Apples new 18+ app limits mean little for dating apps, a lot for AI companions

Apple will require all apps with dating and relationship features, including AI companions with sexual or romantic content, to carry a minimum 18+ age rating in App Store Connect starting Nov. 16, and developers must also disclose whether their app enables real-time location sharing. The change is incremental for dating apps like Tinder, Hinge and Bumble, which already restrict users to 18 and over, but its effect on minors' use of AI companions from Replika, Nomi and the now-bankrupt Character.AI is less clear; a 2025 Common Sense Media survey of U.S. teens ages 13 to 17 found 52 percent regularly use AI companions and 33 percent use them for social interaction and relationships.

Apple's new 18+ app limits mean little for dating apps, a lot for AI companions Shannon Connellan https://mashable.com/author/shannon-connellan Shannon Connellan https://www.shannonconnellan.com/ is Mashable's Senior Editor, General Assignments, based in London. She has been Mashable's UK Editor and still manages the illustrious UK team and Australia Editor, but emotionally, she lives searching for . A https://mashable.com/article/exit-8-review Exit 8 Tomatometer-approved critic https://www.rottentomatoes.com/critics/shannon-connellan/movies , Shannon writes about entertainment, tech, social good, science, culture, and Australian horror https://mashable.com/article/best-australian-horror-movies , and loves to nerd out https://mashable.com/video/oppenheimer-matt-damon-emily-blunt with movie stars https://mashable.com/video/hamnet-jessie-buckley-paul-mescal , filmmakers https://mashable.com/video/rye-lane-restaurant-scene-meeting-ex , and TV creators https://mashable.com/video/dreaming-whilst-black-adjani-salmon-interview . Read Full Bio https://mashable.com/author/shannon-connellan Apple https://mashable.com/category/apple wants to make sure dating apps https://mashable.com/roundup/best-dating-apps-2026-hands-on-tested and AI companions https://mashable.com/article/ai-companion-boyfriend-girlfriend with "sexual or romantic content" are only for people over 18, with new restrictions coming Nov. 16. Though most dating platforms like Tinder https://mashable.com/article/what-is-tinder-questions-answered , Hinge https://mashable.com/article/does-hinge-have-read-receipts-and-other-questions-answered , Bumble https://mashable.com/article/how-does-bumble-work-is-it-free are already strictly for users over 18, Apple's updated policy https://developer.apple.com/news/?id=yxkh08us requires all apps that include dating and relationship features to have a minimum 18+ age rating in App Store Connect, Apple's command centre for developers managing iOS apps. Devs will also have to disclose whether their app enables real-time location sharing. Mandatory age rating is a rather incremental update for dating apps, which as mentioned, are usually restricted to users over 18 by the developers themselves. However, as TechCrunch rightly points out https://techcrunch.com/2026/11/03/apple-restricts-dating-apps-and-ai-companions-to-users-18-and-up/ , one of the more indeterminate impacts of Apple's policy could be that on minors' use of AI companions. Artificial intelligence companions from the likes of Replika, Nomi, https://mashable.com/article/ai-companion-boyfriend-girlfriend and the now bankrupt Character.AI https://mashable.com/tech/character-ai-files-for-chapter-11-bankruptcy-puts-itself-up-for-sale , have been widely used by teens https://mashable.com/article/ai-companion-teens-safety for years https://mashable.com/article/ai-chatbot-companion . As Mashable's Rebecca Ruiz reports https://mashable.com/article/ai-companion-boyfriend-girlfriend , they're platforms specifically designed for emotional intimacy; a 2025 survey https://www.commonsensemedia.org/research/why-teens-use-ai-companions of U.S. teens ages 13 to 17 found that 52 percent regularly use AI companions, and 33 percent use them for social interaction and relationships, including friendship, role-playing, emotional support, and romantic interactions. However, experts have long said AI companions aren't safe for teens https://mashable.com/article/ai-companions-for-teens-unsafe under 18, with researchers at Common Sense Media a U.S. nonprofit providing technology analysis and guidance for parents rigorously testing Character.AI, Nomi, and Replika for a major 2025 report https://about.commonsensemedia.org/press-room/press-releases/ai-companions-decoded-common-sense-media-recommends-ai-companion-safety-standards . Terms of Use https://www.ziffdavis.com/terms-of-use and Privacy Policy https://www.ziffdavis.com/ztg-privacy-policy . James P. Steyer, the nonprofit's founder and CEO, said in a statement at the time https://about.commonsensemedia.org/press-room/press-releases/ai-companions-decoded-common-sense-media-recommends-ai-companion-safety-standards , "Social AI companions are not safe for kids. They are designed to create emotional attachment and dependency, which is particularly concerning for developing adolescent brains. Our testing showed these systems easily produce harmful responses including sexual misconduct, stereotypes, and dangerous 'advice' that, if followed, could have life-threatening or deadly real-world impact for teens and other vulnerable people." In the study, researchers found that "safety measures are easily circumvented," including age gates and terms of service restrictions on teen use. Common Sense Media has since published more research https://www.commonsensemedia.org/sites/default/files/research/report/talk-trust-and-trade-offs 2025 web.pdf criticising AI companion platforms for relying on "ineffective self reporting for age assurance." Replika CEO Dmytro Klochko told Mashable https://mashable.com/article/ai-companions-for-teens-unsafe in 2025 that the platform is intended only for users over 18 — and the company's Terms of Service https://replika.com/legal/terms/en?srsltid=AYCX9vL8jsqhhVfPAJjyGU9U6Is99VJxaWRyt9IDre HkmQRYxLMiqO9 confirms this — but as Ruiz writes, "Klochko acknowledged that some users attempt to bypass 'strict protocols' for preventing underage access." Whether Apple's new policy will adequately address such concerns is yet to be determined, as all apps must complete the declarations by Jan. 12, 2027. Meanwhile, the global debate https://mashable.com/article/all-the-states-and-countries-with-age-verification-laws over age verification https://mashable.com/article/ethical-age-verification-assurance remains one of the major topics concerning Big Tech and teens today — along with social media bans https://mashable.com/tech/social-media-ban-children-countries-list , of course. Want more tech and digital culture news delivered to your inbox daily or sent straight to your device? Sign up for Mashable's Top Stories newsletter https://mashable.com/newsletters or get Mashable push alerts https://mashable.com/life/how-to-set-up-mashable-push-notifications . Topics Apple https://mashable.com/category/apple Family & Parenting https://mashable.com/category/family-parenting Shannon Connellan https://www.shannonconnellan.com/ is Mashable's Senior Editor, General Assignments, based in London. She has been Mashable's UK Editor and still manages the illustrious UK team and Australia Editor, but emotionally, she lives searching for Exit 8 https://mashable.com/article/exit-8-review . A Tomatometer-approved critic https://www.rottentomatoes.com/critics/shannon-connellan/movies , Shannon writes about entertainment, tech, social good, science, culture, and Australian horror https://mashable.com/article/best-australian-horror-movies , and loves to nerd out https://mashable.com/video/oppenheimer-matt-damon-emily-blunt with movie stars https://mashable.com/video/hamnet-jessie-buckley-paul-mescal , filmmakers https://mashable.com/video/rye-lane-restaurant-scene-meeting-ex , and TV creators https://mashable.com/video/dreaming-whilst-black-adjani-salmon-interview .