Apple has released new APIs and sandbox tools to help developers comply with the new requirements for apps available in Texas. Here are the details.
A bit of context
Following the release the first developer beta for iOS 26.2 and iPadOS 26.2, Apple has published a new article on the Apple Developer site with details on the APIs and sandbox tools that will help developers comply with Texas SB2420.
Set to take effect on January 1, 2026, the state law will require age verification and parental consent for minors before they can download, purchase, or continue using apps, with developers integrating new APIs to support those checks.
Last month, Apple announced the upcoming requirements and previewed the new tools that would help developers prepare for Texas’s SB2420 law.
Today, the company has followed up with full technical details, including updated APIs, frameworks, and a sandbox testing environment that are now available.
What’s new
Following the release of the first beta versions of iOS 26.2 and iPadOS 26.2, Apple has now outlined how developers can implement and test the new compliance features.
That includes updates and more details about:
- The Declared Age Range API, which allows developers to obtain “a user’s age category, which is defined by Texas state law as under 13, 13-15, 16-17, or over 18,” as well as “a signal from the user’s device about the method of age assurance, (…) and if consent is required when there’s a significant change to an app”.
- The Significant Change API, which works under the PermissionKit framework, and allows developers to “ask the parent or guardian to provide consent for the child or teen to continue using the app” or its features following a significant change.
- App consent revocation, which will deal with the situation when a parent or guardian withdraws “consent for any app, which will block launching of the app on the child or teen’s device.”
- Sandbox testing, which will “help test the user experience when implementing these APIs to comply with Texas state law.”
Apple said that developers should submit their SB2420-compliant apps when the Release Candidates of iOS 26.2 and iPadOS 26.2 become available, and that it will soon release new details about tools that will “help developers meet upcoming legal obligations in Utah, Louisiana, and Brazil.”
You can read more bout today’s details on the Apple Developer blog post.
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