Apple to require 18-plus rating for dating apps and romance chatbots

Apple’s new App Store declarations, starting November 16th, will require dating apps and romanceable virtual companions to carry an 18 minimum age rating, with location sharing affecting ratings in some regions.

What happened

Apple announced on Monday that it will soon ask developers to provide more details about their apps to enforce new App Store age rating requirements for dating and location-sharing features. The upcoming content descriptors will require developers to declare if their apps allow users to share their real-world location with others, or include features that enable dating, relationship, or sexual behaviour between real people or virtual companions.

Under the new guidance, apps that include dating and relationships features will receive a minimum age rating of 18. Apps with location sharing will see an impact to their minimum age rating in some regions, depending on local regulations. The updates will be included in the App Store Connect age rating questionnaire starting November 16th, and all apps will be required to complete the new declarations by January 12th, 2027.

Apple already has an 18-plus rating category for the App Store, but it has largely applied to apps that feature gambling, violence, references to drugs, alcohol, or tobacco, and nudity or sexual content. Most dating platforms are also adult-only, but Apple says the expanded ratings are an effort to prevent minors from slipping through the cracks and to keep them away from AI chatbots that support sexual or romantic interactions and virtual “girlfriend/boyfriend” simulators that could pose mental health risks.

Key facts

• New App Store age rating guidance is being introduced for dating apps, romanceable virtual companions, and location sharing.
• Apps that include dating and relationships features will receive a minimum age rating of 18.
• Location sharing features will affect minimum age ratings in some regions, depending on local regulations.
• The updates enter the App Store Connect age rating questionnaire starting November 16th.
• All apps must complete the new declarations by January 12th, 2027.

Our analysis

This is a platform-level rule change that extends Apple’s existing 18-plus category beyond gambling, violence, references to drugs, alcohol, or tobacco, and nudity or sexual content. For creators and developers working on AI companion apps or dating products, the change creates a clearer compliance line: if an app enables romantic, relationship, or sexual behaviour — even with a virtual companion — the app will likely be treated as adult-only in the App Store. That matters because age gates affect discoverability, advertising, payment flows, and user onboarding in many markets.

The timing is as significant as the rule itself. Developers get a short window: the questionnaire opens November 16th, and every app must complete the declarations by January 12th, 2027. This suggests Apple is moving from broad categories to declared feature signals, which likely means App Review will have more granular information to enforce ratings. Operators who rely on a “general audience” label for apps with mild romantic chat features may need to reassess their positioning before the deadline.

The inclusion of virtual “girlfriend/boyfriend” simulators and AI chatbots is especially significant for AI-content creators. Apple is not banning these products, but it is signalling that romantic or sexual interaction — even simulated — is not appropriate for users under 18. For brands and community operators building companion-style bots on other platforms, this is an early warning that distribution channels may apply similar mental-health and minor-safety logic.

What it means for operators

• Audit your app’s features now: if it enables dating, relationship, or sexual behaviour between real people or virtual companions, plan for an 18 minimum age rating in the App Store.
• Prepare for the App Store Connect questionnaire change before November 16th and complete the new declarations before January 12th, 2027 to avoid review delays or rejections.
• Review location sharing features separately: even if your app is not a dating app, real-world location sharing may affect minimum age ratings in some regions depending on local regulations.
• If you run an AI companion or virtual girlfriend/boyfriend product, reassess your onboarding, age gates, and marketing language now, because Apple explicitly links these features to mental health risks and minor safety.