For developers · Checked 1 October 2026

Time Allowances in iOS 27: how your app gets its category

Short answer: Time Allowances in iOS 27, iPadOS 27 and macOS 27 let parents limit time their kids spend in Entertainment, Games and Social Media apps, with defaults based on the child’s age. Entertainment and Games follow the primary or secondary category you set in App Store Connect. Social Media follows your answer about social media capabilities in the age rating questionnaire, whatever your category, and that answer is required to submit updates since September 2026.

How each Time Allowance category is assigned

From Apple’s What’s New page for the App Store, read 1 October 2026. Time Allowance categories are separate from App Store discovery categories.

Time Allowance categoryWhat puts your app thereAge rating effect
EntertainmentEntertainment as primary or secondary category in App Store ConnectNone by itself
GamesGames as primary or secondary category in App Store ConnectNone by itself
Social MediaYou declare social media capabilities, any categoryMinimum 13+
Social Media, 13+ users onlySocial features disabled under 13, checked with Declared Age RangeSet by your other answers, can be below 13+

What Apple counts as social media capabilities

Apple means the ability to redistribute, amplify or interact with user-generated content through a social feed or similar discovery, for example feeds where people view, like, comment on and share what others post. This applies regardless of the App Store category you chose, so a game or a fitness app with such a feed is in scope. Apps that declare it show a new Social Media content descriptor in the age rating section of the product page.

The under-13 option

If your app has social features but disables them for anyone under 13, you can say so. Then it stays out of the Social Media Time Allowance for children under 13, and your other questionnaire answers set the age rating, which can be lower than 13+. You must use at least the Declared Age Range API to check users’ age ranges. The app still sits in Social Media for users 13 and up, and can still be in Games or Entertainment through its category. See Declared Age Range and Play Age Signals.

What to do now

1. Check your primary and secondary categories: choosing Games or Entertainment as secondary also puts you in that Time Allowance. 2. Answer the social media question in the age rating questionnaire; since September 2026 it is required to submit new versions or updates, and for notarization on alternative app marketplaces. 3. If you pick the under-13 option, make sure the feature is actually off for those users and the age check is in place. The full questionnaire is covered in App Store age rating.

Where Censuus fits

Categories decide limits; discovery decides who finds you. Censuus ranks apps by the visits they draw, and adding your app is free on the List my app form. Placement comes from traffic and sponsorship: apps climb on the visits they draw, and a sponsor can pay to rise higher.

Frequently asked questions

What are Time Allowances in iOS 27?

Parental limits in iOS 27, iPadOS 27 and macOS 27 for time spent in Entertainment, Games and Social Media apps, with starting values tailored to the child’s age that parents can adjust.

How does Apple decide my app’s Time Allowance category?

Entertainment and Games come from your primary or secondary category in App Store Connect. Social Media comes from whether you declare social media capabilities, regardless of category.

Does declaring social media make my app 13+?

Yes, a minimum of 13+, unless you disable the social features for anyone under 13 and check age with at least the Declared Age Range API.

Is the social media question required?

Yes. Since September 2026 you must answer it to submit new versions or updates to the App Store, or for notarization on alternative app marketplaces.

Are Time Allowance categories the same as App Store categories?

No. Apple says Time Allowance categories are different from the categories used for discovery on the App Store.

Guides for app developers

Put your app in the ranking

Censuus ranks apps by the visits they draw and by sponsorship, no bots. Listing is free; sponsorship raises placement.

Submit your appSee sponsorshipIndie app landscape: apps and visits by category