Apple has mandated 18+ verification for app downloads in Australia, Brazil and Singapore unless the users confirm they are adults. The order is in line with expansion of the Global AgeGate Laws which mandated Big Tech companies to to restrict underaged users from gaining access to adult social media platforms.
The change started on February 24, 2026, as the company also expanded its age verification tools for developers in Brazil and two US states of Utah and Louisiana. The update affects how age categories are shared between users and app developers. Apple said it is rolling out new features through its Declared Age Range API, which is now available in beta.
The tool allows developers to request a user’s age category without accessing personal data such as date of birth. In Brazil, developers can use the updated API to obtain a user’s age category, which will only be shared if the user, or a parent or guardian, agrees while the API will also return a signal from the user’s device about the method of age assurance.
While the App Store will carry out that confirmation automatically, Apple, however, noted that developers might still have separate legal duties to verify users under local law. In Brazil, developers who identify their apps as containing loot boxes through Apple’s age rating questionnaire will see their app ratings updated to 18+ on the Brazil storefront.
The decision followed complaints by lawmakers in the country about gamblinglike features in games. For users with new Apple accounts in Utah from May 6, 2026, and in Louisiana from July 1, 2026, age categories will be shared with developers’ apps when requested through the ‘Declared Age Range API.’
Apple said it had expanded its existing tools to help developers meet legal requirements in both states. These tools include the Declared Age Range API, the Significant Change API under PermissionKit, a new age rating property type in StoreKit, and App Store Server Notifications. “New signals are now available through the Declared Age Range API, including whether age-related regulatory requirements apply to the user and if the user is required to share their age range.
“The API will also let you know if you need to get a parent or guardian’s permission for significant app updates for a child,” the company said. Developers can use the API to present important update notifications to adults in Utah and Louisiana through what Apple calls the Significant Update Action, which remains in beta.
When releasing a significant update, developers must follow Apple’s Human Interface Guidelines and provide a clear description of the changes. Apple previously worked to meet similar age-assurance requirements in Texas in October last year, but later paused parts of the plan in December after the state law faced a court challenge.
