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Choose apps that can be used anytime in Screen Time on Mac
In Screen Time on Mac, you can specify apps that can be used anytime, even during downtime, for yourself or your children.
Before you can set up always allowed apps, you need to turn on Screen Time. See Set up Screen Time for yourself or Set up Screen Time for a child.
![Always Allowed settings in Screen Time with downtime communication options selected and allowed apps sorted by state.](https://help.apple.com/assets/65A8106E7C69B635140E606E/65A81072C0272B1FFA02DE51/en_US/7c57287102e36554ed8468a81e3c42d0.png)
On your Mac, do one of the following:
If you’re using Family Sharing: Log in to your Mac user account, then make sure you’re signed in with your Apple ID.
If you aren’t using Family Sharing: Log in to a family member’s Mac user account.
Choose Apple menu
> System Settings, then click Screen Timein the sidebar. (You may need to scroll down.)
If you’re a parent/guardian in a Family Sharing group, click the Family Member pop-up menu on the right, then choose a family member.
Click Always Allowed.
If you don’t see Always Allowed, you need to turn on Screen Time for the selected family member.
Go to During Downtime, then select an option for “Allow communication with.”
Specific contacts: Allow one-on-one and group conversations during downtime only with specific people in the family member’s contacts. To specify the allowed contacts, click Edit Contacts, then use the Add
and Remove
buttons to modify the list.
Contacts Only: Allow one-on-one and group conversations during screen time only with people in the family member’s contacts.
Note: The available options vary, depending on the current settings for allowed communication during screen time (set in Communication Limits settings). See Change Communication Limits settings in Screen Time.
If you’ve been granted permission to edit your family member’s iCloud contacts, click Edit Contacts, then use the Add
and Remove
buttons to modify the list.
Turn on apps in the list that you want to always allow. To find the app you’re looking for, do any of the following:
Search for an app: Type a name in the search field. The list updates as you type.
List apps by most used: Click the Sort button
, then choose Daily Usage to sort the apps from most used to least used.
List apps alphabetically: Click the Sort button
, then choose Name.
List apps that are always allowed at the top of the list: Click the Sort button
, then choose State.