App developers will have new ways to get their apps noticed and promoted, Apple told developers this week at WWDC 2024. The update, scheduled for September to coincide with the release of iOS 18, will allow developers to notify Apple's editorial team of new content or features in their apps before release for consideration for featuring in the App Store.
Currently, the App Store editorial team writes articles about apps and their developers, organizes high-interest apps into collections, and highlights them in different sections of the App Store. But there has been no formal process for notifying App Store editors about upcoming changes that may make apps eligible for this type of recognition. The launch of a feature called “Featured Nominations” will allow developers to share their plans directly with Apple, which will be managed through the App Store Connect app, where developers already manage their applications, installs, and sales.
Through the new nomination dashboard in App Store Connect, developers can create nominations one at a time or upload a spreadsheet to nominate apps in bulk. Apple encourages developers to create memorable names for nominations to help editors understand the focus of new content or features in the app. Developers can notify editors about three types of updates: new content, app enhancements, and new app releases.
In addition to the name of their update, developers will also include a text description explaining any relevant information about the update and the expected release date. Another field, “Helpful Details,” will allow developers to provide other information to help editors review their submission, like their story, how they built their app, or their work on other important elements like their app's accessibility and inclusiveness.
Related to this change, developers will also receive a push notification from App Store Connect if the editorial team chooses to feature their app on the App Store. Tapping on the notification will take developers to a page with new “Promote Your App” marketing assets designed to share the news on social media.
Apple also provides marketing materials at other key moments in your app's lifecycle, such as when your app is initially released and when you release new features or a new version.
These features were announced during the session along with other news about updates to TestFlight, Apple's pre-release app testing platform, which now has a new look and feel.
New design for TestFlight and App Store Connect
TestFlight has a new redesign! The new design includes panels for the beta description, developer information, categories, and build expiration. Additionally, the test invitation now displays a screenshot of the build, just like the app… pic.twitter.com/KcP9J2Ea1K
— Adapty.io (@adaptyteam) June 12, 2024
One change that makes the testing process more convenient for developers is the ability to set criteria to narrow the types of testers they can test with. For example, developers can limit TestFlight builds to only those who have both an iPhone and Vision Pro, or to devices running a specific iOS version. That way, when a public link to TestFlight is shared, only testers who fit that criteria will be able to install the beta build of their app.
Apple is also allowing developers to create deep links to custom product pages for their apps, meaning pages that developers create to highlight specific features of their app for specific users or promote special deals. These custom links can be used when promoting the app on other platforms, such as Apple Search Ads and social media sites.
Apple's iOS 18 is scheduled to be released to the public later this fall.