Explore the Kids category
The Kids category on the App Store is carefully curated to be a great space for children.
The App Review team ensures every title on the App Store adheres to our strict app review standards. In addition, developers who publish their apps in the Kids category must agree to even more stringent requirements, like not offering purchasing opportunities, links out of their app, and other distractions unless in a designated area behind a parental gate.
Apps and games in the Kids category fall into three age bands designated by the developer: 5 and under, 6–8, and 9–11. Parents can browse by these age ranges from the main Kids page.
Create a Child Account
Set up Screen Time
Screen Time gives you a better understanding of the time you and your kids spend on apps, websites, and your devices overall.
You can get weekly reports, see specific app usage, how many times you pick up your device, and more. You can also choose which apps are off-limits.
Screen Time also lets you set the amount of time you and your kids can spend each day on specific apps and websites. You can create exceptions for specific apps, such as Messages or education apps, and kids can always request more time for you to approve.
With Downtime, you can set a specific time of day, such as bedtime, when apps and notifications are blocked.
Configure app restrictions
Turn on Ask to Buy
With Ask to Buy, you can give kids the freedom to make their own choices while still controlling spending. With Ask to Buy turned on, whenever a family member who isn’t an adult initiates a new purchase or free download, a request goes to the organizer. The organizer can review the item and approve or decline the purchase from their own device or their child’s device. The organizer can also designate another parent or guardian to approve or review purchases.
When Ask to Buy is enabled, organizers can now grant an exception so their child can download an app with an age-rating that exceeds an app restriction that has been set in Screen Time. In order to allow your child to ask for permission to access apps that exceed app restrictions, you must enable Ask to Buy for your child: Go to Settings > Family > Child Name > Ask to Buy. Organizers can also revoke permission at any time, and the child will no longer be able to use the app.
