The App Store is rolling out a significantly updated age rating system, adding new tiers and requiring developers to answer more granular questions about their content. This move aims to make the platform safer for all users, especially children.
New Age Rating Tiers Add Nuance
The App Store’s age rating system now includes 13+, 16+, and 18+ categories, expanding beyond the previous 4+ and 9+ ratings to offer more precise age guidance.
What’s the biggest change for app developers? The App Store has updated its age rating system, introducing new tiers and detailed questionnaires for all apps. Ratings will be updated automatically for all apps and games on the platform.
These new age ratings – 13+, 16+, and 18+ – join the existing 4+ and 9+ categories. Age ratings are determined for each country or region, acknowledging that suitability standards can differ globally. This granular approach is designed to help people, including parents, make more informed decisions about the apps they download.
Deeper Dive into App Content
To achieve these more specific ratings, developers must now answer a new set of mandatory questions. These questions probe critical aspects of an app’s functionality and content, including:
- In-app controls and their implications.
- The specific capabilities an app offers.
- Any medical or wellness-related topics covered.
- The presence and nature of violent themes.
Your responses to these questions will be crucial in helping the platform calculate the most accurate rating. This, in turn, assists developers in delivering age-appropriate experiences to their users.
Developers can also set a higher minimum age requirement for their apps if their own policies dictate it, even if the platform’s calculated rating is lower.
Navigating App Store Connect
Developers can access and update their app’s age ratings and respond to the new questionnaire questions within App Store Connect. All app rating information is available in the App Information section. It’s important to remember that all app features, including AI assistants and chatbots, must be considered for their potential to display sensitive content and influence the final rating.
All apps submitted must adhere to the App Review Guidelines, which cover safety standards for objectionable or user-generated content. Developers must also comply with all relevant local laws and regulations, such as the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) and the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
Action Required by January 31, 2026
To ensure a smooth process and avoid any interruptions when submitting app updates, developers are required to provide responses to the updated age rating questions for all their apps by January 31, 2026.
