App Store Age Rating Updates in Australia and Vietnam

Apple will implement updated age rating systems for the App Store in Australia and Vietnam starting June 18, 2026. These changes require app developers to review and update their content questionnaires in App Store Connect to ensure their applications are classified correctly under new regional guidelines.

The adjustments reflect a shift in how digital content is categorized in these markets, specifically targeting the availability of certain features and compliance with national decrees.

In Australia, the App Store will remove the 15+ age rating entirely. Applications that were previously categorized as 15+ will be moved to a 16+ rating if they contain specific types of content.

The transition to the 16+ rating specifically applies to apps that include unrestricted web access, frequent medical or treatment information, or loot boxes.

The inclusion of loot boxes—virtual items that provide randomized rewards in exchange for currency—as a trigger for a higher age rating aligns with a broader global trend of treating randomized monetization mechanics as a risk for younger users.

Several jurisdictions have previously scrutinized loot boxes for their similarity to gambling, leading to stricter disclosure requirements and age restrictions to protect minors from predatory spending patterns.

For the Vietnamese market, the update is a direct response to regulatory mandates. Apple is aligning its store policies with Article 38 of Vietnam Decree 147, which governs the management and provision of internet services and online information.

Under these regulations, apps available in Vietnam must now carry a region-specific age rating. The system will categorize apps into one of four distinct tiers:

• 0+ (All ages)
• 12+
• 16+
• 18+

These ratings will be displayed on the app’s product page for users accessing the store within Vietnam, ensuring that the content visible to users adheres to the legal framework established by the Vietnamese government.

Decree 147 represents an effort by Vietnamese regulators to increase oversight of digital content and ensure that online platforms implement strict age-verification and classification standards.

To maintain availability in these regions, developers must use the App Store Connect portal to answer a series of age rating questionnaires. The responses provided in these questionnaires determine the final rating assigned to the app in each specific territory.

Apple has stated that additional technical details and specific value definitions for the new ratings will be published in the App Store Connect Help documentation on June 18, 2026.

This move is part of a larger pattern where global platform operators must fragment their store policies to accommodate the divergent laws of individual nations. As countries implement more granular rules regarding data privacy, child safety, and digital monetization, the universal App Store experience is increasingly replaced by localized regulatory silos.

Developers who fail to update their questionnaires or who provide inaccurate information may find their apps incorrectly rated or potentially restricted in the affected markets to avoid regulatory penalties.