Apple slaps 18+ ratings on dating and AI romance apps

Apple is putting a hard floor under dating apps. In a Developer News blog update, the company said apps with dating and relationship features will carry a minimum age rating of 18+ on the App Store — a change that also sweeps in the AI romantic companion apps that have exploded in popularity.

Starting November 16, developers have to say whether their apps include dating and relationship features, or location-sharing features, when they fill out the age rating questionnaire in App Store Connect. Apple says the declarations are mandatory whenever a developer submits an app update or changes that questionnaire.

Location sharing is treated more softly. Apple says apps that include shared location may not see their minimum age rating move at all in some regions — so the 18+ floor lands squarely on dating and relationship apps rather than anything that pings a friend your whereabouts.

Brazil plays by its own book. Local rules there require an A16 rating for apps with location-sharing features and an A18 rating for apps with dating and relationship features, Apple noted. Developers who think their app deserves something lower can ask Brazil's Ministry of Justice and Public Security for an official downgrade — Apple's example being apps built for parents and kids to share locations.

The clock is ticking for everyone else. Every app must have these declarations completed by January 12, 2027, which gives developers over a year to sort their paperwork, but no way around it. Apple pointed developers to its full blog post for the complete rundown.