Texas’s App Store Accountability Act requires apps like Discord to use age signals shared from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store to confirm your age group. In compliance with this law, Discord will receive your age range associated with your device’s app store. 

How the App Store Age Check Works in Texas

For Texas users, Discord receives the age range associated with your device’s app store automatically when you open the app. This is different from how age assurance on Discord works in most other regions, where you’re only prompted to confirm your age if you try to access age-restricted content, spaces, or settings. 
Here’s how the app store age range check works: 

• Discord checks the account settings for your device’s app store account (such as your Apple or Google account) for an existing age range. You can refer to Apple or Google’s help pages for details on how to ensure your age is accurately reflected in your account.
• If your app store account shows that you are 18 or older: you are placed in the adult age group and can access age-restricted content, spaces, and settings on Discord. 
• If your app store account shows that you are between 13 and 17: you will be placed into the teen age group, and will not be able to access age-restricted content and spaces, or change certain settings (for example, you cannot disable Sensitive Content Filters). Messaging friends, joining voice calls, and accessing non age-restricted channels and servers all continue to work as normal. 

If your app store age range incorrectly shows that you’re a teen, you can refer to Apple or Google’s help pages for details on how to update the age that is associated with your account. You can also confirm your age through a different method, see How to Confirm Your Age Group on Discord for instructions. 

• If your app store account shows that you are under 13: your account will be disabled because you must be at least 13 years old to use Discord.

What Happens If the Age Check Doesn’t Return a Result

If the check via the app store doesn’t return a result, you can continue using Discord as usual. You just won’t be able to access age-restricted content, spaces, or settings until you confirm you’re an adult, whether it’s through having your app store age range shared in the future, or through one of our other age assurance methods. 

Parental Controls and Account Access

Texas law also gives parents and guardians control over whether their teen can use apps like Discord at all, separate from the age assurance process. 

If your parent or guardian removes your permission to use Discord through your device’s app store parental controls, your account will be blocked from accessing Discord until your parent or guardian restores permission. There is no appeal process through Discord for this type of block, and access is restored only when your parent or guardian reverses the change in your device’s parental controls. If your account is blocked in this way; your servers, friends list, and message history will stay intact and will be restored if access is reinstated within our standard retention window of 2 years. Beyond that, your account will be subject to deletion like any other inactive Discord account. 

If you previously removed permissions for your teen to use Discord and want to allow it again:

1. Your teen will need to initiate an exception request. When trying to open an app with an age rating higher than the app age-rating restriction that you set for them, your teen will see a message that says content restrictions are enabled and can ask for an exception.

2. If they ask for an exception, you'll receive a message in Apple’s Messages app. You can approve or decline the request right from the message notification or in the Messages app.

3. On your device: When you tap Review the request, the app's page opens. You can approve or decline the exception, or view the app's Age Rating Details.

4. Discord will detect the restored permission and lift the account block automatically. No Discord support ticket or appeal is needed.

For more on how these age and consent rules work on Apple devices in Texas, see Apple's Age requirements for managing an Apple Account in Texas page.

If you previously removed permissions for your teen to use Discord and want to allow it again:

1. Open the Family Link app

2. Select your teen

3. Tap Screen time  > Time limits  > App limits

4. Select the Discord app

5. Tap App details  > Permissions

6. Switch the permission on

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Do these changes apply to all Discord users in Texas? 

A: Yes, the automatic app store age range check applies to all new and existing Discord accounts in Texas when using Discord on their iOS or Android devices. 

Q: Why is my age range shared automatically, when users elsewhere are only asked to confirm their age when they try to access something age-restricted?

A: Texas's App Store Accountability Act requires app stores to share age signals automatically with developers like Discord, rather than checking when someone tries to access age-restricted content. That's why Texas users will have their age ranges shared automatically when opening Discord on an iOS or Android device. 

Q: What information does Discord receive from the app store check?

A: Discord only receives your age range (for example, whether you're 18 or older), not your name, Apple or Google ID, birthdate, or any other account information.

Q: What if I don't want to share my age from the app store?

A: Texas's App Store Accountability Act requires app stores to share age signals with developers like Discord for users in Texas, when opening Discord on an iOS or Android device. More details can be found in the Apple and Google help pages. 

Q: What happens if my app store account says I'm under 18 but I'm actually an adult?

A: If your app store age range is incorrect, you can refer to Apple or Google’s help pages for details on how to update the age that is associated with your account. You can also confirm your age through a different method, the same way any user can if they are initially placed in the wrong age group. See How to Confirm Your Age Group on Discord for instructions.

Q: If my age is shared through the app store once, will I need to confirm it again?

A: In most cases, no. However, if the age range from your app store account later changes (for example, if a parent or guardian updates or removes it), you may need to reconfirm your age. 

Q: Can a parent or guardian control my access to Discord separately from age assurance?

A: Yes, if a parent or guardian removes permission for you to use Discord through their app store parental controls you will be blocked from accessing Discord until they restore that permission. See Parental Controls and Account Access above.

Q: Can I appeal if I believe my account was incorrectly restricted?

A: If your app store age range that was shared is incorrect, you can refer to Apple or Google’s help pages for details on how to update the age that is associated with your account, or retry confirming your age. If your account was blocked because a parent or guardian removed app permissions (see Parental Controls and Account Access), those are separate permissions that can only be changed by your parent or guardian, not by retrying to confirm your age.

Q: If my Discord account was blocked via app store parental controls by my parent or guardian, can I unblock it once I turn 18?

A: Yes, assuming you turn 18 within our standard 2 year retention period for inactive accounts, you can end parental controls on your app store account. After, when you launch the Discord app your account will automatically unlock.