Key facts
- Apple said all apps offering dating or romantic relationship features must carry an 18+ rating.
- Apple said developers must add new content descriptors from November 16 so age ratings reflect app features.
- Apple said apps sharing a user's real-world location with another person or group must indicate that functionality.
- Apple said the change follows a global rollout of its age assurance technology and more parental controls.
- Apple said family location-sharing apps in Brazil can request an official rating from the Ministry of Justice and Public Security.
Apple told developers on Monday that it would require an 18+ age rating for apps offering dating or romantic relationship features, and for AI companion apps that engage in sexual or romantic content, according to an announcement the company shared with developers.
The rules take effect on November 16, when developers must add new content descriptors so that an app's age rating reflects its features, Apple said. The company said the change follows earlier steps to protect minors, including a global rollout of its age assurance technology and more parental controls and child safety features.
Apple's policy covers AI companion apps where romantic or sexual functionality is one of several features, not only dedicated dating services. Character.AI and Replika are among the apps that let people create AI companions, including friends, lovers and fantasy characters. xAI launched 3D animated AI companions that allowed users to unlock NSFW capabilities last year, the report said. As of last summer, top AI companion apps across the Apple App Store and Google Play had been downloaded 220 million times globally, according to the report.
Apps must also indicate when they share a user's real-world location with another person or group as part of their functionality, Apple said. In Brazil, apps offering family location-sharing features can request an official rating from the Ministry of Justice and Public Security instead of listing the A16 rating required by local law, the company said.