---
title: "Apple adds location and dating content descriptors to App Store Connect"
description: "Developers must declare location sharing and dating features from 16 November. Dating apps get a minimum 18+ rating, with stricter ratings in Brazil."
url: https://mactoreality.com/apple-adds-location-and-dating-content-descriptors-to-app-store-connect
published: 2026-11-04T01:01:05Z
updated: 2026-11-04T01:01:14.000Z
author: "Mac to Reality Newsdesk"
category: News
tags: ["Apps","Regulation & legal"]
publisher: Mac to Reality
ai_assisted: true
apple_heat_impact: 0
---

# Apple adds location and dating content descriptors to App Store Connect

*Developers must declare location sharing and dating features from 16 November. Dating apps get a minimum 18+ rating, with stricter ratings in Brazil.*

**Key points**

- Apple will introduce two new content descriptors, Shared Location and Dating and Relationships, in App Store Connect from 16 November 2026.
- Developers must complete declarations for both descriptors by 12 January 2027, with Dating and Relationships features receiving a minimum age rating of 18+.
- In Brazil, Shared Location requires an A16 rating and Dating and Relationships requires A18, though developers can appeal for a lower rating.

Apple announced on 2 November that it will add two new content descriptors to App Store Connect from 16 November 2026. The descriptors, Shared Location and Dating and Relationships, require developers to declare whether their app shares a user’s real-world location with others or enables dating, relationships or romantic content with a virtual companion.

Developers must make the declarations when submitting an update or changing their age rating questionnaire. All existing and new apps must have them completed by 12 January 2027. Apps with Dating and Relationships features will receive a minimum age rating of 18+. Shared Location may not affect the minimum rating in some regions.

Image: Mac to Reality / Apple

## Brazil has stricter rules

In Brazil, local regulations require an A16 rating for Shared Location and A18 for Dating and Relationships. Developers who believe their app qualifies for a lower rating, for example location sharing designed for parents and children, can request an official rating from the Ministry of Justice and Public Security (MJSP), which will then show on the Brazilian App Store.

### Background

- 16 November 2026: the two new descriptors appear in App Store Connect.
- 12 January 2027: deadline for all apps to complete the declarations.
- Dating and Relationships: minimum age rating 18+ everywhere.
- Brazil: A16 for Shared Location, A18 for Dating and Relationships.

## Why it matters

In our view, the new descriptors are the latest step in Apple’s push towards age-appropriate access. The company recently updated its App Review Guidelines and detailed a selfie-based adult age-verification system. The 18+ floor for dating apps could reshape the category, particularly for apps that previously targeted younger users.

## Sources

- [Apple Developer: Upcoming: New age rating content descriptors in App Store Connect](https://developer.apple.com/news/?id=yxkh08us)

*This report was written by the Mac to Reality newsdesk with AI assistance from the sources listed above, under the editorial policy at https://mactoreality.com/editorial-policy.*