Apple Overhauls App Store Age Ratings With New 13+, 16+, and 18+ Categories

Apple is overhauling the App Store's age rating system, introducing a more detailed scale that aims to give parents and users a clearer picture of what's inside an app before they download. The update also brings a new questionnaire for developers to better flag sensitive content.

The old 4+ and 9+ ratings are being joined by new 13+, 16+, and 18+ categories. Apple says it has already updated the ratings for all existing apps to fit the new scale, and the changes will be reflected on devices running the betas for iOS 26, iPadOS 26, macOS Tahoe 26, tvOS 26, visionOS 26, and watchOS 26.

On the developer side, there's a new required questionnaire in App Store Connect covering things like in-app controls, medical topics, and violent content. The announcement also came with a reminder for developers to consider how all app features, including AI assistants and chatbot functionality, affect the frequency of sensitive content, noting that apps must still abide by its App Review Guidelines and regulations like COPPA and the GDPR. In a welcome change, developers can now also set a higher minimum age rating for their app if their own policy requires it.


This move ties into Apple's recent push for more parental controls, like the new features for families detailed at WWDC, and follows the addition of Accessibility Nutrition Labels back in May.

Apple has given developers until January 31, 2026, to get the new forms filled out in App Store Connect, warning that failing to do so could hold up future app updates.