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Apple announced a series of new initiatives Thursday aimed at helping parents and developers create safer digital environments for kids and teens. Along with simplifying the setup process for child accounts, parents will now be able to share information about their children’s ages, allowing app developers to provide more age-appropriate content.
The App Store will also feature a new set of age ratings designed to give developers and users a clearer understanding of an app’s suitability for specific age groups. Product pages for third-party apps will soon include additional details to help parents make informed decisions—such as whether the app includes ads, user-generated content, or its own parental controls.
“These updates will roll out to parents and developers later this year,” Apple said.
The changes come amid ongoing national and state-level debates over how tech companies should protect children online. Nine U.S. states, including Utah and South Carolina, have recently proposed bills requiring app store operators to verify children’s ages and obtain parental consent before minors can download apps.
Apple has long advocated for app developers to handle age verification themselves, while companies like Meta have argued that app store operators should manage the process, given their direct access to user information.
Apple’s latest system represents a middle ground. The company will collect children’s age data directly from parents while requiring third-party developers to use that information to design age-appropriate experiences.
Simpler Setup for Child Accounts
Apple’s new setup flow for child accounts—required for children under 13 and optional for minors up to 18—makes the process smoother for families.
Parents can now select their child’s age range and verify their identity by confirming an existing credit card on file, rather than re-entering payment information manually.
If a parent isn’t available during setup, the child can still start using the device. Apple will automatically apply age-based web filters and allow access only to preinstalled apps like Notes, Pages, and Keynote. Neither Apple nor developers can collect the child’s data without parental consent during this stage.
When the child first visits the App Store and attempts to download an app, they’ll receive a reminder to ask their parent to complete setup.
Once setup is complete, the child can use Apple services with the content and app restrictions defined by their parent.
New Age Range API for Developers
Instead of asking children to manually enter their birthdays, developers can now use a new Declared Age Range API to access the age range information that parents provide during account setup. Parents can correct or revoke this data at any time.
Through the API, developers receive an age range—such as 9–12 or 13–15—without learning the child’s specific birthdate.
If an app requests age information, the child will see a pop-up asking permission to share it—similar to existing prompts for camera, microphone, or location access.
Apple says this approach is “more effective,” since “kids often lie about their birthday to access an app’s full experience.”
Developers must opt in to use the API, but future legislation could make its adoption mandatory for certain app categories.
Expanded Age Ratings on the App Store
Apple is also updating the App Store’s existing age rating system. Currently, apps are labeled 4+, 9+, 12+, or 17+. The new framework adds more detail, breaking down teen users into 13+, 16+, and 18+ categories while keeping the younger ranges intact.
Apple says an app’s rating is determined by developer responses about its content and the intensity or frequency of that material.
“This will help parents better determine if an app their child requests is age-appropriate,” the company explained. “If content restrictions are enabled, kids are prevented from downloading or updating apps that exceed their age range.”
In addition, age-restricted apps will not appear in curated sections like Today, Games, or Apps when a child is browsing.
Several of these new features for child accounts are available in the public beta of iOS 18.4. The ability to modify a child’s age after account creation, along with the Declared Age Range API and new App Store ratings, will launch later this year.
In response to Apple’s announcement, a Meta spokesperson described the update as “a positive first step,” but noted that “developers can only apply these age-appropriate protections with a teen’s approval.”
“Parents tell us they want to have the final say over the apps their teens use,” the spokesperson added, “and that’s why we support legislation that requires app stores to verify a child’s age and get a parent’s approval before their child downloads an app.”
