New rating system for apps on Google Play

To help consumers make more informed choices about their purchases on Google Play, we’re introducing a new age-based rating system for apps and games consistent with industry best practices. This initiative gives you an easy way to communicate familiar and locally relevant content ratings to your users and helps improve app engagement by targeting the right audience for your content.

Starting now, you can complete a content rating questionnaire for each of your apps and games to receive the objective content ratings. Google Play’s new rating system includes official ratings from the International Age Rating Coalition (IARC) and its participating bodies, including the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB), Pan-European Game Information (PEGI), Australian Classification Board, Unterhaltungssoftware Selbstkontrolle (USK) and Classificação Indicativa (ClassInd). Territories not covered by a specific ratings authority will display an age-based, generic rating. The process is quick, automated and free to developers. In the coming weeks, consumers worldwide will begin to see these new Google Play ratings in their local markets.

On your apps’ questionnaires, make sure to provide accurate responses to help your app be discovered by the right audience. Once you’ve successfully received a rating for your app(s), you’ll only need to retake an app’s questionnaire if an update changes the content of the app in a way that impacts its rating. Learn more about rating your apps

To help maintain your apps’ availability on Google Play, sign in to the Google Play Developer Console and complete the new rating questionnaire for each of your apps. Apps without completed rating questionnaires will be marked as “Unrated.” Unrated apps may be blocked in certain territories or for specific users. In addition, all new apps and updates to existing apps will require a completed questionnaire before they can be published on the Play Store. Your compliance and participation with the new app ratings system is required under the Google Play Developer Distribution Agreement. In the future, apps that aren’t rated using the new rating system may be removed from the Play Store.