Apple has overhauled its App Store age rating system. The Cupertino firm has added three new age rating tiers while removing two other thiers.
The company three new age rating tiers — 13+, 16+, and 18+ — have been added to the existing 4+ and 9+ classifications. Meanwhile, the 12+ and 17+ have been removed.
Apple says the new age rating framework is designed to give parents more control and clarity over which apps are appropriate for their children and to better align App Store ratings with region-specific standards.
Apple has reassigned age ratings for all existing apps and games based on the responses developers previously provided in the App Store Connect age rating questionnaire.
An updated version of the questionnaire includes several new questions developer must answer, which will be used to recalculate the app’s age rating.
The new questions cover:
- In-app controls.
- Capabilities.
- Medical or wellness topics.
- Violent themes in the app or game.
Developers must complete the updated questionnaire by January 31, 2026, or they will be unable to submit new app updates in App Store Connect until they do so.
Users running current versions of Apple’s operating systems will not see the new age ratings. However, they are live in the beta versions of iOS 26, iPadOS 26, macOS Tahoe 26, tvOS 26, visionOS 26, and watchOS 26. They will be visible to the public when the updates are released in the fall.
