Apple to Require Dating App Age Disclosures
Developers must disclose location-sharing and dating features in App Store Connect starting November 16, 2026.
Updated on Nov. 3, 2026 in Romance
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Apple will require developers to disclose whether their apps include real-world location sharing or dating and relationships features beginning November 16, 2026. Apps with dating and relationships features must carry a minimum age rating of 18+.
Why it matters
The disclosures let Apple assign age ratings to apps accordingly, giving users clearer information about which apps are appropriate for them. The requirement covers connections with real people as well as virtual companions engaging in sexual or romantic content.
Apple's policy sets an 18+ minimum age rating for dating and relationships apps, while Brazil requires A16 for Shared Location apps and A18 for Dating and Relationships apps. The extraction does not detail enforcement measures for non-compliant developers.
The players
Apple
Apple is the technology company that operates the App Store and sets the age-rating and disclosure rules for apps distributed through it.
Brazil's Ministry of Justice and Public Security
Brazil's Ministry of Justice and Public Security is the federal government body that can grant lower age ratings to parent-child location-sharing apps.
The details
Developers must submit Shared Location and Dating and Relationships disclosures through App Store Connect, and Apple uses those disclosures to assign age ratings. Apps offering location sharing for parents and children may request a lower rating from Brazil's Ministry of Justice and Public Security, and Shared Location apps may not see a rating change in some regions.
Timeline
November 16, 2026: Disclosure requirement takes effect for developers.
January 12, 2027: Deadline to submit disclosures through App Store Connect.
Big Picture
The requirement extends Apple's existing App Store age-rating framework by adding explicit disclosure criteria for dating and location-sharing features. It places dating apps under a stricter 18+ rating than many general-audience apps.
Users of dating and relationships apps will see 18+ age ratings applied to those apps once the disclosures are in place. Developers of location-sharing or dating apps must complete the disclosures before the January 12, 2027 deadline.
The takeaway
Developers of dating and location-sharing apps should review their disclosures before the November 16, 2026 effective date to avoid rating problems. Users can expect age ratings to better reflect the content and connection features of the apps they download.
What happens next
Developers must submit disclosures through App Store Connect by January 12, 2027, after the requirement takes effect on November 16, 2026.
Further reading
For more on the relationship side of these apps, see Romance.
Live Poll
Should app stores require stricter age limits on dating and location-sharing apps?
