On this page · 7 sections
A dating app is ready to launch when five things are in place: legal documents and age gating, UK and EU safety processes, the features Apple and Google require for apps with member content, working store billing, and enough members in your launch areas to make the first week feel alive. Apple's guideline 1.2 alone requires filtering, reporting, blocking and published contact details [1], and Google Play requires in-app reporting and blocking [7]. Miss one and the app is rejected, or approved and then empty.
We checked every item below against its source on 16 October 2026. Store rules change often, so recheck the links before you submit.
The checklist
| Stage | Task | Requirement or source | Timing to allow |
|---|---|---|---|
| Accounts | Apple developer membership, as an organisation | $99 a year [4] | Allow time for identity checks |
| Accounts | Google Play developer account | $25 one-time, ID verification [5] | Days |
| Legal | Privacy policy, terms, community guidelines | Apple 5.1.1(i) [1], Google UGC policy [7] | Before build freeze |
| Legal | Age gating and age assurance | Ofcom children's codes in force since 25 July 2025 [10] | Before beta |
| Legal | Online Safety Act risk assessments | Illegal content and children's risk assessments [10] | Before UK launch |
| Legal | DSA processes for EU members | Applies to all online platforms since 17 February 2024 [11] | Before EU launch |
| Product | Filtering, reporting, blocking, contact details | Apple 1.2 [1], Google UGC policy [7] | In the first build |
| Product | In-app account deletion, plus web link for Google | Apple 5.1.1(v) [1], Google [8] | In the first build |
| Payments | In-app purchase for digital features | Apple 3.1.1 [1], store fees [14][15] | Agreements and tax forms first |
| Testing | Google closed test for new personal accounts | 12 testers for 14 consecutive days [6] | At least two weeks |
| Review | App Store review | 50% in under 24 hours, 90% in under 48 hours [2] | Allow for one rejection |
| Operations | Moderation queue staffed from day one | Apple 1.2 "timely responses" [1] | Before first member signs up |
Source: Apple [1][2][4], Google Play [5][6][7][8], Ofcom [10], Lewis Silkin on the DSA [11] and store fee schedules [14][15], checked 16 October 2026.
Legal and age gating
Privacy policy and terms. Apple requires a privacy policy link both in App Store Connect and inside the app, and the policy must say what data you collect, who you share it with and how members can request deletion [1]. Google requires members to accept your terms before they can post content, and the terms must define and prohibit objectionable content [7]. Dating apps also process sensitive data: information about a person's sex life or sexual orientation is special category data under UK GDPR, which needs an Article 9 condition [13].
Age gating. Asking for a date of birth is a start, not an answer. Ofcom's protection of children codes came into force on 25 July 2025 [10], and Ofcom said in March 2026 that more services were introducing age checks across social media, dating, gaming and messaging [16]. Google Play expects apps with incidental sexual content to keep children out through age screening [9]. Decide which age assurance method you will use, how you will handle appeals, and what records you will keep. See our guide to age verification.
Online Safety Act. UK services needed an illegal content risk assessment by 16 March 2025, a children's access assessment by 16 April 2025, and a children's risk assessment by 24 July 2025 [10]. A new app must complete these before it launches to UK members, not after. Our Online Safety Act guide covers what dating apps need in detail.
Digital Services Act. If you serve EU members, the DSA has applied to all online platforms since 17 February 2024 [11]. Duties include a notice and action route for illegal content, a statement of reasons when you remove content or restrict an account, and an internal complaints system [12].
App Store and Google Play rules for dating apps
Guideline 1.2. Apple requires four things of apps with member content: "A method for filtering objectionable material from being posted to the app", a way to report offensive content "and timely responses to concerns", the ability to block abusive members, and published contact information [1]. Apple also says apps used mainly for "random or anonymous chat" or "hot-or-not" voting do not belong on the App Store [1].
Saturated category. Guideline 4.3(b) names dating as a well-established category and says Apple will not accept new dating apps "unless they offer a meaningfully different or improved experience" [1]. Write your review notes to explain what is different.
Demo account. Guideline 2.1 asks for demo account details and a working backend at review time [1]. For a dating app, give the reviewer an account in an area with real or test profiles, so they can see matching, chat, reporting and blocking work.
Account deletion and login. Apple requires account deletion inside the app [1]. Google requires an in-app path and a web link for deletion requests [8]. If social login is your main sign-in, Apple requires an equivalent privacy-focused login option as well [1].
Age rating. Apple added 13+, 16+ and 18+ ratings and asked developers to answer an updated age rating questionnaire by 31 January 2026, after which updates are blocked until it is completed [3]. Answer honestly: guideline 2.3.6 warns that mis-rated apps can trigger regulator inquiries [1].
Google closed testing. Personal developer accounts created after 13 November 2023 must run a closed test with at least 12 testers opted in for 14 consecutive days before going to production [6]. Organisation accounts avoid this, and an organisation account is the right choice for a dating business anyway.
For a fuller treatment, see our guide to app store rules for dating apps.
Payments setup
Subscriptions and boosts sold inside the app must use the stores' in-app purchase systems [1]. Before you can sell, sign the paid apps agreements and complete tax and banking details in App Store Connect and Google Play Console. Set up server notifications from both stores so your backend knows when a member subscribes, renews, cancels or gets a refund.
Know the fees when you set prices. Apple keeps 30% of a subscription in its first year and 15% after a year of paid service [14]. Google charges 10% plus a 5% billing fee on subscriptions in the UK, US, EEA, Australia and Japan [15]. Our guide to app store fees compares the options, including web billing.
Moderation and seeding members
Moderation from the first sign-up. Automated scanning of photos and messages should be live before launch, and a person should be watching the report queue from day one. Apple's "timely responses" wording [1] means a backlog of unread reports in launch week is a store risk as well as a safety one. Write down your response times and escalation steps for threats, scams and suspected under-18s.
Seeding. A dating app with nobody nearby fails no matter how good the build is. This is liquidity: enough active members of the right type in each area that new members find someone worth messaging. Practical steps:
- Launch in a small number of areas rather than everywhere at once. See launching city by city.
- Build a waiting list and open areas when they reach a threshold you set in advance.
- Balance the member mix: check the ratio of the groups who are looking for each other, not just total sign-ups.
- Never seed with fake profiles. It misleads members and destroys trust when they notice.
More in our guide to dating app liquidity.
Launch metrics
Track a short list from day one, by area and by member group:
- Sign-up completion: share of installs that finish a profile with photos.
- Verification pass rate: share of new members who pass ID or age checks.
- First match time: how long a new member waits for their first match.
- Reply rate: share of matches where both people send a message.
- Day 1, day 7 and day 30 retention.
- Reports per thousand active members and median time to action a report.
- Payer conversion once you switch on paid features.
Matching and safety metrics come first. Revenue metrics mean little until members are finding each other.
Questions
What does Apple require from a dating app?
Under guideline 1.2, apps with member content must filter objectionable material, let members report content with timely responses, let them block abusive accounts, and publish contact details. Apple also requires in-app account deletion and a privacy policy link in the app and in App Store Connect.
How long does App Store review take?
Apple says it typically reviews at least 50% of submissions in under 24 hours and 90% in under 48 hours. Dating apps are often asked follow-up questions, so allow time for at least one rejection and resubmission.
How many testers do I need to launch on Google Play?
Personal developer accounts created after 13 November 2023 must run a closed test with at least 12 testers opted in for 14 consecutive days before publishing to production.
Do dating apps need age verification in the UK?
Ofcom's protection of children codes have been in force since 25 July 2025, and Ofcom reported more services introducing age checks across social media, dating, gaming and messaging in March 2026. A dating app that bans under-18s needs a way to keep them out that stands up to scrutiny.
