Apple is requiring all dating apps and AI companion apps with sexual or romantic content to carry an 18+ rating on its App Store starting November 16. Developers must add new content descriptors to reflect these features in their app ratings.
The policy targets apps like Character.AI, Replika, and other AI companion platforms that let users create romantic partners or lovers. xAI launched 3D animated AI companions last year with unlockable NSFW capabilities. Top AI companion apps across Apple's App Store and Google Play have been downloaded 220 million times globally as of last summer.
Apple is also requiring apps to disclose if they share a user's real-world location with other people or groups. The company noted that in Brazil, family location-sharing apps can request ratings from the government's Ministry of Justice and Public Security instead of the standard A16 rating.