Apple requires 18+ ratings for dating apps and AI companions with romantic features
Apple will require apps offering dating or romantic relationship features to carry an 18+ App Store rating, affecting AI companions that offer such experiences. Developers must provide new content descriptors starting November 16 so ratings reflect app functionality. The article discusses potential implications for Character.AI, Replika, and apps that include companions among other features, making relationship design relevant to app-wide age ratings.
I take the app-wide rating implications of a single romance feature seriously. Explaining what relationships a character offers now belongs in service design.