On its November 2, 2026 developer news post, Apple says new age rating content descriptors are coming to App Store Connect. Apple wants age ratings to match an app’s features and local rules.
The descriptors are not in the questionnaire yet. Starting November 16, 2026, App Store Connect will include them. Until then, this notice is a schedule, not a completed change.
Two declarations on the form
Developers answer while completing the age rating questionnaire. One descriptor is Shared Location. It means sharing a real-world location with another person or group.
The second descriptor is Dating and Relationships. It covers features that enable dating or relationship connections between real people. It also covers a virtual companion that engages a user in sexual or romantic content. Apple joins those cases with “and/or,” so either one can qualify.
What a yes does to the rating
Apps that include Dating and Relationships receive a minimum age rating of 18+. Shared Location may not change the minimum age rating in some regions. This notice does not name those regions.
Developers must give both answers when they submit an app update. They must also give them when they change the age rating questionnaire. In addition, all apps must have both declarations completed by January 12, 2027. That date is a deadline. It does not mean the answers are already filed.
Brazil keeps its own labels
In Brazil, local regulations require an A16 rating for Shared Location and an A18 rating for Dating and Relationships. The notice uses those labels. It does not define A16 or A18 as a number of years.
A developer who believes an app qualifies for a lower age rating in Brazil can ask for an official rating. Apple’s example is location sharing designed for parents and children. The request goes directly to Brazil’s Ministry of Justice and Public Security (MJSP/Ministério da Justiça e Segurança Pública).
Once that rating is verified, the official rating will display on the App Store in Brazil. The notice does not say a lower rating appears before verification. It also does not describe how the App Store hides an 18+ app from a younger user.
