Apple revised the Developer Program License Agreement on October 13, 2026. Until you accept the new terms in your account, you can run into friction with App Store Connect tasks that depend on agreeing to the current agreement, so this is worth ten minutes of your day today.
What changed
The revision bundles several separate changes. Some are housekeeping, but a few touch features you may be actively building for:
Section 3.2 — security requirements. The security and related requirements for using Apple’s software and services have been updated. This is the catch-all clause covering how you handle Apple software and data, so it applies to essentially every developer in the program.
New defined terms for two APIs and entitlements:
- Section 3.3.8(j) adds specified terms for use of the Live Assistance API.
- Section 3.3.8(k) adds specified terms for use of the App Replacement Entitlement.
If either of these appears on your roadmap — a live assistance feature, or an app replacement flow — the conditions under which you may use them are now spelled out in the definitions section. Read them before you ship.
Apple HomeView: widgets and CarPlay. Sections 6.4, 6.4.1, and 6.4.2 specify the terms for iOS app widgets on Apple HomeView and for the availability of iOS apps for CarPlay on Apple HomeView. In practice, this sets the legal ground rules for extending your existing widget and CarPlay integrations into HomeView. If you already maintain a WidgetKit widget or a CarPlay-optimized app, the technical work may be small; the agreement now covers the distribution side.
Group Purchases (Schedule 2). Sections 1.1(b), 1.2(d)(iv), 3.1, and 3.8(c) specify terms for offering multiple seats for a subscription through Group Purchases. This matters if you sell a subscription and want organizations or groups to buy several seats at once.
Volume Purchasing (Schedule 3). Sections 1.1(b), 1.2(d)(iii), 3.1, 3.8(a), and 3.8(c) specify terms for offering subscriptions to Apple Business and Apple School Manager organizations through Volume Purchasing. If you target businesses or schools, these are the clauses that govern that channel.
Tax reporting and customer tax data. Two pairs of changes affect money and data handling:
- Schedule 2, Section 3.3(a) and Schedule 3, Section 3.3(a): Apple will report legally required information — tax, sales, and contact details — to tax authorities.
- Schedule 2, Section 3.3(b) and Schedule 3, Section 3.3(b): any customer tax information Apple shares with you may only be used for purposes mandated by law.
The second point is the one most likely to affect your internal processes: if tax data flows to you through Apple, your team can’t repurpose it for marketing, analytics, or anything else not legally required.
Who is affected
Every developer and organization enrolled in the Apple Developer Program, since Section 3.2’s updated security requirements apply to use of Apple’s software and services generally.
Beyond that baseline, the changes are most relevant if you:
- Plan to use the Live Assistance API or the App Replacement Entitlement.
- Maintain or plan widgets or CarPlay experiences that could surface on Apple HomeView.
- Sell subscriptions and want to reach customers through Group Purchases or Volume Purchasing for Apple Business and Apple School Manager.
- Operate in markets where Apple handles tax reporting on your behalf, or receive customer tax information from Apple.
If none of those apply, you still need to accept the agreement — you just don’t need to study the schedules line by line.
What you need to do
- Sign in to your Apple Developer account and accept the updated agreement. Do this for your personal account and, if applicable, have whoever administers your organization’s team account do the same. Unaccepted agreements can block App Store Connect actions, so handle it before your next release.
- Read Section 3.2 to see what changed in the security requirements for Apple’s software and services. Compare it against how your team currently handles Apple-provided data and tooling.
- If you plan to use the Live Assistance API or the App Replacement Entitlement, read Sections 3.3.8(j) and (k) in the definitions. Confirm your intended use fits the specified terms before you invest engineering time.
- If you ship widgets or CarPlay experiences, review Sections 6.4, 6.4.1, and 6.4.2 for the HomeView terms. Decide whether surfacing your existing widget or CarPlay app on HomeView makes product sense, and what the agreement requires if you do.
- If you sell subscriptions, skim Schedule 2 and Schedule 3. Note the new terms for Group Purchases (multiple seats per subscription) and Volume Purchasing for Apple Business and Apple School Manager. If B2B or education is a growth channel for you, this is the section to read carefully.
- Brief whoever handles your taxes and compliance. Apple will now report legally required tax, sales, and contact details to tax authorities under Schedule 2, Section 3.3(a) and Schedule 3, Section 3.3(a), and customer tax information shared with you is restricted to legally mandated uses. Make sure your data-handling policies and retention rules reflect that restriction.
- Wait for translations if you work in another language. Apple states translations will be available on the Apple Developer website within one month. If your legal review needs a translated version, schedule it accordingly — but don’t delay accepting the terms.
- Note the acceptance in your release checklist. If you manage multiple teams or client accounts, add a line item confirming every team has accepted the October 2026 agreement before the next upload or app review submission.
FAQ
Do I have to accept the agreement right away, and what happens if I don’t?
Apple’s announcement asks you to sign in and accept the updated terms, but doesn’t state a deadline. However, keeping your agreements current is a standard prerequisite for App Store Connect activity like uploading builds and submitting for review. Accepting now avoids discovering a blocker in the middle of a release.
I don’t use the Live Assistance API, HomeView, or Volume Purchasing. Do the new sections change anything for me?
Functionally, very little. The security requirements in Section 3.2 apply across the program, and the tax-reporting change (Apple reporting legally required information such as tax, sales, and contact details to tax authorities) applies through the paid app schedules. But the API, HomeView, Group Purchase, and Volume Purchase terms only bite if you use those capabilities.
Where can I read the changes, and is a translated version available?
The updated agreement and a summary of the changed sections are on the Apple Developer website, and you accept the terms by signing in to your account. Apple states translations will be available on the Apple Developer website within one month of the October 13, 2026 announcement.
Bottom line: this is routine agreement maintenance with a handful of forward-looking additions — HomeView widgets and CarPlay, Live Assistance, App Replacement, and group buying for subscriptions. Accept the terms today, flag the sections relevant to your roadmap, and loop in your compliance contact on the tax-data restrictions.