Google Expands Play Age Signals API for Privacy-Friendly Age Checks
Google launches the global Play Age Signals API to verify Android users' age ranges privately.
Why it matters: Age verification supports legal compliance with child protection laws and data privacy regulations. Developers can create apps that adjust content responsibly without exposing sensitive user details.
- Play Age Signals API now available worldwide for Android 6.0 (API level 23) and up.
- Default age groups: 0-12, 13-15, 16-17, and 18+, with customizable options.
- API allows in-app user prompts and secure retrieval of age range data.
- Helps developers comply with age verification laws in states like Texas, Utah, and Louisiana.
Google has expanded its Play Age Signals API to Android developers worldwide, providing a privacy-conscious solution for verifying user age ranges during app use. This enables apps to comply with child protection and data privacy laws without collecting exact ages or sensitive details.
The API is compatible with Android 6.0 (API level 23) and later. Developers add it to their apps by including the dependency com.google.android.play:age-signals:0.0.4 in the app's build.gradle file. Key methods include requestAgeSignalsAccess, which triggers a user prompt for age verification, and checkAgeSignals, which developers call to securely obtain the user's age range.
By default, age ranges are categorized as 0-12, 13-15, 16-17, and 18 or older, but the API allows developers to define custom brackets tailored to app needs. This flexibility supports adherence to regulatory frameworks in various jurisdictions, such as age assurance requirements recently enacted in states including Texas, Utah, and Louisiana.
Google's rollout of this API coincides with its July 2026 system update, which introduces enhancements across Play Store, Play Services, Maps, and Wear OS. The expansion empowers developers globally to respond to evolving legal and privacy expectations while maintaining user trust.
By the numbers:
- 0.0.4 — version of Play Age Signals API dependency
- 4 — default age range categories in the API
- 2026 — year of upcoming Google system-wide update supporting the API
Yes, but: While the API helps with regulatory compliance, effective age verification still relies on accurate user responses, which may require supplementary measures in high-risk apps.
What's next: Developers can expect further refinements to the API ahead of Google's 2026 system update, with expanded support for additional regions and age verification features.