On 13 October 2026 Apple published a revised Apple Developer Program License Agreement. Until the account holder signs in and accepts it, developers typically cannot submit new builds or update app metadata in App Store Connect. That makes it an operational item, not just legal background.
What Apple says changed
- Section 3.2: updated security and related requirements for using Apple’s software and services.
- Section 3.3.8(j): terms for the Live Assistance API.
- Section 3.3.8(k): terms for the App Replacement Entitlement.
- Sections 6.4 to 6.4.2: terms for iOS app widgets on Apple Home and for iOS apps on CarPlay on Apple Home.
- Schedules 2 and 3: terms for multiseat subscriptions through Group Purchases and Volume Purchasing for Apple Business and Apple School Manager.
- Schedules 2 and 3: Apple will report legally required tax, sales and contact information to tax authorities, and developers may use customer tax information only for purposes required by law.
Apple has said translations will follow within a month. The notice gives the headline of each change, not a plain-English reading of what the Live Assistance API or App Replacement Entitlement do, so do not rely on commentary that goes further than Apple’s own text.
Why this matters to buyers
Two things catch businesses out. First, the account holder, often a founder or an ex-employee, is the only person who can accept the agreement. If that person has left, publishing stalls. Second, the tax-reporting and customer-data terms matter if you sell business subscriptions: they sit alongside the 22 October volume purchasing change we covered earlier.
So what
This week, confirm who holds your Apple Developer account, that the account email is monitored, and that someone has read Section 3.2 and the tax terms. If you are planning B2B subscriptions, widgets or CarPlay, check the new terms before scoping the work. Our iOS and Android development services cover store compliance as part of every release, and you can start a project if your app needs a compliance review.