The short version
Every iOS app must now tell Apple whether it shares location or offers dating features, and dating features push the app to 18+. The new descriptors appear in App Store Connect on November 16, 2026 and are mandatory for all apps by January 12, 2027. For teams running iOS app development, this is a release checklist item that can change who is able to download the app.
What exactly is Apple changing?
In a developer notice dated November 2, Apple said App Store Connect will gain new content descriptors “to help ensure your app’s age ratings accurately reflect its features and are in accordance with local regulations.” Developers will answer them whenever they submit an update or edit the age rating questionnaire, and all apps must have them completed by January 12, 2027.
The two descriptors are narrow but broad in reach. Shared Location covers sharing a user’s real-world location with another person or group. Dating and Relationships covers features that enable dating or relationship connections between real people, and also a virtual companion that engages a user in sexual or romantic content. TechCrunch, which reported the change on November 3, cites AI companion apps such as Character.AI and Replika as the kind of product the second definition now reaches.
| Descriptor | What it covers | Rating impact |
|---|---|---|
| Dating and Relationships | Dating or relationship connections between real people, or a virtual companion with sexual or romantic content | Minimum 18+ worldwide; A18 in Brazil |
| Shared Location | Sharing real-world location with another person or group | May not change the rating in some regions; A16 in Brazil |
How will the 18+ rating affect downloads?
An 18+ label is not cosmetic. According to TechCrunch, apps rated 18+ are hidden from minors whose parents or guardians have set content restrictions on the device, and underage users who can see such an app must prove to Apple that they are adults before they download it. Engadget’s coverage makes the same point: the rating limits visibility for restricted accounts and adds an age check at download.
Brazil gets its own treatment. Local regulations there require A16 for Shared Location and A18 for Dating and Relationships. Apple says a developer who believes the app deserves a lower rating, such as a location app built for parents and children, can request an official rating from Brazil’s Ministry of Justice and Public Security; once verified, that rating is shown on the Brazilian App Store.
What it means for US & EU software teams
The first impact is on scope. Plenty of apps that are not dating products still ship features that fit the new definitions: social apps with matching, community apps with private messaging between strangers, wellness or entertainment apps with a chatty AI persona, and logistics, family or fitness apps that share a live position with other people. Product owners should read the definitions against the actual feature list, not against the app’s category, because an honest answer of “yes” on dating moves the whole app to 18+.
The second impact is on product design. If an 18+ rating would cost an app its core audience, the realistic options are to remove or redesign the feature that triggers it, for example by keeping an AI assistant strictly non-romantic and enforcing that in prompts and moderation, or to split the experience into separate apps. For generative AI features this is an engineering task: the descriptor follows what the companion actually does, so guardrails, content filters and test sets need to prove it stays within the declared rating.
The third impact is compliance alignment. Location sharing is already sensitive data under GDPR in the EU and under COPPA for US users under 13, and age assurance is a growing theme for regulators on both sides of the Atlantic. Teams that answer Apple’s questionnaire should keep that answer consistent with their privacy policy, data map and Google Play declarations, so a store review, a privacy audit and a regulator all see the same facts.
What should mobile teams do before January 12?
- Audit features against both definitions. List every flow that shares live location with another person and every flow that connects users romantically or uses a companion-style AI persona.
- Decide on the rating you can accept. If 18+ is not viable, plan the feature change before the next submission rather than after a rejection.
- Lock down AI companion behaviour. Add policy prompts, classifiers and regression tests that keep generated content inside the declared rating.
- Plan for Brazil. If you serve Brazilian users with a family or safety location app, prepare the request for an official rating from the Ministry of Justice and Public Security.
- Make it part of release. Add the age rating review to the submission checklist from November 16 and align the answers with your privacy policy and store data-safety forms.
Frequently asked questions
What did Apple announce on November 2, 2026?
Apple said that from November 16, 2026, the age rating questionnaire in App Store Connect will include two new content descriptors: Shared Location and Dating and Relationships. Developers must answer them when they submit an app update or edit the questionnaire, and every app must have them completed by January 12, 2027.
Which apps get an 18+ rating under the new rules?
Any app that declares Dating and Relationships features gets a minimum age rating of 18+. Apple defines these as features that enable dating or relationship connections between real people, or a virtual companion that engages a user in sexual or romantic content, which brings AI companion apps into scope.
Does sharing location make an app 18+?
No. Apple says the Shared Location descriptor may not change the minimum age rating in some regions. Brazil is the main exception: local rules require an A16 rating for Shared Location and A18 for Dating and Relationships, though developers can ask Brazil's Ministry of Justice and Public Security for an official lower rating, for example for a parent and child location app.
What happens if an app does not answer the new questions?
Apple asks for the answers with the next update submission after November 16 and sets January 12, 2027 as the deadline for all apps. Teams should treat an unanswered questionnaire as a release blocker and plan the review before their next build goes to App Review.
Sources
Apple Developer — Upcoming: New age rating content descriptors in App Store Connect (primary source, November 2, 2026)
Apple Developer — Age ratings values and definitions (App Store Connect Help)
TechCrunch — Apple restricts dating apps and AI companions to users 18 and up (November 3, 2026)
Engadget — Apple will start mandating age requirements for dating apps (November 3, 2026)
9to5Mac — Apple to require 18+ age ratings for dating apps and AI romantic companions (November 2, 2026)