App Store and Google Play age ratings: what drives them

In App Store Connect, under App Information, you answer the age rating questionnaire: first the in-app controls and capabilities your app has, then the frequency of each type of content. Apple turns the answers into a global age rating plus region-specific ratings where required, and the rating shows on the App Store in each country or region and stays the same across platforms. Apple notes that ratings can vary by OS version, with the current values applying to devices on iOS 26 and the matching releases of its other platforms. An Unrated app cannot be published on the App Store, though it may be published on alternative app marketplaces or websites.

Several product features, not just content, set the rating. Apple’s 4+ rating can still include parental controls, age assurance, user-generated content, messaging and chat, advertising and infrequent contests. Loot boxes, health and wellness topics and infrequent cartoon violence point to 9+. A social media feed, or social media disabled for users under 13, points to 13+, as do frequent contests and infrequent simulated gambling. Unrestricted web access, such as an embedded browser, points to 16+, as does frequent medical or treatment information. Real-money gambling, frequent simulated gambling and frequent realistic violence point to 18+. In Australia, social media and loot boxes lead to a 16+ regional rating, and infrequent simulated gambling to R 18+. If a feature raises your rating above your audience, that is a product decision to make before launch, not after.

If your app is for a specific age category, has a EULA with age requirements, or you believe it should be rated higher, you can choose Override to Higher Age Rating; the App Store shows that rating while the content descriptions still reflect your answers, and if your EULA sets a minimum age above Apple’s calculated rating you must override to match. If your calculated rating is 4+ or 9+, you can choose Made for Kids with an age range to appear in the Kids category; that choice cannot be changed once App Review approves the app, and every later update must follow the Kids category guidelines. Marketing to children is covered in how to market a kids app.

On Google Play you fill in the rating questionnaire under Policy > App content in Play Console, and independent rating authorities assign ratings from your answers, each with its own methodology; outside regions with their own authorities, IARC Generic Ratings apply. The questionnaire is required for new apps, for active apps that lack a rating, and for updates that change content or features in ways that would change your answers. Google says misrepresenting your app’s content may lead to removal or suspension, and rating authorities may change a rating after review. If you object to a rating, you appeal to the authority through the link in your certificate email.

Google says ratings are used, where legally required, to block or filter content in some territories or for some users. In the European Economic Area, Australia, Brazil, Singapore, Switzerland and the United Kingdom, for users determined to be minors, Google Play blocks the purchase of mature content such as 18+ apps and filters it from search and browse pages, except through deep links. Ads shown in your app, and the offers they promote, must also be appropriate for your app’s content rating, so set your ad network’s filters to match. Google also asks you to include the assigned rating when advertising your app in each region. Apple, for its part, requires icons, screenshots and previews to fit a 4+ rating even when the app is rated higher, as covered in how to market a mobile game.

Censuus ranks apps by the real visit traffic they draw on the web. Adding your app is free on the submit page, and it can rise on the visits it earns. Sponsorship raises placement and adds a followed link to your website; details are on the sponsor page. For the rest of launch preparation, see the app launch checklist. We do not promise downloads or store rankings, and this guide is not legal advice.