App Store Age Rating Reform: September 2026 Rules

On July 9, 2026, Apple added new questions about social media capabilities to the age rating questionnaire in App Store Connect, and starting in September 2026 made answering these questions mandatory for new app submissions, updates, and notarization for alternative distribution. If your app redistributes user content through a social feed or lets users interact with that content, you may now encounter a minimum 13+ rating and a new "Social Media" content descriptor. This guide covers what the questionnaire changed, which apps fall into scope, the regional differences in Australia/Brazil/Vietnam/South Korea, and how to update step by step in App Store Connect.

💡 Pro Tip: Before filling out the questionnaire, honestly decide whether your app has a user-generated content feed (comments, likes, shares, a discover tab) — misrepresentation can trigger regulator scrutiny under App Review Guidelines section 2.3.6.

Table of Contents

• New survey questions and mandatory date
• Why now?
• Which apps count as having "social media capability"
• Opt-out scenario
• Who should read this change carefully
• Regional differences: Australia, Brazil, Vietnam, South Korea
• Consequences of misrepresentation and removal risk
• Relationship with parental control features
• Step-by-step update in App Store Connect
• Checklist to avoid rejection
• FAQ
• How did App Store age ratings change in 2026?
• Which apps does the social media descriptor apply to?
• What should I do about regional rating differences?
• What happens if I fill out the questionnaire incorrectly?
• How do I disable social features for users under 13?
• Who can change the Age Ratings setting?
• Update (September 2026)
• Conclusion
• Sources

New survey questions and mandatory date

Apple announced on July 9, 2026 that it added new questions about social media capabilities to the age rating questionnaire in App Store Connect. According to the announcement, the questionnaire now includes "questions about your app's social media capabilities" — meaning the questionnaire has been answerable since July 9.

However, answering these questions was not mandatory at the moment of the announcement; Apple clarified when the requirement would begin: "beginning in September 2026, responses will be required when submitting new apps or updates to the App Store, or when submitting apps for notarization for alternative distribution." So starting in September 2026, you can't proceed without answering — whether submitting a new app, an update, or going through notarization for alternative marketplaces. Apple gives only a month-level timeframe, "September 2026," not an exact day.

The origin of this change actually goes back a month earlier, to the June 8, 2026 Time Allowances announcement. Apple had previewed the July update there, saying "Starting July 2026, the age rating questionnaire will be updated to let you indicate whether your app or game includes social media capabilities" — meaning the July 9 change wasn't a surprise; it was a previously planned step.

Why now?

Apple isn't positioning this change as an isolated "rating tightening" but as part of the new parental control infrastructure (Time Allowances) coming with iOS 27, iPadOS 27, and macOS 27. The answers from the questionnaire are used so parents can separately limit the time their children spend in apps in the social media category.

Which apps count as having "social media capability"

Apple's definition goes beyond the classic "social network" category. The official definition looks at whether the app offers "the ability to redistribute, amplify, or interact with user-generated content through a social feed or similar discovery method." So even if an app doesn't have "social" in its name, any app where users can discover, like, or reshare each other's content in a feed can fall under this definition.

There are two concrete consequences for apps that trigger this flag:

• Product page label: "Apps with these capabilities will display a new Social Media content descriptor on their App Store product page." So users see this information before downloading.
• Global rating category: According to Apple's age-ratings reference page, the 13+ rating category is now explicitly tied to "Social media" and "Social media disabled for users under 13" capabilities.

Opt-out scenario

The questionnaire isn't just a yes/no question. If an app disables its social media feature for users under 13, this can be flagged separately, and it affects the rating calculation — you'll see the details in the next section (relationship with parental controls).

Who should read this change carefully

Classic social network apps (share-feed, follow-system, discover-tab apps) are the clearest target. But since Apple's definition is broad, product teams should ask: "Can our users see, like, or share each other's generated content in a feed?" If yes, regardless of app type (recipe sharing, fitness community, in-game chat, forum-style discussion), it's worth re-evaluating the questionnaire with this lens. If unclear, the safest path is reading the full question text in App Store Connect carefully — rather than guessing.

Regional differences: Australia, Brazil, Vietnam, South Korea

Alongside the global rating, some countries display a separate regional rating due to local regulations. Apple's age-ratings reference page explicitly lists these differences.

Australia: "As required by Australia's guidelines for the classification of computer games," apps carrying the social media content descriptor are shown on the App Store with a regional 16+ rating.

Brazil: "As required by the Brazilian Ministry of Justice and Public Security (MJSP)," the App Store in Brazil uses a separate set of regional pictograms. The A16 category on the reference page covers "Unrestricted web access," "Social media," and "Social media disabled for users under 13" capabilities; social media capability triggers the regional A16 rating here too.

Vietnam: The legal basis is different — "As required by Article 38 of Vietnam Decree 147," apps carrying at least one of these descriptors are shown with a regional rating; social media capability triggers a 16+ rating here as well.

South Korea: Korea also has a separate regional rating set in effect — "For all apps made available in Korea, the following region-specific rating values will display." The 15+ category on the reference page covers "Unrestricted web access," "Social media," and "Social media disabled for users under 13" capabilities; so an app flagging social media capability is shown with a regional 15+ rating in Korea.

The table below summarizes the regional framework listed on Apple's reference page, valid as of this article's publish date (July 24, 2026):

Consequences of misrepresentation and removal risk

It might be tempting to be "conservative" when filling out the questionnaire, but the App Review Guidelines explicitly address this. Per section 2.3.6: "If your app is mis-rated, customers might be surprised by what they get, or it could trigger an inquiry from government regulators." So a wrong rating carries two separate risks — loss of user trust and regulator scrutiny.

More broadly, section 2.3.1a defines misleading metadata and marketing this way: it "is grounds for removal of your app from the App Store or a block from installing via alternative distribution and termination of your developer account." For persistent or severe violations, section 2.3.1b is even stricter: "Egregious or repeated behavior is grounds for removal from the Apple Developer Program."

In practice, a one-time flagging mistake generally results in rejection/correction, but intentional, repeated misrepresentation can escalate to account-level consequences. So aim to reflect the app's actual behavior, not "the lowest possible rating" — this speeds up submission and removes the review risk from the start.

Relationship with parental control features

The social media questions weren't added by coincidence — they were designed to feed data into the new "Time Allowances" feature coming with iOS 27, iPadOS 27, and macOS 27. According to Apple's June 8, 2026 announcement: "New Time Allowances in iOS 27, iPadOS 27, and macOS 27, or later, give parents more flexible ways" to limit how much time children spend in apps by category.

If an app flags social media capability, it goes directly into the "Social Media" category of this system and automatically receives a minimum 13+ rating: "it will be placed in the Time Allowance category for Social Media and receive a minimum age rating of 13+." The reverse is also possible: if your app completely disables this feature for users under 13, that age group can be exempted from the Social Media category — "it won't be included in the Time Allowance category for Social Media for users under 13."

But this exemption has a prerequisite: Apple requires you to at least use the Declared Age Range API to check the user's age range — "You'll also need to use the Declared Age Range API (at a minimum) to check users' age ranges." So saying "disabled for under 13" isn't enough; your app needs to be able to technically verify this.

Note two nuances of this exemption: the category doesn't disappear entirely — as Apple puts it, your app "will remain in the Social Media category for users 13 and above." Also, when you select this option, your overall rating is calculated from all of your questionnaire answers: "If you select this option, your overall responses in the age rating questionnaire determine your age rating and may result in a rating lower than 13+."

1// Conceptual flow — see Apple's Declared Age Range API
2// documentation for the actual method signatures; only
3// the decision logic is shown here.
4struct AgeRange {
5    let isUnderThirteen: Bool
6}
7 
8func showSocialFeed(_ visible: Bool) {
9    print("Social feed visibility: \(visible)")
10}
11 
12func configureSocialFeatures(userAgeRange: AgeRange) {
13    if userAgeRange.isUnderThirteen {
14        // Under 13: social feed, comments, discover tab disabled
15        showSocialFeed(false)
16    } else {
17        showSocialFeed(true)
18    }
19}

Step-by-step update in App Store Connect

You reach the Age Ratings setting from the App Information page. Apple's official help page lists the steps as follows:

1. Open your app in App Store Connect and go to the App Information page.
2. Under the Age Ratings section, click the "Set Up Age Ratings" button — "Below Age Ratings, click the Set Up Age Ratings button."
3. Fill out the questionnaire: answer all sections, including content types, gambling/chance elements, and now the social media capability questions.
4. Apple suggests a calculated rating. If needed, you can move to a higher rating with the "Override to Higher Age Rating" option — "choose Override to Higher Age Rating and select the appropriate rating from the menu."
5. Save and continue with the rest of your submission.

You can't skip this step: "An Unrated app can't be published on the App Store." An app with a blank rating can't be published on the App Store — it can only be published on alternative marketplaces or websites.

Pay attention to your role — not everyone can change this setting: "Required role: Account Holder, Admin, App Manager, or Marketing." Clarifying in advance who on your team has access to this setting prevents submission delays.

1# Quick checklist before your next submission in
2# App Store Connect — you can add this to your CI/CD
3# process before the notarization step.
4echo "[ ] Is the Age Ratings questionnaire up to date?"
5echo "[ ] Have the social media questions been answered?"
6echo "[ ] If social features are disabled for under-13, is the Declared Age Range API integrated?"
7echo "[ ] Have regional (AU/BR/VN/KR) content descriptors been checked?"

When discussing regional differences within your team, keeping the four countries in a single reference structure makes your job easier. A simple JSON note like the following can be added to your team documentation to track which legal basis applies in which country:

1{
2  "australia": {
3    "legalBasis": "Computer games classification guidelines",
4    "socialMediaEffect": "Regional 16+ rating"
5  },
6  "brazil": {
7    "legalBasis": "MJSP (Brazilian Ministry of Justice and Public Security)",
8    "socialMediaEffect": "Regional A16 rating"
9  },
10  "vietnam": {
11    "legalBasis": "Decree 147, Article 38",
12    "socialMediaEffect": "Regional 16+ rating"
13  },
14  "southKorea": {
15    "legalBasis": "Apple regional rating values (Korea)",
16    "socialMediaEffect": "Regional 15+ rating"
17  }
18}

Checklist to avoid rejection

• Honest questionnaire: Answer based on what your app _currently_ offers, not on "maybe we'll add it someday" — the misrepresentation risk is explicitly defined in section 2.3.6.
• Read the social feature definition correctly: Even if you're not a classic social network, any mechanism that redistributes/amplifies user content in a feed (comment feed, discover tab, share feature) can fall into scope.
• Clarify the under-13 scenario: If you're going to disable social features for this age group, implement it technically with the Declared Age Range API, not just as a setting.
• Don't forget regional differences: In Australia and Vietnam, social media capability directly triggers 16+; in Brazil, it triggers regional A16; in South Korea, the regional 15+ category kicks in (see the Update section).
• Use override if needed: If the calculated rating looks too low, you can raise it yourself with "Override to Higher Age Rating" — this isn't a penalty, it's a preventive step.
• Don't miss the September 2026 window: The requirement is clear at the month level; plan your next submission or notarization request to be ready for this change.
• Inform your team: Only Account Holder, Admin, App Manager, or Marketing roles can change the Age Ratings setting — make sure that person's access is ready on submission day; requesting a role at the last minute delays the submission.
• Don't forget alternative distribution: The same questionnaire requirement applies to apps going through notarization; include alternative marketplace distribution in this checklist too, not just classic App Store submission.

FAQ

How did App Store age ratings change in 2026?

On July 9, 2026, Apple added new social media questions to the age rating questionnaire in App Store Connect; these questions ask whether the app redistributes user content through a social feed. Starting September 2026, answering these questions became mandatory for new app and update submissions, as well as for alternative distribution notarization.

Which apps does the social media descriptor apply to?

According to Apple's definition, any app that redistributes, amplifies, or allows interaction with user-generated content through a social feed or similar discovery mechanism can fall into this scope — not just classic social networks, but also apps with comment/share/discover features. Apps that flag this capability automatically receive a minimum 13+ rating and are shown with the Social Media label on the product page.

What should I do about regional rating differences?

In Australia, local classification guidelines, and in Vietnam, Decree 147 Article 38, mean that social media capability directly triggers a regional 16+ rating; in Brazil, it triggers a regional A16 rating. In South Korea, social media capability falls into the regional 15+ category; see the Update section for the RCN-based GRAC override mechanism introduced on August 12, 2026.

What happens if I fill out the questionnaire incorrectly?

Per App Review Guidelines section 2.3.6, an incorrect rating can lead to user complaints or an inquiry from government regulators. More broadly, misleading metadata can lead to app removal under section 2.3.1a, and repeated violations can lead to removal from the Apple Developer Program under section 2.3.1b.

How do I disable social features for users under 13?

Just turning off the setting isn't enough; Apple requires you to at least use the Declared Age Range API to technically verify the user's age range. Once this integration is complete, your app can be exempted from the Social Media time category for users under 13.

Who can change the Age Ratings setting?

According to Apple's help page, only team members with the Account Holder, Admin, App Manager, or Marketing role can update the Age Ratings setting in App Store Connect.

Update (September 2026)

Two concrete developments have occurred between this article's initial publish date (July 24, 2026) and today. The timeline below summarizes at a glance which stage the process was at on which date:

August 12, 2026 — South Korea-specific GRAC override. Apple announced a separate mechanism for South Korea: "starting today, if your app has received an official rating from the Game Rating and Administration Committee (GRAC), you can now override your app's existing age rating for the App Store in Korea to any of the region-specific ratings (All, 12+, 15+, or 19+) by providing your GRAC Rating Classification Number (RCN) with your app's next version submission." So you can move your app's current rating on the App Store in Korea to one of the regional values (All, 12+, 15+, or 19+); to do this, you need to provide your GRAC Rating Classification Number (RCN) with your next version submission. The same announcement also clarifies the scope of Korea's regional rating: "apps in the Games and Entertainment categories distributed on the App Store in Korea." The same announcement also planned a change for October 2026: "starting in October 2026, two content descriptors will move from an age rating of All to 12+ for the App Store in Korea" — meaning two content descriptors ("Infrequent profanity and crude humor" and "Infrequent mature or suggestive themes") will move from All to 12+ starting in October. This step hasn't happened yet.

September 2026 — the requirement is now in effect. Since the July announcement said the social media questions would be "mandatory starting September 2026," and September 2026 has now started, this requirement is now in effect. Since Apple doesn't give a day-level date in its official text, you need to plan the requirement at the month level: keep the social media section of the questionnaire filled out for every new version you submit in September.

Conclusion

With the requirement that kicked in during September 2026, you'll need to answer the social media questions on your next submission or update. The three most critical steps: fill out the questionnaire based on current behavior, integrate the Declared Age Range API if there's an under-13 scenario, and check regional differences in advance (especially the 16+ trigger in Australia and Vietnam).

You can check out our other related guides on this topic: App Store Optimization (ASO) covers the discoverability side of your app, while iOS Privacy Compliance & ATT and iOS Privacy Manifests and App Tracking 2026 cover the compliance side in depth. For Apple's EU-specific changes, see our Apple EU New Terms: What Changes on October 1, 2026? article, and for parallel changes on the subscription side, see the App Store Connect Subscriptions: Offer Codes, Family Sharing, Winback guide.

Sources

• Apple Developer News — Age rating questionnaire update — the July 9, 2026 announcement explaining the added social media questions and the September 2026 requirement.
• Apple Developer News — Time Allowances — June 8, 2026, covering the Time Allowances feature in iOS/iPadOS/macOS 27 and the pre-announcement of the questionnaire update.
• Apple Developer News — Korea GRAC update — August 12, 2026, the South Korea-specific GRAC override mechanism and the October 2026 content descriptor plan.
• Age Ratings: Values and Definitions — App Store Connect Help — reference page for global and regional (Australia, Brazil, Vietnam, Korea) rating categories.
• Set an App Age Rating — App Store Connect Help — step-by-step instructions for the Age Ratings setting and required roles.
• App Store Review Guidelines — sections 2.3.1 and 2.3.6, on the consequences of misrepresentation and misleading metadata.