Important for developers: Apple overhauls parental rating system
As part of the new "Family Tools" for smarter family mapping, Apple is overhauling its rating system. Developers need to take action.
New rating system in the App Store: Apple rebuilds family tools.
(Image: Apple/Kollage heise medien)
Anyone developing apps for the App Store should take a look at Apple's age rating system ahead of the rollout of new parental control functions under iOS 26. The company warns in its developer blog that there will be some changes in the future. If these are not observed, this could mean that apps will be removed from the range.
New age groups, new questions
Apple's new system requires a new questionnaire to be completed for each app. If this has already been processed, the parental rating should have been set automatically, but this does not always seem to work and should be checked. What's more: In future, App Store Connect will also ask which in-app control options exist, the basic capabilities of an app and whether there is content on the topics of medicine and wellness as well as violent content in an app or game. The questions must be answered by the end of January 2026.
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Apple continues to emphasize that apps must comply with youth protection laws and data protection regulations such as the GDPR. This also applies to integrated AI assistance systems and chatbots. Further age classifications are also new. In future, 4+, 9+, 13+, 16+ and 18+ will be possible. These will be adapted depending on the country or region and the legal situation there. The rating system has already been implemented in the beta versions of iOS 26, iPadOS 26, macOS 26, tvOS 26, watchOS 26 and visionOS 26.
Apple promises improvements for parents
With iOS 26, macOS 26 and Co. there are new features for managing a family group, including an age check, and it will be possible to share age information securely with apps. There are also control options including corresponding frameworks (which third-party apps still have to implement) to determine which chat partners are permitted in communication apps for children.
Apple now also automatically switches on functions such as screen time for children's accounts and should make it easier for Apple to guide children through parental control functions. iOS 26 and Co. are expected to be released in September and a public beta is currently running.
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