Changes to Google Play for upcoming app store bills for users in applicable US states

A few U.S. states have passed verification laws requiring app stores to verify users’ ages, obtain parental approval, and provide users' age information to developers. These laws also create new obligations for developers who distribute their apps through app stores in these states.

While we have user privacy and trust concerns with these new verification laws, Google Play has designed APIs, systems, and tools to help you meet your obligations. Given the significant implications of these changes across the ecosystem, we are working to keep Play a trusted experience for everyone while also providing you information to support your compliance efforts.

Our plan to support you

Texas’ App Store Accountability Act, Texas SB 2420, is now in effect after a federal appeals court stayed the preliminary injunction issued in December 2025. Google Play will continue supporting developers with solutions to help meet their obligations under these laws.

This Texas law and similar laws coming into effect in other U.S. states in the near future impose significant new requirements on many apps that may need to provide age appropriate experiences to users in these states. These requirements include ingesting users’ age ranges and parental approval status for significant changes from app stores and notifying app stores of significant changes. It is important that you review these laws and understand your obligations.

To help you meet your obligations under these laws, we plan to provide:

• Play Age Signals API: For eligible users in these states, your app will be able to receive users’ age verification or supervision status, age ranges, and other applicable signals using the Play Age Signals API (beta). These signals will begin to roll out in the coming weeks.
• Play Console features: You will have the ability to notify Google Play of a significant change in Play Console without publishing a new version of your app. Additionally, you will also get a report in Play Console showing when a parent revokes approval for your app. If you use Play Billing Library, you can add age ratings to your purchase SKUs. We are planning to roll out this feature in the coming weeks.
• Trust & safety requirements: To protect users, your use of this new API must comply with Google Play’s requirements governing how data from the API must be handled.

If you would like to learn more or have any additional questions, please contact our support team.

Frequently asked questions

What are the developer obligations under these bills? Does Google Play require developers to use the Play Age Signals API?

Google Play doesn’t mandate the use of these features. The laws impose requirements on many apps that may need to provide age appropriate experiences to users in these states. If you distribute apps to users in these states, it is important that you review these laws and understand your obligations. It is your responsibility to determine how these laws apply to your app, and whether and how to use these features to meet your obligations.

Which users will be required to be verified?

If an eligible user account is identified as being in an applicable US state, Play Store will require age verification in accordance with that specific state’s effective legal date.

Can I ask Google Play to block all users in a specific state from downloading my app?

We do not plan to change our approach to app releases and country targeting. However, you are free to implement your own geo-restriction solutions in your app.

What mechanism will Google Play use to require parental approval for eligible supervised users?

We will use existing parental controls to facilitate download and purchase approvals for eligible supervised users.

How does Google Play handle parental approval requests?

Google Play will seek parental consent from parents of supervised users for downloads, purchases and significant changes in applicable U.S. states.

Will Google Play revoke app access or disable an app if a parent denies approval of a significant change?

Google Play will not revoke app access or disable the app based on significant change approvals. Developers will be able to get the current status of significant changes approval status via the Play Age Signals API (beta).

What is considered a significant change? When and how do I provide Google Play notice of significant changes requiring parental approval?

It is the developer's responsibility to decide what constitutes a significant change for their app. If you want to notify Google Play of significant changes, you can go to the Age Signals page in Play Console to do so. You will be able to notify us of these changes in Play Console, without needing to publish a new version of your app. We are planning to roll out this feature in the coming weeks.

How do I add age ratings to in-app products (SKUs) for Texas SB 2420 compliance?

Texas’s SB 2420 may require you to assign an age rating to the in-app products available in your app. This age rating is distinct and separate from the content rating assigned to your app on Google Play. In-app products can be assigned an age rating value in Play Console or through the Publishing API. Google Play will show that age rating in a purchase approval flow for these purchases when made through Google Play Billing for users in Texas in the coming weeks.

When is the age signal available (for example, on install, first launch, or on-demand)?

Age signals can be retrieved when the app is open via a client-side API.

What kind of age ranges will the API provide?

More details are shared in the API integration guide.

What happens if we call the API for a user whose location changes from an applicable location to a region outside of the applicable locations?

Play Age Signals API v 0.0.3 will only return age signals for eligible users in Texas and Brazil at this time. See more details on age signals responses here.

Which version of the API should I use?

We encourage you to use the latest version 0.0.3 for both Brazil and Texas. However, version 0.0.2 and higher will be supported for Texas responses.