Age Ratings and Age Assurance in 2026: Apple and Google Rules

Why Age Rules Changed

In 2025 and 2026, several US states passed app store accountability laws. They require app stores to verify each user's age category, link minors to a parent account and obtain parental consent for downloads, purchases and significant app changes. Brazil, Australia and Singapore introduced their own age requirements. Apple and Google responded with a stricter age rating system and with APIs that pass an age range from the store to your app.

For how rating questionnaires and IARC work in general, see the content ratings article below.

Key Dates

Apple's New Age Ratings

The App Store now uses five tiers: 4+, 9+, 13+, 16+ and 18+, and ratings can differ by country or region. Every app was re-rated, and developers had to answer new required questions by January 31, 2026 to avoid interruptions when submitting updates. The questions cover:

• In-app controls: parental controls and age assurance
• Capabilities: user-generated content, messaging, advertising, unrestricted web access
• Medical or wellness topics
• Violent themes
• Social media capabilities (added July 2026)

Examples of what drives each tier:

Apple defines a social media capability as the ability to redistribute, amplify or interact with user-generated content through a social feed or similar discovery method. Such apps get a Social Media content descriptor and fall into the Social Media category of Time Allowances in iOS 27. If you choose the option that social features are disabled for users under 13, Apple requires you to call the Declared Age Range API before enabling them. You can always set a higher rating than the calculated one, and AI chatbot features count toward how often sensitive content may appear.

Apple Declared Age Range API

The Declared Age Range API (iOS 26, iPadOS 26, macOS 26 and later) returns an age category instead of a birthdate, and only after the user or a parent agrees to share it. A February 2026 update added signals telling you whether age-related regulatory requirements apply to the user, whether sharing is required and whether a parent must approve a significant update.

Related tools:

• Significant Change API (PermissionKit) to request parental approval for significant updates
• ageRatingCode in StoreKit to read your app's rating
• App Store Server Notifications that tell you when a parent withdraws consent

Google Play Age Signals API

The Play Age Signals API is a client-side library that returns an age range, its source and the parental approval status for significant changes.

• Default bands are 0-12, 13-15, 16-17 and 18+. In Play Console you can set up to three custom minimum ages, at least two years apart, changeable once a year.
• ageRangeSource ranges from TIER_A (self-declared) to TIER_D (government ID plus selfie, or digital ID).
• Version 0.0.4 (July 2026) requires calling requestAgeSignalsAccess() before checkAgeSignals() and replaces the deprecated userStatus field.
• Signals are live in Brazil and for eligible Texas users who created accounts after May 28, 2026. In July 2026 Google announced expansion to Australia and Canada and a global rollout later in 2026; check the release notes for current coverage.
• Data may only be used for age-appropriate experiences and legal compliance, never for ads, marketing, profiling or analytics.

US State Laws

Apple's February 2026 notice was written for the original 2026 Utah and Louisiana dates. Rather than hard-coding states, rely on the API signals that say whether requirements apply to a given user.

What To Do Now

1. Review your App Store Connect rating answers, including the social media question, and check the result per region.
2. If you have social features, either accept a 13+ rating or gate them for under-13 users with the Declared Age Range API.
3. Wrap Declared Age Range and Play Age Signals behind one age policy layer and handle the not-shared case.
4. Define what counts as a significant change in your team; you are responsible for that decision on both platforms.
5. Handle consent revocation: App Store Server Notifications on iOS, the Play Console report on Android.
6. On Google Play, set age ratings for in-app products sold to Texas users if they apply.
7. Test with Apple's sandbox and Google's FakeAgeSignalsManager.

FAQ

Do I have to use these APIs? Google says it does not mandate the API, but you remain responsible for complying with laws that apply to your app. Apple requires the API if you claim social features are off for under-13 users.

Is this legal advice? No. These laws are still being litigated and amended; confirm your obligations with counsel.

Related Topics

• Content Ratings and IARC: Age Rating Your App Correctly
• Kids Category App Requirements: Apple and Google Rules for Children
• COPPA Compliance for Mobile Apps: Protecting Children's Privacy
• App Store Connect: A Complete Guide for Developers