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Tech · Cupertino

Apple will require an 18-plus rating for dating apps and romantic AI companions

Developers must add the new content descriptors starting Nov. 16. The rule covers apps whose romantic features are only part of the product.

By West Coast News staff ·
Apple Park in Cupertino
Apple Park in Cupertino, California.

Apple told developers on Monday it is changing App Store rules so dating apps and AI companions with sexual or romantic content are harder for minors to use, TechCrunch reported. Every app that offers dating or romantic-relationship features will need an 18-plus rating. Starting Nov. 16, developers must add content descriptors so the age rating matches the features. The change follows Apple's wider age-assurance tools and parental controls.

The rule also covers AI companion apps such as Character.AI and Replika, and cases where a romantic companion is only one feature. As of last summer, the top AI companion apps on the App Store and Google Play had been downloaded 220 million times combined, TechCrunch noted.

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