Getting featured on the App Store can put your app in front of new users and give a launch or major update a meaningful boost. There is no guaranteed formula, but there are clear ways to improve your chances.
This guide covers the key things you need to know to make your app a strong candidate for an App Store feature.
What is an App Store feature?
An App Store feature is an editorial placement chosen by Apple. It can be a large Today tab card, App of the Day or Game of the Day, a story about one app, or a place in a collection or list. Our guide to App Store editorial featuring explains the formats in more detail.
Understanding how Apple thinks
Apple's editors are always looking for high-quality apps and stories. Its official guide does not provide a formula, but it does outline the qualities that matter most.
Apple is known for caring deeply about its products and the experiences around them. Its editors tend to showcase apps and games that share that philosophy, feel at home on Apple platforms and make its devices shine.
At Fellow, we have visibility into virtually every App Store feature worldwide. We combined what we see with Apple's guidance to create this simple cheat sheet.
App Store featuring cheat sheet
- Be original. Offer a fresh take or an experience users cannot find elsewhere.
- Great design. Create a polished interface that feels at home on Apple platforms.
- Excellent user experience. Make the app intuitive, fast and reliable.
- Attention to detail. Refine every interaction, animation and piece of copy.
- Use Apple's latest technologies. Adopt new Apple features when they genuinely improve the app.
- Build for accessibility. Make the full experience work for as many people as possible.
- Localize your app. Adapt the app and product page for each key market.
- Support the newest devices. Make good use of relevant new Apple devices and capabilities.
- Release meaningful updates regularly. Keep improving the app with useful features and fixes.
- Maintain strong ratings and reviews. Deliver quality, listen to feedback and fix recurring issues.
- Polish your App Store product page. Use clear copy, strong screenshots and compelling previews.
- Give Apple a story. Explain why the app exists and why it matters now.
These principles are a useful starting point. From there, a few practical steps can help improve your chances.
How to improve your chances of getting featured
1. Research the App Store
The best way to understand what Apple is featuring now is to look at the App Store. Check the Today, Games and Apps tabs, explore the editorial content and pay close attention to the apps Apple chooses: their quality, categories, visuals, latest updates and the stories being told about them.
Your app likely serves several markets, and editorial content changes by country. Focus on the countries that matter most and compare what Apple is promoting in each one.
2. Give Apple a reason to feature your app
Quality comes first. Apple also looks for something timely or interesting to share with App Store visitors: a useful update, an event, a seasonal moment or a good story about the app.
Good reasons to feature an app include:
- A new app or a major update that changes what people can do
- An In-App Event, new content or a collaboration with a clear date
- A cultural, seasonal or local moment that genuinely fits the product
- A distinctive story about the app, its team or the problem it solves
- A useful implementation of a new Apple technology or device capability
A strong editorial angle answers three questions clearly: what is new, why it matters to users and why it matters now.
3. Submit a Featuring Nomination
Apple may discover your app organically, but a Featuring Nomination is the official way to tell its editors about an upcoming launch or update. When the app and supporting material are ready, open it in App Store Connect, go to Featuring → Nominations, then explain what is new, why it matters, when it launches, which countries are relevant and how Apple can test it.
Apple's detailed nomination guide recommends submitting at least three weeks before your planned date. For wider consideration, its featuring overview suggests submitting up to three months in advance.
Know when your app is featured
Apple may contact you for more information or promotional artwork. It may also not reply. App Store Connect may send a featuring alert, but Apple does not document full coverage. The best way to monitor every tab and country is to use a dedicated feature monitoring tool such as Fellow.
Keep learning from the App Store
Not every nomination will lead to a feature. Keep studying what Apple promotes, learn from similar apps, improve the product and nominate each important release. Fellow handles the repetitive work of researching storefronts and monitoring results, so you can focus on improving the app and planning the next release.