How Do I Handle Age Restrictions in My App Store Listing?

Getting your age rating wrong can sink your app before it even launches—and I've seen it happen more times than I'd like to admit. Age restrictions aren't just a box to tick during submission; they determine who can download your app, how it appears in search results, and whether parents will trust it enough to let their kids use it. The rating you choose affects everything from your potential user base to your apps discoverability in the store, and here's the thing—once you submit with the wrong rating, fixing it means going through review again.

I mean, most developers I work with don't realise how much thought needs to go into this part of the submission process. They build a brilliant app, get all excited about launch day, then rush through the content rating questionnaire without really thinking about the implications. But those questions? They're designed to catch specific types of content that regulators and app stores take very seriously. Violence, profanity, gambling mechanics, user-generated content—each one can bump your rating up and limit your audience.

The age rating you select isn't just about compliance; its about setting accurate expectations for users and protecting your app from rejection or removal down the line.

What makes this tricky is that different stores have different systems. Apple uses their own rating system, Google has theirs, and if you're distributing globally you might need to deal with PEGI, ESRB, or other regional standards too. Each one asks slightly different questions and has different thresholds for what counts as "mild violence" versus "intense violence". And honestly? The lines can be pretty blurry sometimes. That's why understanding how age restrictions work—and how to navigate them properly—can save you weeks of back-and-forth with app review teams and prevent you from accidentally cutting off huge segments of your potential market.

Understanding Age Ratings and Why They Matter

Right, let's talk about age ratings—because getting this wrong can seriously limit who sees your app or worse, get you booted from the stores altogether. Age ratings aren't just a box to tick during submission; they're basically the gatekeepers that determine whether your app shows up in search results for millions of potential users. And here's the thing—both Apple and Google take this stuff incredibly seriously.

When you submit an app, you'll need to answer a questionnaire about your apps content. Things like violence, sexual content, language, gambling, that sort of thing. Based on your answers, the stores assign a rating—something like 4+, 9+, 12+, or 17+ on iOS, or Everyone, Teen, Mature on Android. These ratings tell parents (and the algorithm, honestly) who should be using your app.

But here's where it gets tricky—the rating you get directly affects your discoverability. Apps rated 17+ or Mature won't show up in searches when parental controls are enabled, and that can mean losing access to huge chunks of your potential audience. I mean, if you're building a fitness app and accidentally trigger a 17+ rating because you mentioned "gambling" in one throwaway feature, you've just cut yourself off from every family device with restrictions turned on. It's a bit mad really.

The other thing people don't realise? You can't just pick whatever rating you fancy. If Apple or Google finds content in your app that doesn't match your declared rating during review, they'll reject it outright. And if they find it after launch through user reports? They can pull your app entirely until you fix it. That's why understanding exactly what triggers different ratings is so important—and that's what we'll look at next.

The Different Rating Systems Across App Stores

Right, so this is where things get a bit confusing—because Apple and Google don't use the same rating system. They've each got their own approach, their own questionnaires, and their own way of deciding what age group your app is suitable for. Its like they didn't even talk to each other when they set these up!

Apple uses a straightforward age-based system in the App Store; you'll see ratings like 4+, 9+, 12+, and 17+. These numbers tell parents exactly what age group Apple thinks the app is appropriate for. When you submit your app through App Store Connect, you answer questions about content like violence, sexual content, profanity, and drug references—Apple then assigns your rating based on your answers. Simple enough, right? But here's the thing—you need to be honest because Apple will review your app and if they find content you didn't declare, they'll reject it or change your rating.

Google Play is different (of course it is). They use the IARC system, which stands for International Age Rating Coalition. Basically, you fill out a questionnaire and the system assigns ratings for different regions automatically. In the UK and Europe you'll see PEGI ratings (3, 7, 12, 16, 18), whilst in the US its ESRB ratings (Everyone, Teen, Mature), and other countries get their own regional equivalents. One questionnaire, multiple ratings—which sounds convenient until you realise that different regions might rate your content differently based on cultural standards.

Keep screenshots of your IARC questionnaire responses and Apples content declaration. If you ever need to update your app or dispute a rating, having proper documentation makes the process so much easier.

The questions both platforms ask are similar but not identical. They both want to know about violence, mature themes, user-generated content, and whether your app can access social features or make purchases. Google tends to ask more detailed questions about gambling and simulated gambling, whilst Apple focuses more on realistic violence versus cartoon violence. And honestly? The interpretation can be subjective, which is why similar apps sometimes end up with different ratings.

What Content Triggers Higher Age Ratings

Right, lets talk about what actually pushes your app into higher age brackets—because its not always obvious, and I've seen plenty of developers caught off guard by this. The content rating systems look at specific types of material, and even small amounts can bump you up from a 4+ to a 12+ or higher. Understanding these triggers before you build your app can save you a lot of headaches later on.

The main categories that affect ratings are pretty straightforward; violence, sexual content, bad language, drug references, gambling mechanics, and scary or disturbing imagery. But here's the thing—the threshold for each category is surprisingly low. A single instance of mild profanity might push you from a children's rating to a teen rating. A cartoon character getting mildly injured? That could do it too. I mean, it's a bit mad really how sensitive these systems can be, but they're designed to protect younger users so I get it.

Primary Content Categories That Increase Age Ratings

• Violence and Combat: Even cartoon violence counts, realistic violence will push you to 17+ immediately
• Profanity and Crude Humour: Mild words like "damn" affect ratings, stronger language means automatic mature rating
• Sexual Content: Anything beyond hand-holding or kissing raises flags, suggestive clothing or themes count too
• Drug and Alcohol References: Even mentions in text can trigger higher ratings, visual depictions are treated more seriously
• Gambling Mechanics: Real money gambling means 18+, simulated gambling (even with fake currency) affects ratings
• Horror Elements: Jump scares, blood, gore, or disturbing imagery all count
• User-Generated Content: If users can post or share content you don't moderate strictly, expect a higher rating

The Frequency Factor

Its not just about having these elements at all—its about how often they appear. An app with occasional mild cartoon violence might get a 9+, but if that violence is constant throughout the experience you're looking at 12+ minimum. The rating questionnaires actually ask about frequency specifically, so don't try to downplay how prominent certain content is in your app. Apple and Google both have teams that review apps manually, and if they find your rating declaration doesn't match the actual content? Rejection. I've watched apps get pulled from the store for misrepresenting their content ratings, and getting reinstated is a proper nightmare.

User-generated content is particularly tricky because you're responsible for what users might post or share through your app. If you have chat features, photo sharing, or any way for users to create content that others see—you need moderation systems in place. Without them, you'll be forced into a higher age rating by default. Actually, this has become one of the biggest issues I see with social apps; they underestimate how much building a safe app community requires in terms of moderation infrastructure.

Setting Your Age Rating During App Submission

Right, so you've built your app and its time to submit it to the stores—but here's where things get a bit tricky. Both Apple and Google make you fill out a questionnaire about your apps content before they'll even consider approving it. This isn't just a formality; mess it up and you'll either get rejected or end up with a rating that limits your audience way more than it should.

The questionnaire itself is pretty straightforward actually. You'll be asked about violence, sexual content, profanity, gambling, drug references, alcohol, tobacco—basically anything that might be considered sensitive. Apple's form has about 20 questions whilst Google Play has a similar setup through their content rating questionnaire. And listen, I know its tempting to just click through these quickly but dont. Each answer directly impacts your final rating.

Be Honest But Strategic

Here's the thing—you need to answer truthfully but you also need to understand what you're answering. If your app has a user-generated content section where people might post things you cant control? That needs to be declared. Got a web browser component that could theoretically access any site? Yep, that counts too. I've seen apps get slapped with 17+ ratings simply because they had an unmoderated chat feature, even though the rest of the app was completely appropriate for kids.

The questionnaire determines your rating automatically based on your answers, so there's no negotiating with a human reviewer at this stage

What Happens After Submission

Once you submit your answers, the system generates your rating immediately. Apple will assign you a 4+, 9+, 12+, or 17+ rating;Google Play uses IARC which gives you ratings for multiple territories all at once. You'll see these ratings in your app listing straight away and they cant be changed unless you go back and modify your answers—which means you'd better get them right the first time round.

How Age Restrictions Affect Your App's Visibility

Here's something that catches a lot of app developers off guard—the age rating you choose doesn't just determine who can download your app, it directly impacts how many people will even see it in the first place. And I mean really see it, not just theoretically have access to it.

When you slap a 17+ or 18+ rating on your app, you're essentially telling the App Store and Google Play to hide your app from a massive chunk of users. But here's the thing—its not just kids who won't see it. Many adults have their devices set to filter mature content by default (especially if they share devices with family members or have parental controls enabled from when their kids were younger and never turned them off). I've seen apps lose 30-40% of their potential audience simply because they had an unnecessarily high age rating.

What Actually Gets Hidden

Apps with higher age ratings get filtered out of several key discovery channels. They won't appear in "Apps for Kids" collections (obviously), but they also get excluded from many curated lists, educational categories, and even some search results depending on the users settings. Google Play is particularly aggressive about this—if your apps rated for mature audiences, it wont show up in safe search results at all.

The Search Ranking Impact

There's also an indirect effect on your rankings that most people dont think about. Because fewer people can see your app, you naturally get fewer downloads. Fewer downloads means lower engagement signals, which the app store algorithms interpret as your app being less relevant. It becomes a bit of a vicious cycle, honestly.

The visibility hit varies by category too. A dating app with a 17+ rating? That's expected and wont hurt you much in that space. But a productivity app or a casual game with the same rating will struggle because users in those categories aren't expecting mature content and the stores will deprioritise you accordingly.

• Apps rated 4+ get maximum visibility across all app store features and collections
• Apps rated 12+ lose access to kids categories but maintain most general discovery features
• Apps rated 17+ or 18+ are excluded from safe search, curated family lists, and many promotional opportunities
• Enterprise and education app stores often block mature-rated apps entirely from their catalogues
• Some countries have stricter filtering than others—Germany and Australia are particularly cautious with age ratings

The takeaway? Only choose a higher age rating if your content genuinely requires it. Don't be overly cautious and rate yourself higher "just to be safe"—you'll pay for it in lost downloads and reduced discoverability. Be honest about your content, but also be strategic; if you can keep your app rated 12+ or lower without compromising its purpose, that's almost always the right move for your visibility.

Parental Controls and Family-Friendly Features

If you're building an app that kids might use, parents need to feel confident about what their children are accessing—and honestly, getting this right can actually open up a massive market for you. Family-friendly apps have some of the highest retention rates I've seen, but only when parents trust them. The parental control features you build into your app aren't just about ticking compliance boxes; they're about showing parents you understand their concerns and take child safety seriously.

Here's the thing—Apple and Google both look favourably on apps that include robust parental controls, especially if you're targeting younger users. But what does that actually mean in practice? Well, at minimum you should consider adding features like PIN-protected settings, purchase restrictions, time limits, and content filtering. These dont need to be complicated; sometimes a simple four-digit PIN that prevents kids from accessing certain sections or making purchases is enough. But here's what a lot of developers miss: the parental controls need to be easy for parents to set up but impossible for kids to bypass.

Key Features Parents Look For

From years of building apps in the education and entertainment spaces, I've learned that certain features come up again and again when parents evaluate apps:

• Purchase controls that require authentication before any transaction
• Time management tools that let parents set usage limits
• Activity monitoring so parents can see what their kids are doing
• Privacy settings that prevent sharing personal information
• Ad-free experiences (or at least no targeted advertising)
• Restricted communication features with no access to strangers

If you're targeting kids under 13, you need to comply with COPPA in the US and similar regulations in other regions. This means getting verifiable parental consent before collecting any personal data—and its not optional. I've seen apps pulled from stores for getting this wrong, so build these protections in from day one rather than trying to retrofit them later.

Making Your App Stand Out as Family-Safe

One thing that really helps is being transparent about your approach to child safety in your app description and privacy policy. Parents read these more carefully than you might think, especially for apps their kids will use regularly. If you've implemented strong parental controls, shout about it! Make it a feature, not just a compliance requirement. Apps that position themselves as "parent-approved" or "teacher-recommended" often see better conversion rates because they've addressed the biggest concern upfront.

And look, I know adding these features takes development time and resources. But the alternative—getting your app rejected or worse, dealing with angry parents and bad reviews—is far more costly. Build it right the first time, test it thoroughly with actual parents, and you'll save yourself a lot of headaches down the line.

Common Mistakes That Get Apps Rejected

Right, let's talk about the stuff that'll get your app bounced straight back to you—and trust me, I've seen it happen more times than I'd like to admit. The most common mistake? Setting your age rating too low for the content you've actually got in the app. You might think a 4+ rating looks more appealing because it opens up your potential audience, but if your app has any social features, web links, or user-generated content, Apple and Google will reject it faster than you can say "resubmission".

Here's the thing—developers often don't realise that even innocent features can bump up your rating. Got a button that opens Safari to your website? That's unrestricted web access, which immediately pushes you to at least 12+. Added a chat feature where users can talk to each other? You're looking at 17+ unless you've got some seriously robust moderation in place. I mean, its not always obvious which features trigger higher ratings, but the review teams know exactly what they're looking for.

Features That Trip People Up

The most problematic features are usually the ones added as an afterthought. Social sharing, in-app purchases (especially loot boxes or randomised rewards), location tracking, and anything involving user profiles or messaging will all affect your rating. And here's a mistake I see all the time—developers who copy their rating from a competitor's app without understanding what's actually under the hood of their own product. You might think you're building something similar, but copying features without understanding their content implications can lead to rating mismatches.

The Description Mismatch Problem

Another biggie? Your app store description doesn't match whats in the app itself. If you mention "community features" or "connect with friends" in your listing but haven't disclosed social interaction in your age rating questionnaire, you're setting yourself up for rejection. The review teams actually read your descriptions and compare them against the ratings you've submitted; they're pretty thorough about it really.

Actually, one more thing that catches people out—updating your app with new content but forgetting to update the age rating. Added a new game mode with mild violence? Your rating needs to reflect that change, even if the original app was rated 4+.

Updating Your Rating When Adding New Features

Here's something that catches a lot of developers off guard—and I mean, it happens more often than you'd think. You launch your app with a nice safe 4+ rating, everything's going well, users are happy. Then six months down the line you add a chat feature or introduce user-generated content, and suddenly you're not compliant anymore. Its actually a bigger deal than most people realise.

Every time you add new features to your app, you need to ask yourself: does this change the content that users will see? If you're introducing social features, in-app purchases, third-party advertising, or any kind of user-generated content; you probably need to update your rating. Apple and Google aren't messing about with this stuff—they've got strict rules because parents rely on these ratings to protect their kids.

The most common mistake I see is developers treating their initial rating as permanent when it should be reviewed with every major update

When you submit an app update, you'll go through the content questionnaire again. Be honest about what your app now contains. If you've added a web browser component or links to social media, that changes things. If users can now share photos or send messages to each other, that's a whole different ballgame. The thing is, getting caught with an incorrect rating is worse than just updating it properly—you risk having your app pulled from the store entirely, which is a nightmare to recover from.

I always tell clients to document what content their app contains before each update. Make it part of your release checklist. Sure, it might mean your app becomes 12+ instead of 4+, but that's better than facing rejection or worse, getting reported by concerned parents who thought your app was safe for young children. Having proper documentation practices in place helps ensure you catch these content changes before they become compliance issues.

Conclusion

Getting your age rating right isn't just about ticking a box during submission—its about understanding who your users are and being honest about what your app actually does. I've seen too many developers rush through this part only to face rejections, bad reviews from parents, or worse, getting pulled from the stores entirely. It's not worth the headache, trust me.

The thing is, age ratings affect everything from your discoverability to your user base to your monetisation strategy. A 17+ rating might feel like a badge of honour but it can cut your potential audience by half or more depending on your market. And that's real users you're losing, real revenue walking away. But here's the thing—if your app genuinely contains mature content, trying to hide it or downplay it in your submission will backfire. The review teams have seen every trick in the book.

What I always tell my clients is this: design with your target age group in mind from day one. Don't build something for adults and then get frustrated when the rating reflects that reality. If you want a lower age rating because you're targeting families or younger users, you need to bake that into every feature, every piece of content, every third-party integration you use. It's that simple. And as the industry evolves with new technologies, preparing your app for AI integration will become another factor to consider in content ratings.

Keep your content descriptors accurate when you submit; update your rating whenever you add new features that might push the boundaries, and don't assume you know better than the rating systems. They exist for good reasons and they're not going anywhere. Work with them, not against them, and you'll save yourself months of frustration and resubmissions down the line.