Apple says apps distributed in Texas must follow the state requirements of SB 2420 starting tomorrow, bringing age verification for new Apple Accounts and adding new consent controls for parents and guardians on downloads, updates, and in-app purchases.
For Texas users who plan to download an app—or update one—tomorrow will bring a new kind of friction. Apple has announced that apps distributed in the state will need to comply with Texas age-verification rules under SB 2420, the law that governs how minors can use apps.
The change is set to take effect tomorrow for any apps distributed in Texas. Apple says New Apple Accounts in Texas will be subject to SB 2420, meaning users will need to verify their ages.
Consent becomes the centerpiece of the process. Apple’s update says a parent or guardian will need to provide consent when minors download apps or significant updates to apps, and when they make in-app purchases.
Developers aren’t left out of the equation. Apple says developers will also need to support parents or guardians revoking that consent to access at any time. In practice, that shifts app permission from a one-time setup to something families can withdraw later.
The Texas law itself was signed last May, but legal challenges delayed its planned effective date of January 1. Apple’s move now follows a broader wave of age-verification laws passed by US state governments over the last year.
Apple also isn’t starting from scratch. The company had already begun laying groundwork for geographically tied requirements, and it began adopting age verification for iCloud accounts in the UK in March.
For families in Texas, the immediate impact is clear: minors’ app activity is about to become more controlled, and parents will gain a new lever they can pull whenever they want.
Apple Texas SB 2420 age verification App Store minors parental consent in-app purchases developers iCloud UK
So now my kid can’t download Angry Birds without jumping through hoops? Cool.
I guess this is just Texas trying to control everything again. Didn’t they already have age checks though? Sounds like Apple is making it harder for regular people.
Wait, it says parents can revoke consent anytime… so like the app just stops working? Or does it just stop purchases? Bc I feel like devs are gonna mess it up and then everybody’s mad at Apple anyway.
Not sure how any of this is legal when VPN exists lol. If it’s based on “apps distributed in Texas” then couldn’t you just pretend you’re not in Texas? Also SB 2420 delayed til Jan 1 but Apple’s doing it tomorrow… so which date is it really? Seems like a mess.