Apple’s New App Rating Questions Start November 16. Here’s Who Should Prepare

A small questionnaire update can touch a surprisingly large product surface. A location feature may live in a family safety setting, a social app, a delivery tool or a game; the developer still has to decide whether the app shares real-world location with another person or group.

Apple announced on November 2 that two new content descriptors will appear in App Store Connect starting November 16: Shared Location, defined as sharing real-world location with another person or group, and Dating and Relationships, covering dating or relationship connections between real people or a virtual companion engaging in sexual or romantic content. Apple says every app must complete these declarations by January 12, 2027. [^[1] ]

The announcement says apps that include Dating and Relationships receive a minimum 18+ rating. Shared Location may not affect the rating in some regions. Brazil is a specific exception: Apple says local rules require A16 for Shared Location and A18 for Dating and Relationships, with a process to request an official lower rating for qualifying apps. [^[1] ]

The deadline is about accurate declarations

Age ratings inform users and parental controls, so a feature should be assessed by what it lets people do, not only by the name the product team chose. A “check-in” function might share a user’s current location with a group. A “companion” feature may or may not provide romantic interaction. Product, trust and safety, legal and App Store owners should review the behavior together and record the interpretation.

Apple’s age-rating reference explains that developers answer questions about content descriptors and capabilities, and App Store Connect generates ratings from those answers. Ratings can vary by region and operating system version. [^[2] ] This makes a rushed blanket answer risky: an inaccurate response can mislead families or cause an unexpected regional classification.

Build a feature inventory before opening the form

List all active apps, including those with infrequent releases, and identify where location can be shared with another person or group. Include live location, location-based social activity, family or caregiver sharing, and integrations that pass a person’s location to another user. Review the product’s actual configuration options, not just its default state. If a feature is disabled in one market or available only behind an age gate, capture that fact for the team completing the questionnaire.

For Dating and Relationships, review both human-to-human features and virtual companions. Apple’s description explicitly includes a virtual companion that engages users in sexual or romantic content. A general-purpose assistant is not automatically such a companion; the relevant question is what relationship interaction the product enables. Teams should avoid over- or under-classifying based on a broad “AI” label.

Assign one accountable owner to submit the declarations, with product and policy reviewers available to resolve edge cases. Keep a short record of the decision and the evidence considered. That record will help if a feature changes or another team updates the app later.

Check regional consequences

Apple’s announcement distinguishes the global descriptor from local rating effects. Shared Location may not alter the rating in some regions, but Brazil has stated A16 and A18 requirements for the two descriptors. Apple says developers who believe a Brazil-specific lower rating applies—for example, location sharing designed specifically for parents and children—can seek an official rating from Brazil’s Ministry of Justice and Public Security. [^[1] ]

This is why teams should not translate “declaration” into “same rating everywhere.” Apple’s reference pages describe regional rating systems and how age ratings appear across operating system versions. [^[2] ] If a local exception may apply, verify the current process in App Store Connect and through the relevant official authority; do not assume a product team’s own classification overrides the regional rule.

A simple preparation timeline

Before November 16, inventory apps and feature behavior, then identify who can access each app’s App Store Connect record. Once the new fields appear, review the exact wording in the questionnaire and compare it with the documented product assessment. Complete declarations well before January 12, leaving time to resolve access or interpretation questions. Revisit the answers when the app adds or materially changes sharing or relationship features.

Apple’s dates and definitions are the authoritative guide; this article does not provide legal advice or determine how any individual app should be classified. The useful action is operational: make the decision deliberate, documented and owned. A checklist is small work, but only if the team discovers every app that needs it in time.

For another developer-facing Apple change, see our coverage of subscription retention messages and new multi-seat subscription features.