Apple Requires 18+ Rating for Dating and AI Companion Apps[1][2]
Starting November 16, developers must add new content descriptors so an app's age rating reflects what it actually does.[3]
Under the change, any app with dating or romantic relationship features has to carry an 18+ rating.[2]
That puts companion apps like Character.AI and Replika in scope. They let people build AI friends, lovers and fantasy characters, and they are often aimed at younger users.[5] The category is large, with top AI companion apps reaching 220 million downloads across Apple's App Store and Google Play as of last summer.[7] It also covers ground xAI moved into last year, when it launched 3D animated companions with NSFW capabilities users can unlock.[6] The rule could also reach apps where a romantic or companion mode is only one feature among many.[4]
Apps will also have to disclose whether they share a user's real-world location with another person or group.[8] In Brazil, where local law requires an A16 rating for family location-sharing apps, those apps can instead request an official government rating.[10] The changes follow Apple's global rollout of age assurance technology, along with new parental controls and child safety features.[9]
If your app has any romantic or companion feature, check its age rating and content descriptors before the November deadline.
HOW WE CHECKED IT
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"make it more difficult for minors to use online dating apps or AI companions that engage in “sexual or romantic content,”" SOURCE ↗
"require all apps offering dating or romantic relationship features to carry an 18+ rating" SOURCE ↗
"Starting November 16, developers will be required to include new content descriptors to ensure their app’s age ratings reflect its features" SOURCE ↗
"or those where such functionality is one of many features" SOURCE ↗
"Often targeted at younger people, Character.AI, Replika, and other AI apps let people create AI companions" SOURCE ↗
"xAI last year also launched 3D animated AI companions that allowed users to unlock NSFW capabilities" SOURCE ↗
"top AI companion apps across the Apple App Store and Google Play had been downloaded 220 million times globally" SOURCE ↗
"apps will also need to indicate if they are sharing the real-world locations of a user with another person or group" SOURCE ↗
"include the rollout of its age assurance technology globally and more parental controls and child safety features" SOURCE ↗
"instead of being required to list them with the A16 rating, as the local law requires" SOURCE ↗
SOURCES
PUBLISHED NOV 3, 2026, 10:38 AM ET · ARCHIVED NOV 3, 2026, 11:40 AM ET · SHA-256 f9b29085299b
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