For a while now, we’ve been hoping for a Kids Mode in Apple’s iOS software for iPhones and iPads – a bit like its current Airplane Mode, where you’d flick a switch before handing your device to your child to play with, instantly blocking in-app purchases, locking away your email and messages. That kind of thing.

Well, we’re not getting it just yet. But tonight, at its WWDC conference in San Francisco, Apple announced some of the new features that will be in the next version of iOS – iOS 8 – which will be released in the Autumn. And one of those new features – Family Sharing – is very much in Apps Playground’s area.

In its press release, Apple describes it as “the easiest way to share purchases, photos and calendars within the same household”, giving more details:

“Family members can browse and download each other’s iTunes, iBooks or App Store purchases. Up to six members can participate, each with their own Apple ID. Parents can create Apple IDs for children, which includes Ask to Buy, requiring parental permission for purchases. Family Sharing automatically keeps everyone connected by creating a shared family photo stream, shared calendar and provides an option for locating family members and their devices.”

Ask to Buy is the biggie there: if you’ve set up your kids under your Family Sharing account, if they try to buy an app or an in-app purchase, they’ll be prompted to ask your permission – and what’s more, you’ll get a notification on your own device to let you know that this is happening.

Obviously, this relies on the whole family having iOS devices – if you prefer Android, you’ll remain blissfully unalerted about purchases made on the family iPad unless you’re there in the room. Or if your kids are well trained!

The shared photos, calendars and purchases – music, e-books and films included – sound like a useful feature too, again, as long as you’re all on iOS devices. Parents who are Apple fans but bought a Kindle Fire or Hudl tablet for their children will have to carry on as they are, making separate purchases.

Apple’s App Store is also getting some improvements in iOS 8 that will be good news for parents. Apps will now have video previews on the store, so you can see how they play without having to find the trailers on YouTube. There’ll also be an Editor’s Choice mark for the apps that Apple’s team likes best, building on its existing recommendations (for example, in the Kids section of the store).

There will also be “App Bundles” – the ability for app developers to sell several apps at a single discounted price. During Apple’s event, the example shown for this feature was children’s app developer Toca Boca, so it’s definitely going to be relevant for parents.

As we said, none of this is happening – unless you’re an app developer yourself, in which case you can get a ‘beta’ version of iOS 8 now – until the Autumn. The new software should make its debut alongside new iPhone and iPad models either in September or October, judging by previous years.