Apple has updated the App Store Connect age rating questionnaire to include new questions about whether an app or game offers social media capabilities. The change, announced through Apple Developer News on July 9, 2026, is part of Apple’s broader rollout of Time Allowances across iOS 27, iPadOS 27, and macOS 27.
The update may look like a routine App Store Connect compliance change, but its implications are broader. Apple is connecting age ratings, parental controls, product page disclosures, and feature-level app classification more tightly than before. For developers and app marketers, this means that social features are no longer just product design choices — they can directly affect how an app is categorized, presented, and managed within Apple’s family safety ecosystem.
What Apple changed in App Store Connect
According to Apple, the age rating questionnaire now asks developers whether their app or game includes social media capabilities.
Apple defines a social media capability as the ability to redistribute, amplify, or interact with user-generated content through a social feed or a similar discovery method. This definition matters because Apple’s new Time Allowance category for Social Media is based on the app’s functionality, not simply the category selected in App Store Connect.
In other words, an app does not need to be listed under a traditional “Social Networking” category to be treated as having social media functionality. A game, entertainment app, creator tool, community platform, or content app could fall under the Social Media Time Allowance category if it includes qualifying social features.
Apps with these capabilities will also display a new Social Media content descriptor on their App Store product page.
September 2026 becomes the key deadline
Developers can review and answer the new questions now. However, beginning in September 2026, Apple says responses will be required when submitting new apps or app updates to the App Store.
The requirement will also apply when submitting apps for notarization for alternative distribution.
This gives developers a limited window to audit their apps, especially if they operate in categories where social mechanics are blended into broader experiences. Games with public feeds, apps with user-generated discovery surfaces, or platforms where users can amplify content may need closer review before the September submission requirement takes effect.
How this connects to Apple’s Time Allowances
Apple first introduced Time Allowances in June 2026 as part of its upcoming child safety and parental control updates for iOS 27, iPadOS 27, and macOS 27.
Time Allowances are designed to give parents more flexible ways to manage how much time children spend in different app categories, including Entertainment, Games, and Social Media. Apple says these allowances are developed based on expert research and tailored to a child’s age, while still allowing parents to adjust settings manually.
For Entertainment and Games, Apple says apps will be placed into Time Allowance categories based on the primary or secondary category selected in App Store Connect.
Social Media works differently. Apple will determine whether an app belongs in the Social Media Time Allowance category based on whether the app offers social media capabilities, regardless of its App Store category.
That distinction is important for developers. The App Store category used for discovery and ranking is no longer the only classification signal that matters. Functional attributes inside the app can now influence how Apple’s parental control systems treat the app.
What happens if social media features are disabled for children under 13?
Apple provides an important exception. If a developer indicates that an app includes social media capabilities but disables those capabilities for users under 13, the app will not be included in the Social Media Time Allowance category for users under 13.
However, Apple says developers choosing this option will need to use the Declared Age Range API, at minimum, to check users’ age ranges.
In this scenario, the app’s overall age rating will still depend on the rest of the age rating questionnaire. Apple notes that such apps may receive a rating lower than 13+ if their full questionnaire responses support it. However, the app may still be grouped under Games or Entertainment Time Allowances depending on its App Store Connect category, and it will remain in the Social Media category for users aged 13 and above.
For apps serving mixed-age audiences, this creates a more nuanced compliance path — but also a more complex product and engineering requirement.
Why developers should pay attention now
This update is not only about filling out another App Store Connect form. It signals a wider platform shift toward age-aware app experiences.
Apple is also expanding child safety features such as Child Accounts, Ask to Browse, redesigned Screen Time, and Time Allowances. At the same time, Google Play has been preparing developer tools such as the Play Age Signals API in response to age verification and parental approval requirements in certain U.S. states.
The broader direction is clear: app stores are increasingly becoming part of the age assurance and child safety infrastructure. Developers may need to treat age-related functionality, parental permissions, and content descriptors as ongoing product requirements rather than one-time compliance tasks.
For app teams, the practical next steps include:
- Reviewing whether the app contains social feeds, public discovery surfaces, or user-generated content amplification features.
- Checking whether social features are available to users under 13.
- Evaluating whether the Declared Age Range API is needed.
- Preparing App Store Connect questionnaire updates before September 2026.
- Reviewing App Store product page messaging if the new Social Media descriptor applies.
- Coordinating product, legal, engineering, and marketing teams before submitting updates.
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