And until I can somehow get this fixed, I'm a child.
To add insult to injury, I tried to look at the Apple community for similar reports and got this...
Apparently, tech support is for grownups!
Whoop de fucking doo. 2/2
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So, until I can get the passport working as ID, my iPhone is feature-limited.
I can live without the ability to download 18+ apps.
The ability to make in-app purchases? That's a bit more severe; there are plenty of things you can buy in-app that aren't porn or loot boxes.
And until I can somehow get this fixed, I'm a child.
To add insult to injury, I tried to look at the Apple community for similar reports and got this...
Apparently, tech support is for grownups!
Whoop de fucking doo. 2/2
@gmh it verified me because my AppleID account is old enough to vote. Not sure if that helps you though.
I was quite prepared to live with not verifying because fuck that for a game of darts.
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@gmh it verified me because my AppleID account is old enough to vote. Not sure if that helps you though.
I was quite prepared to live with not verifying because fuck that for a game of darts.
@pdcawley Yeah, I think my Apple ID dates from when I got an iPhone (March 2010) and I could have been a superintelligent toddler at that point…
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So, until I can get the passport working as ID, my iPhone is feature-limited.
I can live without the ability to download 18+ apps.
The ability to make in-app purchases? That's a bit more severe; there are plenty of things you can buy in-app that aren't porn or loot boxes.
And until I can somehow get this fixed, I'm a child.
To add insult to injury, I tried to look at the Apple community for similar reports and got this...
Apparently, tech support is for grownups!
Whoop de fucking doo. 2/2
@gmh can you visit tech support from a non-apple device.. if available?
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In Which I Am Apparently A Child...
So, I saw today's news about DarkSword, and although I don't have anything with iOS that old (v18.7 or older), I noticed a new version of iOS out (26.4) and decided to update.
Bad move. Bad, bad move.
iOS 26.4 implements age verification.
It's very simple - just scan your credit card or government id and bingo.
I don't have a credit card.
The government ID is apparently:
- a driving license (which I don't have)
- a passport (which isn't scanning)1/2
@gmh - which country?
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@gmh - which country?
@axel_hartmann Rainy Plague Brexitlandia, for my sins...
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@gmh can you visit tech support from a non-apple device.. if available?
@castaway Got the 'you must log in to view this content' when I tried. Sighed, linked my Apple ID to the community, verified it using my phone and got that message.
I know what the post I wanted to read was about, since I could find the first few lines on a search engine, but try to view it on the community forum and... not so much.
There's probably some way around it, but it's just the cherry on the shit sandwich...
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@castaway Got the 'you must log in to view this content' when I tried. Sighed, linked my Apple ID to the community, verified it using my phone and got that message.
I know what the post I wanted to read was about, since I could find the first few lines on a search engine, but try to view it on the community forum and... not so much.
There's probably some way around it, but it's just the cherry on the shit sandwich...
@gmh Ugh! Agree.. As an App-dev I'm wondering if this also applies to the (newly allowed I believe) ability to sell IAPs outside of the app store..
I assume not since I don't see how they could. Of course that doesn't help you if the app dev hasn't implemented external payments..
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@castaway Got the 'you must log in to view this content' when I tried. Sighed, linked my Apple ID to the community, verified it using my phone and got that message.
I know what the post I wanted to read was about, since I could find the first few lines on a search engine, but try to view it on the community forum and... not so much.
There's probably some way around it, but it's just the cherry on the shit sandwich...
@gmh Hmm I can read this one even not logged in: https://discussions.apple.com/thread/250995863?sortBy=rank .. any use?
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So, until I can get the passport working as ID, my iPhone is feature-limited.
I can live without the ability to download 18+ apps.
The ability to make in-app purchases? That's a bit more severe; there are plenty of things you can buy in-app that aren't porn or loot boxes.
And until I can somehow get this fixed, I'm a child.
To add insult to injury, I tried to look at the Apple community for similar reports and got this...
Apparently, tech support is for grownups!
Whoop de fucking doo. 2/2
@gmh i thought they could verify via a credit card?
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@gmh i thought they could verify via a credit card?
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@bryan @jik Hey, everyone does it from time to time, no worries.
One thing that does annoy me slightly is that scanning your passport should apparently work.
If you search, you'll find any number of people a couple of weeks ago saying 'I'm using the beta, passport scanning isn't working' (e.g. https://discussions.apple.com/thread/256262372 - which I can't read because I'm not old enough!)
Yet the release seems to have just been rolled out regardless without fixing this, which is really shoddy.
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@bryan @jik Hey, everyone does it from time to time, no worries.
One thing that does annoy me slightly is that scanning your passport should apparently work.
If you search, you'll find any number of people a couple of weeks ago saying 'I'm using the beta, passport scanning isn't working' (e.g. https://discussions.apple.com/thread/256262372 - which I can't read because I'm not old enough!)
Yet the release seems to have just been rolled out regardless without fixing this, which is really shoddy.
@bryan @jik See also https://piunikaweb.com/2026/03/25/apple-ios-26-4-age-verification-uk-release/ - I'm a long way from being the only person in this particular boat.
*sigh* - it's an odious and ineffective law (see https://www.openrightsgroup.org/campaign/stop-state-censorship-of-online-speech/) and Apple's compliance has been implemented in a way that inconveniences many people who've been using Apple products for decades.
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@bryan @jik Hey, everyone does it from time to time, no worries.
One thing that does annoy me slightly is that scanning your passport should apparently work.
If you search, you'll find any number of people a couple of weeks ago saying 'I'm using the beta, passport scanning isn't working' (e.g. https://discussions.apple.com/thread/256262372 - which I can't read because I'm not old enough!)
Yet the release seems to have just been rolled out regardless without fixing this, which is really shoddy.
@gmh
Sorry to read you’re having problems.
I also can’t get my ID (state drivers license) to add to my wallet in Hawaii. Each attempt takes like 2-3 weeks for a rejection. State and Apple just tell me to “keep trying”.
I’m glad this isn’t hindering me from being an adult though…
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@gmh
Sorry to read you’re having problems.
I also can’t get my ID (state drivers license) to add to my wallet in Hawaii. Each attempt takes like 2-3 weeks for a rejection. State and Apple just tell me to “keep trying”.
I’m glad this isn’t hindering me from being an adult though…@bryan Eh, so far it's not been a problem. I don't use the apps covered by it, and I don't buy game-related stuff on my phone.
But being hobbled on a device I own, with an account I've been using for 16 years, in the name of a law passed by authoritarian control freaks?
Yeah, that sucks and it pisses me off mightily.
(And not being able to read Apple support forums because I'm not verified is just the cherry on top...)
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@bryan Eh, so far it's not been a problem. I don't use the apps covered by it, and I don't buy game-related stuff on my phone.
But being hobbled on a device I own, with an account I've been using for 16 years, in the name of a law passed by authoritarian control freaks?
Yeah, that sucks and it pisses me off mightily.
(And not being able to read Apple support forums because I'm not verified is just the cherry on top...)
@gmh
If it was possible to trade problems with government… can I have adult verification instead of a new war? 
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In Which I Am Apparently A Child...
So, I saw today's news about DarkSword, and although I don't have anything with iOS that old (v18.7 or older), I noticed a new version of iOS out (26.4) and decided to update.
Bad move. Bad, bad move.
iOS 26.4 implements age verification.
It's very simple - just scan your credit card or government id and bingo.
I don't have a credit card.
The government ID is apparently:
- a driving license (which I don't have)
- a passport (which isn't scanning)1/2
@gmh I’m having the same issue
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@gmh i thought they could verify via a credit card?
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So, until I can get the passport working as ID, my iPhone is feature-limited.
I can live without the ability to download 18+ apps.
The ability to make in-app purchases? That's a bit more severe; there are plenty of things you can buy in-app that aren't porn or loot boxes.
And until I can somehow get this fixed, I'm a child.
To add insult to injury, I tried to look at the Apple community for similar reports and got this...
Apparently, tech support is for grownups!
Whoop de fucking doo. 2/2
@gmh I updated to iOS 26.4 in Germany and do not see any kind of age verification. So I guess it's a UK thing?
