Apple broadens App Store’s age rating system

Apple is overhauling its age rating system for apps, introducing new categories to better protect younger users. On Thursday, the tech giant announced the addition of 13+, 16+, and 18+ ratings, while eliminating the previous 12+ and 17+ designations. To ensure more accurate content classification, app developers will now be required to respond to a fresh set of questions regarding the sensitive content within their applications. This update mandates that developers may adjust their apps’ age ratings to fit the newly established categories if necessary. Apple has proactively updated all apps and games on the App Store to comply with this revamped rating system, which is currently accessible in beta versions of iOS 26, iPadOS 26, macOS Tahoe 26, tvOS 26, visionOS 26, and watchOS 26. The public beta was launched yesterday, with a broader rollout set for September. As part of this initiative, developers must provide Apple with detailed information regarding in-app controls and functionalities, disclose topics related to medical and wellness issues, and indicate whether their applications contain violent content. With this information, Apple will assign appropriate age ratings that developers can review and modify in App Store Connect. The primary goal of these refined ratings is to give parents clearer guidance on the apps their children may want to download, helping to prevent minors from accessing inappropriate content. Furthermore, apps deemed unsuitable for a child’s age group will not be featured in prominent sections of the App Store, such as editorial stories, Today, Games, and Apps tabs. This change is part of Apple's broader commitment to enhancing child safety, first outlined earlier this year. The company is also streamlining the process for parents to set up child accounts and share crucial information, such as their children's ages, with developers to improve content appropriateness. The App Store product listings will feature additional details to assist guardians in making informed choices about apps and games, including notifications about user-generated content or advertisements that might expose young users to mature themes. Developers are encouraged to implement parental controls or create age-appropriate experiences, as raising an app's age rating could impact its visibility and distribution. These updates come amid an increasing legislative focus on protecting children online, with various U.S. states proposing new laws that would require app store operators to verify children’s ages for parental consent when downloading apps. While Apple and Google advocate for developers to manage age verification, larger tech entities like Meta have pushed for app stores to take on this responsibility. Apple’s approach aims to safeguard children’s personal data, such as their birth dates, by utilizing a developer API that allows access to necessary age range information for tailored app experiences. This data, provided by parents during device setup, is expected to be more accurate than information input directly by children, who may misrepresent their ages to gain access to certain app features. To fully benefit from these changes, developers must choose to integrate with Apple’s new API, which is designed to prioritize the privacy and safety of young users.