Apple will add two new content descriptors to the age rating questionnaire in App Store Connect on Nov. 16, according to a post on its developer news page dated Nov. 2. Apple says they are meant to help ensure age ratings accurately reflect an app's features and follow local regulations.
What developers must declare
- 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, or a virtual companion that engages a user in sexual or romantic content.
Who is affected: what changes for users
Apps that include Dating and Relationships receive a minimum age rating of 18+. That wording covers virtual companions that engage a user in sexual or romantic content, not only dating services between people.
Apps with Shared Location may see no change to their minimum age rating in some regions, Apple says.
Dates
- Nov. 16, 2026: the new questions appear in App Store Connect.
- Update or questionnaire change: developers must provide the declarations when they submit an app update or change their age rating questionnaire.
- Jan. 12, 2027: all apps must have the declarations completed.
Brazil
Under local regulations in Brazil, Shared Location requires an A16 rating and Dating and Relationships requires A18. A developer who believes an app qualifies for a lower rating there can request an official rating from Brazil's Ministry of Justice and Public Security (MJSP). Apple's example is location sharing designed specifically for parents and children. Once verified, the official rating appears on the App Store in Brazil.
What is not in Apple's post
Apple's post does not name any apps, and it does not say how it will check developers' answers or what happens to apps that miss the Jan. 12 deadline.
For more on Apple's store policy, see Apple's App Store rules on nonconsensual AI imagery and the mobile topic page.
