Apple is changing its App Store rules so apps with dating or romantic relationship features must carry an 18+ age rating. The company announced the change to developers on Monday, according to TechCrunch. Starting November 16, developers must also add content descriptors so an app’s rating reflects those features.
The rule could affect AI companion apps that let people create romantic partners or engage in sexual or romantic conversations. TechCrunch names Character.AI and Replika as examples of apps that offer AI companions, but Apple’s policy applies based on an app’s features, not the examples named in the story.
What else must apps disclose?
Apple is also adding a content descriptor for apps that share a user’s real-world location with another person or group. The company says family location-sharing apps in Brazil can request an official rating from the Ministry of Justice and Public Security instead of using the A16 rating required by local law.
The new labels sit alongside other child-safety changes Apple has made, including a global rollout of age-assurance technology and additional parental controls and safety features. The TechCrunch report does not say whether Apple’s new 18+ rating will automatically prevent a minor from downloading every affected app, or what checks will be used to enforce it.
Why AI companion apps are in focus
Dating services already commonly limit their platforms to adults, TechCrunch notes. AI companions make the policy more consequential beyond traditional dating: users can create characters described as friends, lovers, boyfriends or girlfriends. Some companion apps also include other features, so developers will need to account for romantic functions when assigning ratings.
The scale is significant, though the available figure covers both Apple’s App Store and Google Play: top AI companion apps had been downloaded 220 million times worldwide as of last summer. xAI also launched animated AI companions with NSFW capabilities last year. Apple’s rule does not, by itself, establish which individual apps will be affected; that depends on the features each app offers and how Apple applies its rating policy.
Why it matters
For parents and younger App Store users, dating and romance features will be labeled as adult content, including when they appear inside an AI companion app. The policy requires an 18+ rating, but the report does not establish that the rating alone will block minors from accessing every affected app or explain how enforcement will work.
