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Apple Overhauls App Store Age Ratings With New Categories and Parental Tools
July 25, 2025
Apple is introducing a major update to its App Store age-rating system, adding more nuanced age categories and new parental controls aimed at enhancing child safety. The update introduces 13+, 16+, and 18+ age ratings, replacing the older 12+ and 17+ labels. Existing 4+ and 9+ categories will remain.
As part of this shift, app developers must now answer a revised set of questions regarding their app’s content—such as the presence of violence, user-generated material, wellness features, and in-app controls. These responses will determine an app’s appropriate age rating, which Apple will automatically assign. Developers can view and update these ratings via App Store Connect.
The new system has already been applied across the App Store and is available in the beta versions of Apple’s upcoming operating systems, including iOS 26, iPadOS 26, macOS Tahoe 26, and others. The full rollout is scheduled for September.
These updates are designed to give parents clearer insight into which apps are suitable for their children. Apps that exceed a child’s age range will be blocked from download and may not appear in featured sections like Today, Games, and Apps.
This overhaul follows broader child safety efforts by Apple, which include simplified child account setup and new data-sharing capabilities with developers. This allows apps to tailor their experiences based on verified age data provided by parents during device setup—rather than relying on self-reported data from children.
In another move to empower guardians, App Store listings will now disclose whether an app includes ads, user-generated content, or built-in parental controls. These factors help parents make better decisions and could incentivize developers to build more family-friendly features.
With U.S. lawmakers increasingly pushing for stricter child protection regulations online, Apple’s update positions the company to address mounting concerns without compromising user privacy. Rather than requiring developers to directly verify age, Apple’s API enables apps to access age range information while keeping birthdates private.
However, for this system to work as intended, developers must opt in and integrate with the new API. For many, doing so may become essential—not only to stay visible in the App Store but to meet the growing demand for responsible digital experiences for kids and teens.
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