Apple Sets 18+ App Store Rating for Dating Apps and Romantic AI Features
Teenagers may find dating apps and some AI companions harder to access on Apple devices under a new App Store policy requiring an adults-only age
Teenagers may find dating apps and some AI companions harder to access on Apple devices under a new App Store policy requiring an adults-only age rating. The change covers apps with dating or romantic relationship features, as well as AI services that engage in sexual or romantic content.
Apple announced the policy to developers on Monday. Starting November 16, developers must add new content descriptors so an app’s age rating reflects what it offers. Apple says the change builds on other steps to protect minors, including the global rollout of age-assurance technology and expanded parental controls and child-safety features.
Dating features bring an 18+ rating
Most major dating services already limit their platforms to adults. Apple’s rule sets an App Store requirement: any app offering dating or romantic relationship features must carry an 18+ rating. That could affect apps even when dating is only one part of a broader set of features.
The policy also puts AI companion apps in focus. Services such as Character.AI and Replika let users create AI characters, and Apple’s restrictions apply where these apps engage in sexual or romantic content. The new descriptors are intended to make age ratings match those features more clearly.
Developers face a new classification requirement
For developers, the immediate change is to classify their apps using the new content descriptors by November 16. Apple has tied the rule to App Store age ratings; the announcement describes age assurance and parental controls as separate measures in its broader effort to protect minors.
The policy could therefore reshape access for younger users, particularly where an app combines AI companionship with other functions. But the stated requirement is about ratings and app features, not a detailed account of how existing underage users will be handled or how each app will verify a user’s age.
Apple’s announcement did not describe a staged regional rollout for the new rating requirement. The deadline it gave developers is November 16.
