How to get featured on the App Store (realistically)

How Apple's editorial process actually works

Apple has a full editorial team whose job is finding apps to feature. They're organized by region and by category. There's a team for the US store, another for Japan, another for the UK, and so on. Each team curates the Today tab, category features, and themed collections for their market.

The selection process isn't random and it's not purely metrics-driven. They look at apps, use them, and make editorial judgments. Think of it more like a magazine editor deciding what to cover than an algorithm ranking by downloads. This is actually good news for indie developers, because it means a beautifully made app with 500 users can get featured over a mediocre app with 500,000 users.

Featured spots include the Today tab stories (the big editorial cards you see when you open the App Store), "Apps We Love" and "Games We Love" lists, category-level features (like being highlighted in Productivity or Health & Fitness), themed collections ("Apps for Hiking Season" or "Back to School"), and the "New Apps We Love" section. Each type has different selection criteria and different impact on your downloads.

The self-nomination form

Apple has a form where you can submit your app for editorial consideration. It's at developer.apple.com/contact/app-store/promote/ and anyone with an Apple Developer account can use it. This is the single most concrete thing you can do, and a surprising number of developers don't know it exists.

The form asks for your app name, a description of what makes it interesting, any upcoming updates or launches, and your timeline. You can submit it before a launch or before a major update. Apple recommends submitting at least three weeks before your planned date to give their team time to review.

A few things about the form that aren't obvious. First, you should submit it every time you have a meaningful update, not just once. Second, the description field matters. Don't write marketing copy. Write about what makes your app different, what problem it solves, and why you built it. The editorial team reads these and they can tell the difference between a genuine pitch and a press release. Third, mention any Apple technologies you've adopted. This matters more than most people realize.

What Apple actually looks for

After talking to developers who've been featured and reading every public statement Apple's made about their editorial process, the criteria come down to a handful of things. None of them are download numbers.

Design quality

This is the big one. Apple cares about design more than anything else when selecting featured apps. Not design in the "hire an expensive agency" sense, but design in the "this app clearly thought about the user experience" sense. Clean layouts, readable typography, intuitive navigation, appropriate use of whitespace.

If your app looks like a default React Native template with stock UI components and no visual identity, it won't get featured regardless of how useful it is. If your app has a clear visual style, smooth animations, and feels considered, you're in the running even if you made the whole thing yourself.

Look at apps that have been featured recently and notice the visual standard. You don't need to match their budget, but you need to match their intentionality. Every screen should look like someone cared about it.

Apple platform adoption

Apple loves featuring apps that use their latest technologies. Widgets, Live Activities, App Intents, WidgetKit, SharePlay, StoreKit 2. If you adopt a new API close to its launch, your chances of being featured go up significantly because Apple wants to showcase what their platform can do.

This is the closest thing to a cheat code for getting featured. When Apple announces new APIs at WWDC in June, apps that adopt them quickly (especially before the public iOS release in September) are exactly what the editorial team looks for. They need examples to show off the new features, and indie developers who move fast are often the first ones ready.

You don't need to adopt every new API. Pick one that makes sense for your app and implement it well. A meditation app with a great Lock Screen widget. A finance app with solid Live Activities for tracking spending. A recipe app with App Intents for Siri shortcuts. One well-implemented feature beats five half-baked ones.

Unique angle or underserved audience

Apple's editorial stories need a narrative. "Another todo app" isn't a story. "A todo app built specifically for people with ADHD" is a story. "A weather app for surfers that shows swell data alongside forecasts" is a story. The more specific your audience, the easier it is for Apple to write about you.

This is where indie developers have an advantage over big companies. Large studios build for everyone. Indie developers can build for a specific group and serve them better than any generic solution. Apple's editorial team likes that narrative because it makes for a better Today tab story.

App quality and stability

Your app can't crash. This sounds obvious but it's worth stating explicitly. Apple tests apps before featuring them, and if your app crashes during their review or has major bugs, you won't make the cut. Check your crash reports in App Store Connect. If your crash-free rate is below 99%, fix that before you submit the nomination form.

Your analytics should show stable retention and reasonable engagement. Apple can see your App Store Connect data. They won't feature an app that 80% of users delete within a day, because that reflects poorly on the App Store itself.

Timing your submission

When you submit matters. There are windows where Apple's editorial team is actively looking for apps, and there are times when the calendar works in your favor.

WWDC (June): If you adopt new APIs announced at the conference, submit your nomination form in July or August, before the public iOS release. Apple is looking for apps to showcase the new platform features, and the pool of ready apps is small.

iOS launch day (September): Apps that are ready on day one of the new iOS version get extra attention. If you can ship an update that uses new features on launch day, you're competing with a much smaller group than usual.

Seasonal moments: Apple creates themed collections for New Year ("Start Fresh" type lists), back-to-school season (August), holidays (November-December), and various awareness months. If your app fits a seasonal theme, time your submission or major update to land a few weeks before that period.

Category-specific timing: Health apps get attention in January (resolutions), travel apps before summer, productivity apps in September (back to school/work). Your category choice affects which seasonal windows apply to you.

Avoid submitting in the week before or after a major Apple event. The editorial team is busy with event-related content and your submission is more likely to get lost in the shuffle.

Your App Store listing has to be ready

Getting featured sends a wave of traffic to your listing. If your listing doesn't convert, that traffic is wasted. Worse, Apple notices when a featured app has a low conversion rate, and it affects whether they feature you again.

Before submitting for consideration, make sure your screenshots are polished and clearly communicate what the app does. Your subtitle should be descriptive, not clever. Your description should explain the value in the first three lines (before the fold). Your ASO should be solid because the feature brings visibility, but your listing converts that visibility into downloads.

Also update your App Preview video if you have one. If you don't have one, consider making one before you submit. App Preview videos auto-play in the App Store and they're particularly effective when users discover your app through a feature (where they have zero prior context about what it does).

Your app icon matters more during a feature than at any other time. When Apple features your app, the icon appears at a larger size in the Today tab alongside professional editorial photography. A lazy icon stands out badly in that context.

Regional features are underrated

Most developers think about getting featured on the US App Store. But Apple has editorial teams for every major market, and getting featured in a smaller market is both easier and potentially more valuable per user than you'd expect.

If you've localized your app for Japan or Germany or Korea, you can submit for editorial consideration in those markets specifically. The competition for features in these markets is much lower than in the US because fewer developers submit, and local editorial teams are hungry for well-localized apps to feature.

A feature on the Japan App Store might bring fewer total downloads than a US feature, but the geo arbitrage angle makes it interesting: Japanese users tend to have higher willingness to pay and lower churn. A regional feature in a high-value market can be worth more in revenue than a US feature that brings more downloads but lower conversion.

When you submit the nomination form, you can specify which markets you're targeting. If your app is well-localized for a specific market, mention that explicitly. The regional editorial team will take notice.

What actually happens when you get featured

Expect a spike, not a plateau. A Today tab feature in the US typically brings 5x-20x your normal daily downloads for a few days, then tapers off. A category feature is a smaller bump but lasts longer (usually a week). Themed collections vary widely depending on how prominent they are.

The numbers people share on Twitter tend to be the outliers. A small indie app going from 50 downloads/day to 500 downloads/day for three days is more typical than the stories of apps going to #1 overall. Still a great result, but calibrate your expectations.

The lasting benefit is the credibility badge. "Featured by Apple" is something you can put on your website, in your marketing materials, and in your App Store description. It signals quality to every future user who reads your listing. It also signals to Apple that you're worth featuring again -- developers who get featured once often get featured multiple times.

Be prepared for the spike. Your servers need to handle the load (if your app has a backend). Your onboarding flow should work smoothly because you're about to get thousands of first impressions from people who know nothing about your app. And your review response process should be active, because a feature brings reviews from a broader audience than your usual user base, and some of them won't be kind.

Common mistakes that kill your chances

Submitting too early. If your app is still rough around the edges, wait. You can submit the nomination form once a month without it being weird, so there's no need to rush. A polished submission with a stable, well-designed app beats an early submission with a buggy one. You don't get extra credit for being first.

Writing the nomination form like a press release. The editorial team reads hundreds of these. They can spot marketing language instantly and they skip it. Write like you're explaining your app to a friend who works at Apple. What does it do? Why did you build it? What makes it different from the other apps in your category? Keep it genuine.

Ignoring design. I keep coming back to this because it's the most common reason indie apps don't get featured. The functionality might be excellent, but if the visual design looks dated or generic, Apple won't put it in the Today tab next to their carefully curated editorial photography. You don't need to hire a designer. You need to spend time on the visual details: consistent spacing, a real color palette (not just default blue), appropriate font sizes, smooth transitions.

Not following up. If you submitted the form and heard nothing, that's normal. It doesn't mean no. Submit again with your next update. Each submission is a new chance. Some developers submitted three or four times before getting featured. Persistence matters, as long as each submission shows genuine progress.

Having a great app but terrible localization. If Apple's editorial team in Japan looks at your app and the Japanese translation is clearly machine-generated, they won't feature it regardless of how good the English version is. If you're targeting a non-English market, the localization quality needs to match the app quality.

The developer story angle

Apple's Today tab features aren't just app reviews. They're stories. And one of the story types Apple loves is the indie developer story: one person (or a small team) building something because they cared about a problem.

If you have an interesting background or motivation for building your app, include that in the nomination form. A nurse who built a patient tracking app. A parent who couldn't find a good chore chart for kids. A musician who needed a specific metronome feature. These stories give the editorial team a narrative hook.

This isn't about fabricating a backstory. It's about the fact that indie developers almost always build apps because of a personal frustration, and that motivation is interesting. Most developers don't mention it in their nomination because they don't think it matters. It matters a lot.

Look at past Today tab stories. A significant percentage are "developer spotlight" pieces that focus as much on the person as the app. If you can be that person, your odds go up. Having a clean headshot and a brief bio ready doesn't hurt either -- Apple sometimes reaches out for assets if they're writing a story about you.

Alternatives to Apple editorial features

While getting featured by Apple is great, it's not the only way to get a similar effect. And relying on it as a growth strategy is risky because you can't control the timing or guarantee it happens.

Apple Search Ads give you paid placement at the top of search results. For indie developers with limited budgets, you can use the Basic tier (which is almost automatic) to appear for your most relevant keywords. It's not a feature, but it puts your app in front of people who are already searching for what you built.

Product Hunt, Show HN, and Reddit launches can generate spikes similar to a small App Store feature. The zero-budget marketing guide covers the timing and approach for each of these.

Getting press coverage in a niche publication that your target users read can also move the needle. If you built a hiking app, getting mentioned in a hiking blog will bring more qualified users than a general tech publication. These users are more likely to pay, stick around, and leave positive reviews -- which in turn makes your app more attractive for an Apple feature later.

Building up your reviews and ratings is the long game. Apps with high ratings and thoughtful reviews are more attractive to Apple's editorial team. A 4.8-star app with 200 reviews that describe specific things they love is a better feature candidate than a 4.2-star app with 5,000 generic reviews.

A realistic timeline

If you're building a new app with the goal of eventually getting featured, here's a rough timeline that accounts for reality.

Months 1-3: Build and launch your app. Focus on getting the core experience right. Don't submit for features yet. You need real users and real feedback first. Use this time to validate your app idea and get your initial users.

Months 3-6: Polish based on feedback. Fix bugs, improve design, add features that users actually request (not features you assume they want). Build up your review count. Get your crash-free rate above 99%. Submit the nomination form for the first time.

Months 6-12: If you align with Apple's seasonal calendar or a major iOS release, submit again with a relevant update. Adopt one or two new Apple APIs. Localize for at least one additional market and submit for regional features there. Keep improving your screenshots and listing based on conversion data.

This isn't guaranteed to result in a feature. Many good apps never get featured. But following this timeline means your app is improving regardless, and each nomination submission is stronger than the last. If you do get featured at month 9 or 12, your app is ready for the traffic because you spent months polishing it.

What to do right now

If your app is already live, here's the shortest path to improving your chances.

First, go look at your app with fresh eyes. Open it like a user who's never seen it. Does every screen look intentionally designed? Is the icon good? Are the animations smooth? If you spot something that looks lazy, fix it before you do anything else.

Second, check your crash-free rate in App Store Connect. Get it above 99% if it isn't already.

Third, pick one Apple platform feature that makes sense for your app and implement it. A widget, a Live Activity, App Intents for Siri. Something that shows you're invested in the platform.

Fourth, submit the self-nomination form. Write honestly about what your app does and why you built it. Mention the platform feature you adopted. Include your timeline for any upcoming updates.

Fifth, keep building. Don't stop and wait for Apple to respond. The best thing you can do for your chances is make your app better with each update. Every iteration based on real data improves both your product and your feature candidacy.

The scanner data can also help you identify angles that Apple's editorial team might find interesting. Apps solving problems in rising niches or replacing abandoned favorites both make for good editorial stories.