New Time Allowances in iOS 27, iPadOS 27, and macOS 27, or later, give parents more flexible ways to manage the time their kids spend in apps across categories including entertainment, games, and social media. Time Allowances are developed based on expert research and adjusted for a child’s age to give parents a helpful starting point. Parents can adjust these settings based on what they determine is best for their child. Time Allowance categories are different from categories for user discovery in the App Store.
Entertainment and games
Your app or game will appear in a Time Allowance category based on the information you enter in App Store Connect. Apps and games with entertainment or games selected as a primary or secondary category in App Store Connect are sorted into the appropriate Time Allowance categories.
Social media
The Time Allowance for Social Media category is based on whether your app or game offers social media capabilities, regardless of the category selected in App Store Connect. This includes the ability to distribute, amplify or interact with user-generated content through a social feed or similar discovery method that disseminates visible content to many users. Starting in July 2026, the Age Rating Questionnaire will be updated to let you know if your app or game includes social media capabilities.
- If you indicate that your app or game includes social media capabilities, it will be placed in the Time Allowance category for social media and receive a minimum age rating of 13+.
- If you indicate that your app or game includes social media capabilities, but they are disabled for anyone under 13, it will not be included in the Time Allowance category for social media for users under 13. If you select this option, your general answers in the age rating questionnaire will determine your age rating and may result in a rating lower than 13+. Your app or game can still be grouped in the Time Allowance category for games or entertainment based on the primary or secondary category selected in App Store Connect, and will remain in the Social Media category for users 13 and up.
From September 2026, you must indicate whether your app or game includes social media capabilities to submit new versions or updates to the App Store, or to notarize for distribution on alternative app marketplaces.
Design safe and age-appropriate experiences for your apps and games
Set in Age rating
Declared age range API documentation