Starting November 16, Apple’s new App Store rule bars minors from certain apps

Apple is tightening its App Store rules to restrict minors’ access to dating apps and AI companions that offer sexual or romantic content, the company said in an announcement to developers. Under the updated policy, all apps offering dating or romantic relationship features must carry an 18+ age rating. Starting November 16, developers will be required to provide new content descriptors so their apps’ age ratings accurately reflect those features.The changes build on Apple’s broader child safety measures, including the global rollout of age assurance technology, expanded parental controls and additional protections for younger users. While most major dating services already limit access to adults, the policy could have broader implications for AI companion apps and services that include virtual relationships among their features.Platforms such as Character.AI and Replika allow users to create or interact with virtual companions, including friends, romantic partners and fantasy characters. Last year, xAI also introduced animated 3D companions with unlockable sexually explicit capabilities.As of last summer, leading AI companion apps had collectively recorded 220 million downloads worldwide across Apple’s App Store and Google Play.Apple is also introducing a content descriptor requiring developers to disclose whether their apps share a user’s real-world location with another person or group. Such features can raise privacy concerns, particularly when users are unaware their location is being shared.What Apple's announcement saysStarting November 16, 2026, App Store Connect will include new content descriptors to help ensure your app’s age ratings accurately reflect its features and are in accordance with local regulations.When completing the age rating questionnaire in App Store Connect, you’ll need to declare whether your app includes:Shared Location: Sharing of real-world location with another person or group.Dating and Relationships: Features that enable dating or relationship connections between real people and/or a virtual companion that engages a user in sexual or romantic content.You must provide these declarations when submitting an app update or making changes to your age rating questionnaire. All apps must have these declarations completed by January 12, 2027.Apps that include Dating and Relationships receive a minimum age rating of 18+. Apps that include Shared Location may not have an impact on their minimum age rating in some regions.In Brazil, local regulations require an A16 rating for Shared Location and an A18 rating for Dating and Relationships. If you believe your app qualifies for a lower age rating in Brazil — for example, if your app provides location sharing specifically designed for parents and children — you can request an official rating directly from Brazil’s Ministry of Justice and Public Security (MJSP/Ministério da Justiça e Segurança Pública). Once verified, the official rating will display on the App Store in Brazil.