App Content Rating — what it is, IARC age levels and how to determine them for your app

What Is IARC Content Rating

IARC (International Age Rating Coalition) is an international age classification system developed for digital app and game stores. It eliminates the need to go through national rating commissions in each country separately.

The system was created in 2013 with participation from Google, Apple, Microsoft, Nintendo, and Sony. Today, IARC unites more than 30 rating organizations, including ESRB (North America), PEGI (Europe), USK (Germany), and ClassInd (Brazil).

According to IARC Annual Report, 2025, the system has processed over 2 million questionnaires and assigned ratings to apps in more than 200 countries.

IARC Age Rating Levels

The IARC system determines age categories based on the types of content present in the application. Each category corresponds to a certain level of content maturity.

The rating is assigned automatically based on the answers to the IARC questionnaire. The developer cannot select a rating manually — the system calculates it algorithmically.

How the IARC Questionnaire Works

The IARC questionnaire is a set of questions that developers must answer honestly before publishing their app. The questionnaire is available in Google Play Console and App Store Connect.

The questions are divided into several categories: violence (frequency, degree of realism, target), sexual content, profanity, gambling, in-app purchases, and user-generated content. Each category contains 2 to 6 follow-up questions.

Example question: “Does the application contain depictions of cruelty towards real people or animals?” Answer options: “No”, “Yes, briefly or unrealistically”, “Yes, shown directly and realistically.” Each answer affects the final score of the rating.

After completing the questionnaire, IARC assigns a rating and generates a certificate valid for all participating stores. There is no need to retake the questionnaire for different platforms.

Ratings in Google Play and App Store: Differences

Google Play and App Store use the same IARC system, but display ratings under different names and with different age boundaries. Developers must understand these differences for proper app positioning.

Google Play displays the rating as age categories 3+, 7+, 12+, 16+, 18+. Each rating has installation restrictions: users younger than the specified age can install the app only with parental permission.

Apple App Store uses categories 4+, 9+, 12+, 17+. The difference in boundaries (3+ vs 4+, 7+ vs 9+) is due to Apple adapting IARC to its own age rating system. Apple also reserves the right to increase the rating if it considers the IARC assessment too low.

In practice, the developer only needs to fill out the IARC questionnaire once — the rating will be published in each store in the format adopted for that store. No additional actions are required.

Consequences of Incorrect Rating

An incorrect age rating can lead to serious problems — from financial losses to complete removal of the app from the store. Google and Apple actively verify that the rating matches the actual content.

If users or regulators report an underestimated rating, Google and Apple conduct a review. If the violation is confirmed, the rating may be forcibly increased, and the app may be blocked in regions where the content is considered unacceptable for the specified age group.

In some countries, legal liability is provided for an incorrect rating. For example, in Germany, an app with an underestimated rating may be found to violate Jugendschutzgesetz (the Youth Protection Act), resulting in fines of up to 50,000 euros.

Additionally, an incorrect rating reduces organic reach — parents and users filter apps by age, and an app with an unsuitable rating simply does not reach the target audience.

How to Update App Rating

Updating the IARC rating is required when adding new content that could affect the age category. The update procedure is available in the store consoles and takes a few minutes.

In Google Play Console, go to Store Presence → Ratings for your app. Click “Update rating” and retake the questionnaire. The new rating is applied instantly for all regions.

In App Store Connect, open My Apps → select the app → the App Store tab → Content Rights → Rating. Click “Edit” and update the answers. The new rating takes effect after the next build approval by the Apple review team.

It is important to remember that lowering the rating during an update may be seen as an attempt to circumvent the rules. Always indicate the actual content level, even if it means raising the age restriction and potentially reducing the audience.