Key takeaways
- Apple adds two age rating declarations in App Store Connect on November 16, 2026: Shared Location, and Dating and Relationships.
- Apps with dating features or a virtual companion engaging in sexual or romantic content get a minimum rating of 18+.
- All apps must complete both declarations by January 12, 2027.
Apple will add two age rating questions for App Store developers on November 16, and one of them sets an 18+ Apple App Store rating for AI companion apps. The App Store Connect announcement, posted November 2, says apps that include a virtual companion engaging users in sexual or romantic content must declare it and get a minimum rating of 18+.
Apple ties the change to local regulations. Every developer must answer the new questions by January 12, 2027.
The Apple App Store rating: two new declarations
- Dating and Relationships. For apps that connect real people for dating or relationships, and for apps that include a virtual companion engaging users in sexual or romantic content. These apps get a minimum age rating of 18+.
- Shared Location. For apps that share a user's real-world location with another person or group. Whether this raises the minimum rating depends on the region.
What developers have to do
The questions appear in the age rating questionnaire on November 16. Developers must answer both, and they need to do it whenever they submit an app update or change their questionnaire. Apple says apps don't need a separate submission just to answer them, but the declarations must be complete by January 12, 2027.
Brazil has its own ratings
Brazil requires a rating of 16+ for Shared Location and 18+ for Dating and Relationships. An app that qualifies for a lower rating, such as location sharing built for parents and children, can ask Brazil's Ministry of Justice and Public Security for an official rating. Once verified, that rating shows on the App Store in Brazil.
What it means for AI apps
The wording about virtual companions is the part that reaches AI developers. Chatbots sold as romantic or sexual companions now have a named category with an 18+ floor. Apple's post doesn't say how it will check the answers or what happens to apps that answer wrongly.
The next dates to watch are November 16, when the questions go live, and January 12, 2027, when every app needs its answers on file.
