Apple Age Rating Update: Dating and Shared Location by January 12

Updated 10 November 2026. Apple announced on November 2 that two new age rating questions, Shared Location and Dating and Relationships, arrive in App Store Connect on November 16, with a January 12, 2027 deadline for every app.

The next Apple age rating update starts on November 16, 2026. From that date, the age rating questionnaire in App Store Connect asks whether your app includes Shared Location, meaning it shares a person's real-world location with another person or group, and Dating and Relationships, meaning it enables dating or relationship connections between real people or offers a virtual companion that engages users in sexual or romantic content. You must answer when you submit an app update or edit the questionnaire, and every app must have both answers completed by January 12, 2027.

The answers can change your rating. Any app that declares Dating and Relationships gets a minimum age rating of 18+, and that includes AI companion apps that allow romantic or sexual roleplay. Apple says Shared Location may not affect the minimum rating in some regions, but Brazil requires A16 for it and A18 for dating features. As of 10 November 2026, Apple has not said what happens to apps that miss January 12. For its last age rating deadline, January 31, 2026, the stated risk was an interruption when submitting app updates.

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Apple age rating update at a glance

What did Apple announce on November 2, 2026?

Apple posted a short developer news item that adds two content descriptors to the questionnaire behind your app's age rating. Apple uses your answers to calculate a rating for each country or region, and it says the new descriptors are meant to make ratings reflect app features and follow local regulations. The questions appear on November 16, 2026, and the January 12, 2027 deadline applies to all apps, including apps you have not touched in years.

This builds on the larger change Apple made on July 24, 2025. That update moved the App Store to five ratings, 4+, 9+, 13+, 16+ and 18+, added required questions about in-app controls, capabilities, medical or wellness topics and violent themes, and asked developers to answer by January 31, 2026. The same post reminded developers that AI assistants and chatbot features count when judging how often sensitive content appears in an app. If you answered that round in a hurry, use this one to review the whole questionnaire, not only the two new items.

What counts as Shared Location?

Apple defines Shared Location as sharing of real-world location with another person or group. The key word is sharing. An app that uses location only to show users where they are, sort nearby results or set a time zone is not sharing it with anyone. An app that lets one person see where another person is falls under the question.

Examples based on our reading of Apple's one-line definition, not an Apple list:

• Likely yes: family or friend locators, live location in a chat, group ride or run tracking, "share my trip" features, and a courier or driver location shown to a customer.
• Likely no: a store finder, local weather, a map that shows only the user, and a workout log that stays private.
• Check carefully: posts with location tags, event check-ins visible to other attendees, and staff tracking inside a business app.

Outside Brazil, Apple indicates that Shared Location may not change the minimum rating, so there is no reason to stretch the definition to avoid it. When a feature is borderline, describe it plainly in your App Review notes.

What counts as Dating and Relationships?

The second descriptor covers two kinds of features, and both lead to a minimum rating of 18+:

• Connections between real people: dating and matchmaking apps, and dating or "meet singles" sections inside community, event or social apps.
• Virtual companions: AI girlfriend or boyfriend apps, character chat apps that allow romantic or sexual roleplay, and, in our reading, games where a companion character flirts with or dates the player.

Friendship and networking features are not named in Apple's wording. If your app helps people meet for business, sport or study, read the definition closely and answer based on what users can actually do, not on how the feature is marketed.

Does this affect AI chatbot apps?

Yes, if the chatbot can act as a romantic or sexual companion. A support bot, a tutor or a coding assistant that refuses romantic roleplay is not a virtual companion in Apple's sense. A chat app that lets users create characters and steer them into romance is much closer to the line, and an app built around that use is clearly covered.

Practical steps for teams with AI features:

1. Test the app the way a curious user would. Try to steer the assistant into flirting or roleplay and record what happens.
2. Decide on purpose. Either block romantic and sexual content with system prompts, moderation and output filters, or accept an 18+ rating and design for adults.
3. Write the decision into your AI policy so later prompt changes do not quietly change your rating. Our AI policy template has a section you can adapt.
4. Retest after every model upgrade, because a new model can behave differently with the same prompt.

If you are still planning a chatbot, our guide to adding an AI chatbot covers guardrails and costs.

Will my app's age rating change?

Only if your answers trigger a higher rating. Dating and Relationships sets a floor of 18+. Shared Location mainly matters in Brazil. Apple calculates a rating per country or region from your answers, and ratings can also vary by OS version, so check the full list on the App Information page after you save.

An 18+ rating has real effects on reach. Parents can limit apps by age rating through Screen Time, and Engadget reported that apps with the new dating descriptor will not appear in the App Store for minors whose parents have set content restrictions. Update your App Store text, screenshots and onboarding to match. If your EULA or terms already set a minimum age above the rating Apple calculates, Apple's help page says you must override to a rating that meets those terms.

How to answer the new age rating questions in App Store Connect

These steps follow Apple's help page for setting an age rating. You need the Account Holder, Admin, App Manager or Marketing role.

1. Sign in to App Store Connect, open Apps and select the app.
2. In the sidebar under General, click App Information.
3. Click Edit at the top of the page to change the age rating answers.
4. Work through each section. From November 16, answer the Shared Location and Dating and Relationships questions, and recheck in-app controls such as Parental Controls and Age Assurance.
5. If your app needs a higher rating than Apple calculates, choose Override to Higher Age Rating.
6. Click Save and review the global and regional ratings on the App Information page.

Apple's notice says you must provide the declarations when you submit an update or change the questionnaire, so you can answer by editing the questionnaire without waiting for your next build. Apple has not said whether a rating that changes this way shows on the store before your next approved version. If you manage many apps, Apple's help page points to the App Store Connect API for age ratings. Confirm the new descriptors are available there before you script anything.

What happens if you miss January 12, 2027?

Apple's announcement gives the date but no penalty, and as of 10 November 2026 it has not said whether apps without answers will be blocked, hidden or rated automatically. The closest guide is the last round. For the January 31, 2026 deadline, Apple told developers to answer the updated questions to avoid an interruption when submitting app updates. Plan for the same risk. A blocked update in the middle of a security fix or a January promotion costs far more than the few minutes each app takes.

Brazil: A16, A18 and official ratings

Brazil uses its own rating values: AL, A6, A10, A12, A14, A16 and A18. Apple says local regulations require A16 for Shared Location and A18 for Dating and Relationships. If you believe your app deserves a lower rating, for example location sharing designed for parents and children, you can request an official rating from Brazil's Ministry of Justice and Public Security (MJSP). Apple applies MJSP ratings automatically, and once verified, the official rating shows on the App Store in Brazil.

Checklist: 9 steps before January 12, 2027

1. List every app in your account, including apps you rarely update and apps you publish for clients.
2. Give each app an owner with the right App Store Connect role.
3. Map location features: who can see whose location, when, and for how long.
4. Map dating, matching and AI companion features, including what users can make an AI character say.
5. Answer the two new questions from November 16 and recheck the rest of the questionnaire.
6. Review the calculated ratings per region, starting with Brazil if you sell there.
7. Update store text, screenshots, age gates and parental controls to match any new rating.
8. Save a dated screenshot of the answers for each app.
9. Finish before your next release so the questionnaire cannot hold up a fix or a seasonal update.

What about Google Play?

Apple's change applies to the App Store only. Cross-platform teams should still keep their answers consistent, because a dating or companion feature that is 18+ on iOS deserves the same care on Android. Google's October 29, 2026 policy update also reminded developers about Play Age Signals, an API apps can use to tailor features, content and safety settings by age. For the store-side steps on both platforms, see our guide to publishing on the App Store and Google Play, and our Android developer verification guide for Google's identity checks.

If you would like a second pair of eyes on location, chat or AI companion features before the deadline, or need age checks and moderation added, our web and app development team can scope the work on a fixed quote. Send your app list through our contact page. For the longer run, our note on app maintenance costs explains how to budget for store rule changes like this one.

FAQ

When do the new App Store age rating questions start?

Apple says the new content descriptors appear in the App Store Connect age rating questionnaire on November 16, 2026. From then, you must answer them whenever you submit an app update or change your age rating answers. Every app on your account must have both declarations completed by January 12, 2027, even if you do not plan to release an update before then.

Do I have to answer if my app has no location or dating features?

Yes. Apple says all apps must have these declarations completed by January 12, 2027, so an app without these features still needs a recorded answer. That is the quickest case: open App Information, click Edit, confirm that the features are not present, and save. Keep a dated screenshot of the saved answers in case you ever need to show what you declared and when.

Is an AI chatbot app a virtual companion?

It depends on what the chatbot does. Apple's descriptor covers a virtual companion that engages a user in sexual or romantic content. A support bot or tutor that refuses romance does not fit that description. An app that lets users build characters for flirting or romantic roleplay does, and it gets a minimum rating of 18+. Test your own app with real prompts before you answer.

Will Shared Location make my app 16+?

In Brazil, yes. Local rules require A16 for apps that share real-world location with another person or group, unless the Ministry of Justice and Public Security issues a lower official rating. Elsewhere, Apple says Shared Location may not affect the minimum rating in some regions. Check the regional ratings on the App Information page after you save, because Apple calculates them per country or region.

What happens to apps that miss the January 12, 2027 deadline?

As of 10 November 2026, Apple has not said. Its announcement sets the date but names no penalty. For the previous age rating deadline, January 31, 2026, Apple said answering would avoid an interruption when submitting app updates. Plan for the same risk and answer early, so a blocked submission cannot delay a security fix, a seasonal release or an urgent bug fix.

Can I answer the new questions without submitting a new version?

Apple's notice says you must provide the declarations when you submit an update or when you make changes to your age rating questionnaire, so editing the questionnaire on its own is a valid route. Open App Information, click Edit, answer and save. Apple has not said whether a rating that changes this way shows on the store before your next approved version.

Sources

• Apple Developer: Upcoming: New age rating content descriptors in App Store Connect (November 2, 2026)
• Apple Developer: Updated age ratings in App Store Connect (July 24, 2025)
• App Store Connect Help: Age ratings values and definitions
• App Store Connect Help: Set an app age rating
• Engadget: Apple will start mandating age requirements for dating apps (November 3, 2026)
• Google Play Console Help: Policy announcement, October 29, 2026