Apple tightens age verification rules to comply with Child safety measures

Apple has announced age checks in Brazil, Australia, Singapore, Utah, and Louisiana, blocking 18+ apps without adult verification and expanding developer compliance tools

Apple has announced new age verification rules for the App Store in select regions. In an official blog post, the company said it is “providing an update on the tools available for developers to meet their age assurance obligations under upcoming US and regional laws.” The changes affect select regions, including Brazil, Australia, Singapore, and the US states of Utah and Louisiana. Apple is also expanding its age assurance tools, including an updated Declared Age Range API, now available in beta, to help developers comply with these requirements.

Apple's updated age category sharing

For developers distributing apps in Brazil, Apple said they can use the updated Declared Age Range API to get a user’s age category. However, this information will only be shared if the user, a parent, or a guardian agrees to share it. The API will also return a signal from the user’s device showing the method used for age assurance. This helps developers understand how the age was verified.

 

 

Apple also clarified that if a developer identifies their app as containing loot boxes in the age rating questionnaire, the app’s rating on the Brazil storefront will automatically be updated to 18+.

 

18+ apps blocked without adult confirmation

 

Starting February 24, 2026, Apple will block users in Australia, Brazil, and Singapore from downloading apps rated 18+ unless they are confirmed to be adults through reasonable methods. According to Apple, “The App Store will perform this confirmation automatically.” However, developers may still have separate legal obligations to independently verify that their users are adults.

 

To help with this, the Declared Age Range API is available on iOS, iPadOS, and macOS and provides developers with an additional signal about a user’s age category.

 

New compliance tools

 

Apple is also expanding age-sharing tools in the US. For users with new Apple Accounts in Utah starting May 6, 2026, and in Louisiana starting July 1, 2026, age categories will be shared with a developer’s app when requested through the Declared Age Range API.

 

Apple said it has expanded previously announced tools to help developers meet compliance requirements in these states. These include:

• Declared Age Range API
• Significant Change API under PermissionKit
• A new age rating property type in StoreKit
• App Store Server Notifications

New signals in the API will indicate whether age-related regulations apply to a user and whether they are required to share their age range. The API will also inform developers if they must obtain parental permission before releasing significant updates to a child’s app. 

 

Developers can use the Significant Update Action, now in beta, to notify adults in these states about major app updates. Apple said developers must follow the Human Interface Guidelines and provide a meaningful description when releasing such updates.