Well this is the first time I think I’ve been genuinely bloody livid about an update because of iOS 26.4.

I don’t do credit cards, only debit, which is common enough in the UK, and none of the cards I input were enough to prove I’m over 18, despite the fact I purchased the damn phone, it’s tied to my Apple ID which has my birthdate, and since we don’t have ID cards and I don’t drive, my one method of verification (that being my passport) was not accepted.

As a result I cannot change some settings on the phone I spent my own money on….. What the actual hell is this utter fucking bullshit? Age verification laws strike again. Fan fucking tastic.

Edit: A friend of mine alerted me to the fact that the system has been quietly modified server-side, so I was able to verify using just my face. finally there's no stupid thing in settings bugging me. glad that's over and done with, and no credit card initiation ceremony bullshit.

I'm definitely not the only one with this problem. Here's an entire page of people with the same iOS 26.4 issue. Some passed it, but many did not: https://www.resetera.com/threads/psa-ios-26-4-introduces-os-level-age-verification-in-the-uk.1472083/
PSA: iOS 26.4 introduces OS level age verification in the UK

iOS 26.4 just went live and I was surprised to see an age verification prompt at boot-up. It was automatic for me because of how long I’ve had my Apple account, but if that doesn’t apply to you then you will need a credit card (or a face scan?) to prove you are 18.

ResetEra
@FreakyFwoof yeah, its a heap of crap to say the least, I also tried entering my debit card manually. If this is what apple are going to now resort to, then, I'm seriously going to have to consider other options, its absolutely ridiculous! ,