The short answer
Texas now requires app stores to verify ages and get parental consent for minors, and Apple applied this to new Texas accounts from June 4, 2026, covering downloads, in-app purchases and significant app changes. Other states have similar laws scheduled. Apple's Declared Age Range API and Google's Play Age Signals API give developers age signals. Games with young players should integrate these APIs, adjust features and purchases by age, and define what counts as a significant change. This is not legal advice.
What changed
For years, age checks in games were mostly self-declared birthdays. A new type of US state law, often called an App Store Accountability Act, moves age verification to the app store and requires parental consent for minors. Texas SB 2420 was the first to take effect. After legal challenges, Apple told developers it would apply the law to new Apple Accounts in Texas from June 4, 2026, and in July 2026 the US Supreme Court declined to block it.
What it covers in Texas
- App stores verify age and place minors' accounts under a parent.
- Parental consent for minors to download apps and make in-app purchases.
- Renewed consent when an app makes a significant change.
- Developers receive age-category information and must use it appropriately.
Other states, including Utah, have passed similar laws with obligations scheduled for later dates, and those dates have changed during legal challenges. Check the current status before planning.
The new age APIs
| Platform | API | What it gives you |
|---|---|---|
| Apple (iOS 26 and later) | Declared Age Range | A coarse age range when the user or parent chooses to share it |
| Google Play | Play Age Signals | Age signals for eligible users, starting with required jurisdictions |
These APIs return age ranges, not birthdays, which helps protect privacy. Your game decides what to do with the range.
What developers are expected to do
- Use the age signal to give minors an age-appropriate experience.
- Respect parental consent for purchases and downloads handled by the store.
- Identify significant changes to your app that may require renewed consent.
- Use age data only for permitted purposes, such as applying age restrictions and safety features.
- Keep records of how you handle age signals.
What it means for game design
Purchases
Minors in covered states need parental consent for in-app purchases through the store. Make purchase flows clear, avoid pressure tactics, and handle declined purchases gracefully.
Social features
Chat, friend requests and user-generated content may need different defaults for younger players. Age ranges let you switch them on or off by group.
Updates
If a major update counts as a significant change, players who are minors may need renewed consent. Decide in advance what your team treats as significant, document it, and avoid surprising families with big changes.
How this relates to COPPA
State age verification laws sit alongside federal children's privacy law. Games directed at children under 13 must still follow COPPA, including the 2025 rule changes with a compliance date of April 22, 2026. See the COPPA rule update for kids games and app store rules for kids games.
Designing for unknown ages
Many players will not share an age range, and the APIs only return information when users or parents choose to share it. Decide what your game does when age is unknown. A cautious default, such as limited chat, no personalised ads and clear purchase confirmations, protects younger players without blocking adults, who can unlock more features once an age range is shared. Document these defaults so they are applied consistently across updates.
What counts as a significant change?
The laws refer to significant changes without listing every case, and Apple leaves it to developers to decide when a change is significant. Reasonable candidates include adding chat or user-generated content, adding new types of purchases, collecting new kinds of personal data, or changing the age rating. Cosmetic updates and bug fixes usually are not. Write your own definition with legal advice and apply it consistently.
Outside the US
Other countries are tightening rules too. The UK's Online Safety Act requires age assurance for certain content, and Australia has restricted social media for under-16s. If your game has social features or a global audience, review the rules in each major market rather than assuming one approach works everywhere.
A practical checklist
- Map every feature and purchase in your game by suitable age group.
- Integrate Apple's Declared Age Range and Google's Play Age Signals APIs.
- Set safe defaults for chat and social features when age is unknown or young.
- Define and document what counts as a significant change.
- Review privacy policies and data handling for age data.
- Get legal advice for the states and countries you target.
Getting help
We build age-appropriate experiences, parental flows and compliant purchase systems for mobile games. Our mobile game development work regularly involves young players, and our educational game cost guide covers compliance budgets.
Sources: MacRumors: Apple brings App Store age verification to Texas · Ashurst Perkins Coie: Supreme Court and the Texas law · Apple: Declared Age Range · Android: Play Age Signals API. Checked October 27, 2026.
Related: Educational game cost · Mobile game development · Get a quote
Originally published on A Plus Games Studio, a game, AR and VR development studio in Sacramento, CA.
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