MobileNov 3, 2026, 5:57 AM UTC·1 min read

Apple Makes Developers Disclose Location Sharing and Dating Features

From November 16, Apple will ask developers to declare location sharing and dating features so the App Store can assign correct age ratings, with a January 2027 deadline.

An iPhone showing the App Store with a map pin and heart icons representing location sharing and dating app disclosures. — Image: MacRumors

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Apple will require developers to disclose whether their apps include real-world location sharing or dating features, starting November 16. The company says the information will be used to assign appropriate age ratings in the App Store.

What the new disclosures cover

The Dating and Relationships disclosure applies to any app that lets users form dating or relationship connections. That includes connections with a real person as well as with a virtual companion that engages in sexual or romantic content, according to Apple.

Apps that declare Dating and Relationships must carry a minimum age rating of 18+. The Shared Location disclosure works differently: in some regions, apps that share location may not see any change to their minimum age rating.

Brazil has stricter rules

In Brazil, apps are required to hold an A16 rating for Shared Location and A18 for Dating and Relationships. Apps that may qualify for a lower rating, such as one that offers location sharing between parents and children, can request a rating from Brazil's Ministry of Justice and Public Security.

Deadline for developers

Developers must submit both the Shared Location and the Dating and Relationships disclosures through App Store Connect by January 12, 2027. That leaves roughly two months after the questions go live on November 16.

For developers of social, family-safety and AI companion apps, the change means checking how their features are classified before the deadline, since a dating declaration brings an automatic 18+ floor. For users and parents, it should make age ratings a more reliable guide to apps that involve meeting people or sharing where they are.