App developers will have a new path to get their apps recognized and promoted, Apple told developers at WWDC 2024 this week. In an update coming in September alongside the release of iOS 18, developers will be able to alert Apple’s editorial team about new content or features in their app before it is released so it can be considered for appearance in the App Store.
Today, the App Store editorial team creates stories about apps and their developers and gathers apps of interest into collections that are featured in the App Store’s many sections. However, there was no formal process to alert App Store publishers about upcoming changes that could potentially qualify an app for this type of recognition. With the launch of something called “Nomination Submission,” developers will be able to directly share their plans with Apple. This is managed through the App Store Connect app, where developers already manage their apps, installs and sales.
From a new nominations panel in App Store Connect, developers will be able to create their nominations, either one by one or by uploading a spreadsheet to nominate apps in bulk. Apple recommends using a memorable name for the nomination that helps publishers understand what the new content or feature in your app focuses on. Developers can alert publishers about three different types of updates: new content, app improvements, or new app releases.
In addition to the name of the update, developers would include a text description explaining any relevant details about the update and the expected release date. Another field, “Useful Details,” will also allow developers to offer other information for editors to review their submission, such as the developer’s story, how they created the app, or their efforts around some other key factor, such as accessibility features. or inclusion of the application. .
In connection with this change, developers will also receive an automatic notification from App Store Connect if the editorial team chooses to submit the app to the App Store. Tapping the notification will take developers to a page with new Promote Your App marketing resources designed to share the news on social media.
Apple will also provide marketing materials for other important moments in the app’s lifecycle, such as when it is first released or when a new feature or version is released.
These features were announced in a session along with other news about updates to TestFlight, Apple’s pre-release app testing platform. One change that will make the testing process even more useful for developers is the ability toor establish criteria to filter by the type of evaluators they should reach. For example, a developer could restrict their TestFlight build to only those who have an iPhone and a Vision Pro, or only devices running a certain version of iOS. This way, when the public link to TestFlight is shared, only those testers who meet the criteria will be able to install the beta version of the app.
Apple also allows developers to create deep links to custom product pages for their app, that is, those pages they created to highlight particular features of an app to a select audience, or those that promote special offers. These custom links can be used when advertising the app through Apple Search Ads or on other platforms, such as social media sites.
Apple’s iOS 18 will be released to the public later this fall.
