Apple Expands App Store Age Ratings with New 13+, 16+, and 18+ Tiers

Apple revamps App Store age ratings to 13+, 16+, and 18+, improving child safety and parental controls for iOS, iPadOS, and more.
Matilda
Apple Expands App Store Age Ratings with New 13+, 16+, and 18+ Tiers
Apple Expands App Store Age Ratings for Better Child Safety Apple has officially expanded its App Store age-rating system to offer parents more precise control over the apps their children can access. The new age tiers—13+, 16+, and 18+—replace the older 12+ and 17+ designations, joining the existing 4+ and 9+ categories. This updated system is rolling out across all beta versions of Apple’s upcoming OS releases, including iOS 26, iPadOS 26, macOS Tahoe 26, and others. The move is part of Apple’s broader effort to strengthen digital child safety while offering developers clearer guidelines on content classification. With these changes, users and developers alike are wondering how the updated age rating system on the App Store will impact app visibility, downloads, and user experience. Image : Google App Store age ratings —has taken on renewed importance as Apple enforces stricter content disclosures and automatic enforcement mechanisms. Developers are now required to answer a more compreh…