Google has begun a global rollout of its Play Age Signals API, a beta tool that lets app developers verify users' ages without requiring ID or selfie checks. The move comes as several US states, including Texas, Louisiana and Utah, introduce laws requiring app stores to handle age verification, and follows a US Supreme Court decision allowing Texas's law to take effect despite industry opposition.

The system works through Google's existing Family Link app, letting parents set dynamic age ranges (such as 16–17) for children's managed accounts, which apps can then use to tailor content; it is fully opt-in and can be disabled at any time. Having tested the API in Brazil, Google is now expanding to Australia and Canada, with availability planned for all countries, including the US, by the end of 2026. The system relies on voluntary participation, however, meaning determined minors could still bypass it by creating separate accounts, and it remains up to individual developers to actually implement the age-gating features.