iOS Developers: You Have 2 Months to Comply With Texas Law or Lose Access to Millions

#ios #mobile #android #swift

Starting January 1, 2026, iOS developers distributing apps in Texas must comply with new age verification requirements. Here's what you need to know about Texas SB2420 and Apple's developer tools.

What is Texas SB2420 Law?

Texas Senate Bill 2420, also known as the App Store Accountability Act, was signed into law by Governor Greg Abbott on May 27, 2025, and takes effect on January 1, 2026. The law establishes new age verification and parental consent requirements for app stores and developers.

Key Requirements:

App stores must verify the age of any individual in Texas who creates an account using a commercially reasonable method
Users must be categorized into four age groups: "child" (under 13), "younger teenager" (13-15), "older teenager" (16-17), or "adult" (18+)
Texas users creating new Apple accounts must confirm if they are 18 or older
Minors' accounts must be affiliated with a verified parent or guardian account
Parents must provide consent for all App Store downloads, purchases, and in-app transactions

Why Apple Had to Create Solutions

While Apple shares the goal of strengthening kids' online safety, the company expressed concerns that SB2420 impacts user privacy by requiring the collection of sensitive, personally identifiable information to download any app, even for simple uses like checking weather or sports scores.

Apple reportedly contacted Texas, but they signed it into law. Apple has the resources to comply, but smaller developers need Apple's provided tools to meet these requirements.

What's Changing for Developers

Starting January 1, 2026, developers must adopt new capabilities to:

Receive age category information
Trigger consent for significant app changes
Handle when parents revoke approval for their app

Three Main APIs

1. Declared Age Range API

Provides a user's age category (under 13, 13-15, 16-17, or over 18) for new Texas accounts starting January 1, 2026. Also returns the age assurance method used (credit card or government ID) and whether consent is required for significant changes.

2. Significant Change API (PermissionKit Framework)

Allows developers to request parental consent when making significant changes to their app. When called, displays a system dialog to the minor requesting parental consent. Developers can restrict app access until consent is obtained.

Note: It's the developer's responsibility to determine what constitutes a "significant change."

3. Age Rating Property (StoreKit)

Automatically detects when an app's age rating changes on a user's device. Texas law considers age rating changes as significant changes requiring new parental consent. This property works with the Significant Change API to trigger consent requests.

Bonus: App Consent Revocation
Parents can withdraw consent for any app, blocking it from launching on the minor's device. Developers can configure App Store server notifications to receive alerts when consent is revoked.

Testing and Implementation Timeline

Currently Available:

Sandbox testing for Declared Age Range API and Significant Change API in iOS 26.2 and iPadOS 26.2 betas

Implementation Steps:

Review documentation for all three APIs
Implement Declared Age Range API, Significant Change API, and StoreKit age rating property
Configure App Store server notifications for consent revocations
Test implementation using Apple's sandbox environment
Submit compliant apps when iOS 26.2 and iPadOS 26.2 Release Candidates become available