On Aug. 28, 2026 the Food and Drug Administration permitted Juul Labs to market an updated version of its flagship e-cigarette. The new product, which the company plans to sell as Juul2, offers an optional age verification feature that requires users to unlock the device through an online application before it can be used.
The agency’s decision allows Juul to reintroduce a major new product for the first time since the company launched its original device more than a decade ago. The FDA said the clearance is not an approval or endorsement of the product, and emphasized that people who do not smoke should not use Juul or any other e-cigarettes.
In its review, the FDA indicated that smokers who switch completely to Juul products can reduce their exposure to deadly carcinogens and other harmful chemicals that are present in traditional cigarettes. The company’s own studies, which were examined by the agency, reported that between 20% and 50% of smokers using Juul products were able to quit smoking by the end of six weeks. The reported quitting rates varied depending on the flavors and nicotine strengths tested.
Regulators have previously authorized a small number of e-cigarette products intended to help adult smokers reduce or quit cigarette use. The agency reiterated that the new clearance should not be read as a general endorsement of vaping for non-smokers.
Juul told regulators it plans to market the device with updated versions of its tobacco- and menthol-flavored cartridges. In a public statement, CEO K.C. Croswaite said the company intends to offer “a portfolio of flavors — beyond tobacco and menthol — that are targeted to adult nicotine consumers.” The source did not provide a detailed list of additional flavors, pricing, or a precise rollout timeline.
The most notable technical addition is the optional age-gating mechanism. When enabled, the device requires users to complete age verification via an online app before the e-cigarette will unlock. Details on how the app will verify age, the verification provider, or safeguards against circumvention were not reported in the source.
Juul’s return with an updated device comes after several difficult years for the company. In recent years Juul has had to lay off hundreds of employees and has paid roughly $3 billion to settle government and private lawsuits tied to underage use of its products. In 2019 the company discontinued several flavors — including mango, mint and creme — that had been linked to its rapid early growth and were reported to be favored by teens.
Juul is no longer the top-selling e-cigarette brand in the United States. According to the source, it now trails Vuse, a brand sold by Reynolds American, which also manufactures Camel and Newport cigarettes.
Federal figures cited by the source indicate that teen vaping has declined from its peak and that teens have shifted away from Juul products. The source noted that many teens who continue to vape primarily use unauthorized disposable e-cigarettes imported from China; those devices frequently come in fruit and candy flavors and are not authorized by U.S. regulators.
The FDA’s decision to authorize a limited number of e-cigarette products for adult smokers represents a notable regulatory approach: balancing potential harm-reduction benefits for adult smokers against widespread concerns about youth uptake. The agency has previously cleared other e-cigarette products, including, earlier in the year, the first fruit-flavored electronic cigarettes intended for adult smokers.
Juul presented the new system as aimed at adult nicotine consumers and framed the age-verification feature as a way to deter underage use. The company’s public comments included the CEO’s statement about offering a broader flavor portfolio targeted to adults. The source did not include independent data about how effective Juul’s age-gating app would be at preventing teen access, nor did it provide technical specifics about the app’s operation or third-party oversight.
The FDA clearance permits Juul to begin selling the updated device in the U.S., but it does not change public health guidance that non-smokers should avoid e-cigarettes. The source makes clear that the agency’s determination focused in part on potential reduced exposure to toxicants for smokers who switch completely to the product, and that Juul’s internal studies suggested some smokers were able to quit cigarettes in six weeks when using Juul products.
The source did not report a timetable for Juul2’s market launch, the full list of flavors the company will offer, or how retailers and enforcement will ensure the age-verification feature is used and effective. It also did not report whether the FDA imposed post-market surveillance requirements or specific conditions on Juul’s marketing and distribution beyond the clearance.
As Juul re-enters the market with a device that explicitly includes an optional digital gate, observers will be watching for details about implementation, real-world effectiveness at preventing underage use, and any additional regulatory steps the FDA may require. The source noted broader market shifts, with unauthorized disposable e-cigarettes remaining a concern for regulators because of their popularity among teens.
The FDA has allowed Juul Labs to sell an updated e-cigarette product called Juul2 that offers an optional online age verification unlock. The clearance recognizes potential harm-reduction for smokers who fully switch but is not an endorsement; people who do not smoke should not use e-cigarettes. The device’s launch occurs after years of legal settlements and workforce reductions at Juul and amid continuing concerns about youth access to unauthorized vaping products.
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