Google is expands its response to Apple’s age-proofing tools with Wednesday’s news that it will bring the Play Signal API to users worldwide by the end of 2026. The technology, already available in Brazil, allows Android developers to target younger users of their apps to provide safer, age-appropriate experiences.
The expansion will initially bring the API to Australia and Canada by mid-August, before rolling out globally to all markets by the end of the year.
Its arrival comes as lawmakers and regulators around the world increasingly pressure app stores to provide better protections for minors. Apple, for example, rolled out its age verification tools globally in February to comply with the growing number of age verification laws.
Like Apple, Google’s technology allows developers to get a user’s age range without having to access personal information such as their date of birth. Instead, it enables parents to share their child’s age range directly with the apps. It also allows adults to share their age when asked and by app developers, enabling customized experiences.
Parents also won’t need to manage the sharing of this information on a per-app basis. To make this easier, Google brings these controls together in the Parental Controls dashboard, Family Link. Once introduced, any developer who chooses to embed age range information can access this badge to adjust their apps accordingly.
Google notes, however, that age ranges are not shared by default — parents must opt-in by entering this information.
The feature joins other security tools on Google Play, including those that enable developers limit the child’s ability to discover their applications. Parents, meanwhile, can continue to use Google Play’s Family Link app to manage their child’s time limits, approve app downloads, or set PIN-based content filters for specific apps.
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