Apple Developer News and Updates feed provided by Apple, Inc.
Check out Apple Developer on bilibili and LinkedIn to learn about the latest news, announcements, videos, and events — including the Worldwide Developers Conference and Meet with Apple activities — for the developer community.
Apple is making changes to the App Store in China following discussions with the Chinese regulator.
As of March 15, 2026, changes will be made to the commission rates that apply to the China mainland storefront of the App Store on iOS and iPadOS.
The commission rate for standard Apple In-App Purchase and paid app transactions will be 25%. Currently, the rate is 30%. The commission rate for qualifying Apple In-App Purchase transactions under the App Store Small Business Program and Mini Apps Partner Program, and for auto-renewals of Apple In-App Purchase subscriptions after the first year, will be 12%. Currently, the rate is 15%.
Signing the updated terms by March 15 is not required to receive the benefit of these commission rate changes starting that date.
We strive for iOS and iPadOS to be the best app ecosystem and a great business opportunity for developers in China. We are committed to terms that remain fair and transparent to all developers, and to always offering competitive App Store rates to developers distributing apps in China that are no higher than overall rates in other markets.
The Apple Developer Program License Agreement has been revised to support updated policies. You can sign in to your account to accept the updated terms.
Translations of the updated agreement will be available on Apple Developer website within one month.
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March 3, 2026
In this edition:
Today we’re providing an update on the tools available for developers to meet their age assurance obligations under upcoming U.S. and regional laws, including in Brazil, Australia, Singapore, Utah, and Louisiana. Updates to the Declared Age Range API are now available in beta for testing.
Brazil
Developers who are distributing apps in Brazil can use the updated Declared Age Range API to obtain a user’s age category. Age categories for users in Brazil will be shared when the user or a parent or guardian (where relevant) agrees to share the age category with you. The API will also return a signal from the user’s device about the method of age assurance.
Apps rated 18+ in Australia, Singapore, and Brazil
Starting February 24, 2026, Apple will block users in Australia, Brazil, and Singapore from downloading apps rated 18+ unless they have been confirmed to be adults through reasonable methods. The App Store will perform this confirmation automatically. However, developers may have separate obligations to independently confirm that their users are adults. To assist with this, the Declared Age Range API—available on iOS, iPadOS, and macOS—provides developers with a helpful signal about a user’s age.
For developers distributing their apps in Brazil, if you identify your app as containing loot boxes through the age rating questionnaire, the age rating of your app on the Brazil storefront will be updated to 18+.
Utah and Louisiana
For users with new Apple Accounts in Utah as of May 6, 2026, and in Louisiana as of July 1, 2026, age categories will be shared with the developer’s app when requested through the Declared Age Range API. The tools we previously announced have been expanded to help developers meet compliance obligations for Louisiana and Utah, including:
Significant Change API under PermissionKit
New age rating property type in StoreKit
App Store Server Notifications
New signals are now available through the Declared Age Range API, including whether age-related regulatory requirements apply to the user and if the user is required to share their age range. The API will also let you know if you need to get a parent or guardian’s permission for significant app updates for a child.
Developers can use the Declared Age Range API to present significant update notifications to adults in these states through the Significant Update Action, now in beta. When releasing a significant update, developers must follow the Human Interface Guidelines and provide users with a meaningful description of the update.
Design safe and age‑appropriate experiences for your apps and games
The Swift Student Challenge is here! Submissions are now open through February 28, and students from all over the world are invited to submit their app playgrounds.
Learn more about the Challenge
Key things to know
Learn more
In this edition: Big news about agentic coding in Xcode. Plus:
Starting April 28, 2026, apps and games uploaded to App Store Connect need to meet the following minimum requirements:
We‘re hitting the ground running in 2026. In this edition:
A recent injunction issued by a district court suspended enforcement of Texas state law SB2420, which introduced age assurance requirements for app marketplaces and developers. In light of this ruling, Apple will pause previously announced implementation plans and monitor the ongoing legal process.
The tools we previously announced to help developers meet their compliance obligations will remain available for sandbox testing, including:
These tools can also be used to help developers with their obligations under laws coming into effect in Utah and Louisiana in 2026. The Declared Age Range API remains available worldwide for users on iOS 26, iPadOS 26, and macOS 26, or later.
To comply with the Mobile Software Competition Act (MSCA), Apple is introducing changes to iOS that create new options for developers’ apps in Japan. Beginning with iOS 26.2, developers can distribute apps on alternative app marketplaces, operate alternative app marketplaces, process app payments for digital goods and services outside of Apple In-App Purchase in iOS, and more.
The new options for downloading apps from alternative app marketplaces and making app payments open new avenues for malware, fraud, scams, and privacy and security risks. Apple has worked with Japanese regulators to introduce protections from these new threats — with a special emphasis on the safety of younger users. Those protections include Notarization for iOS apps, an authorization process for app marketplaces, and requirements that help protect children from inappropriate content and scams.
By March 17, 2026, all current members of the Apple Developer Program will need to agree to the latest update to the Apple Developer Program License Agreement, which includes new terms that allow for these options in Japan.
You can also request a 30-minute online appointment to ask questions about these changes.
