Google Play rolls out new age checks for kids and teens

Google says its Google Play Age Signals API is now open to Android developers. The rollout is already underway in Brazil, with Canada and Australia next, and Google expects it to be available globally by the end of the year. For apps aimed at younger users, the company says developers can work with age bands such as 0 to 12, 13 to 15, 16 to 17, and 18+ rather than asking for a full birthdate. The idea is to let apps shape onboarding, social features, recommendations, and in-app messages around a user’s age group while revealing less personal information.

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According to Google, developers are only allowed to use the age signal for age-appropriate experiences and communications. It can’t be used for advertising, profiling, or analytics. For child accounts, parents can turn age-band sharing on or off through Google Family Link, which gives developers one centralized consent flow instead of leaving families to sort through separate settings in every app.

If you build for Google Play on a regular basis, this API is one to keep an eye on. Lawmakers and regulators in places such as Texas, Utah, and Louisiana are pressing harder on age assurance and parental consent, and Apple has already rolled out a similar tool called the Declared Age Range API. Backers argue that systems like this can help protect minors without exposing full birthdates. Privacy advocates, along with some developers, see it differently. Their concern is that age data is still sensitive, and the real question is whether any of this actually makes kids safer in practice.

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