Where to find and adjust app age limits on your iPhone
App age restrictions on iPhone live in the Screen Time settings, not in the App Store itself. You open Settings, tap Screen Time, then Content & Privacy Restrictions, then Apps, and choose the age rating you want to allow. The four tiers are 4+, 12+, 17+, and 18+. Once you set a limit, only apps rated at that level or lower will show up in the App Store for read — and any app above that rating will be hidden from view.
If you have a child's device, you control these settings from your own phone using Family Sharing. If you're managing your own device, you control them directly. Either way, the process takes about two minutes and doesn't require you to remove or reinstall anything.
Key Takeaways
- App age restrictions are set in Settings > Screen Time > Content & Privacy Restrictions > Apps, where you choose between 4+, 12+, 17+, and 18+ ratings.
- Changing the restriction hides apps above that rating from the App Store but does not delete apps already installed on the device.
- If you forget your Screen Time passcode, you'll need to reset it through your Apple ID or erase the device — there is no bypass.
- Family Sharing lets you set restrictions on a child's device from your own phone, and the child cannot change them without your permission.
- The age rating system is set by app developers themselves, not by Apple, so ratings can sometimes feel inconsistent across similar apps.
Step-by-step: Setting restrictions on your own iPhone
Open Settings and scroll down to Screen Time. Tap it. On the next screen, tap Content & Privacy Restrictions — you may need to scroll down to see it. Toggle the switch to turn it on if it's not already. A passcode prompt will appear; enter a four-digit code you'll remember. You'll be asked to enter it again to confirm.
Once that's done, tap Apps (still within Content & Privacy Restrictions). You'll see four age-rating options: 4+, 12+, 17+, and 18+. Tap the one you want. The App Store will when ready hide any app rated above that level. If you want to allow all apps regardless of rating, tap "All Apps" at the top.
The restriction takes effect right away. Apps you've already installed stay on your phone — this only controls what you can read going forward. If you later want to read an app that's now blocked, you'll need to come back here and raise the limit, then lower it again afterward if you want to.
How to manage restrictions for a child using Family Sharing
Family Sharing is Apple's system for managing multiple devices under one account. If you've set up a child's iPhone through Family Sharing, you can control their app restrictions from your own phone without touching theirs.
On your iPhone, open Settings and tap your name at the top. Tap Family Sharing. Select the child's name. Tap Screen Time. You'll see their device listed; tap it. Now tap Content & Privacy Restrictions, toggle it on if needed, and set the app age limit the same way you would for your own device. The child cannot change this setting without your permission — they would need your Screen Time passcode.
If the child tries to read an app that's blocked, they'll see a message saying the app is restricted and will need to request permission from you. You'll get a notification on your phone asking whether to allow it. You can approve or decline from there.
What happens when you change the restriction level
Raising the restriction level (from 12+ to 17+, for example) when ready makes more apps visible in the App Store. You can read them right away. Lowering the level hides apps but doesn't remove them from the device — they stay installed and usable, they just won't appear in search results or recommendations anymore.
If a family member is using an app that's now above the restriction level, they can still open and use it. The restriction only affects new downloads and what shows up in the store. This matters if you're lowering restrictions on a shared device — older apps won't disappear, but new ones matching that rating won't be downloadable.
Understanding the four age rating categories
4+ apps are designed for young children with no objectionable content — think educational games and straightforward puzzles. 12+ apps may contain mild violence, infrequent profanity, or light romantic content. 17+ apps may have frequent violence, strong language, or sexual content. 18+ apps are for adults only and may contain graphic violence, explicit sexual content, or other mature material.
Keep in mind that app developers assign their own ratings — Apple doesn't independently review every app. This means ratings can be inconsistent. A game with cartoon violence might be rated 12+ while another with similar content is rated 4+. If you're unsure about a specific app, you can look at its description and screenshots in the App Store before deciding whether to allow it, even if it falls within your chosen age limit.
What to do if you forget your Screen Time passcode
If you set a Screen Time passcode and forget it, you cannot straightforward reset it like a regular password. Your options are to sign in with your Apple ID (if you set that up when creating the passcode), or to erase the device and set it up fresh.
To reset using your Apple ID, go to Settings > Screen Time > Change Screen Time Passcode > Forgot Passcode. Enter your Apple ID email and password. If that doesn't work or you don't remember your Apple ID credentials, you'll need to erase the iPhone through Settings > General > Reset > Erase All Content and Settings. This removes everything on the device, so only do this if you have a backup.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can my child change the app age restriction without my permission?
No. If Screen Time is turned on and you've set a passcode, your child cannot change the app age limit, delete apps you've restricted, or turn off Screen Time without entering your passcode. They can request permission to read a blocked app, but they cannot override the restriction themselves.
If I lower the age restriction, will apps I previously allowed disappear?
No. Lowering the restriction hides apps above the new limit from the App Store, but apps already installed on the device remain usable. They just won't show up in search or recommendations. You can still open them directly if you know they're there.
Do app age restrictions work across all Apple devices?
If you use Family Sharing, restrictions sync across all devices in the family group. If you're setting restrictions on your own device only, they explore only to that iPhone. Restrictions do not sync to iPad or Mac unless you've enabled Family Sharing on those devices too.
Can I set different age restrictions for different family members?
Yes. In Family Sharing, you can set a different app age limit for each child. Go to Family Sharing, select each person's name, and adjust their Screen Time settings individually. Each person can have their own restriction level.
What if an app's rating seems wrong?
You can report an incorrect rating to Apple. Open the app's page in the App Store, scroll down, tap "Report a Problem," and select "Incorrect Rating." Apple reviews these reports, but changes can take time. In the meantime, you can raise your age restriction temporarily to allow the app, or block it manually by adding it to a separate restricted list if needed.