How to Get Featured on the App Store: What Apple Actually Looks For
An inside look at how Apple's editorial team selects featured apps, the self-nomination process, design and technical requirements, and what featuring does for downloads.
Getting featured on the App Store is the single biggest download accelerator available to any developer. A Today tab feature can drive 10-50x your normal daily downloads. An App of the Day feature can catapult an unknown indie app from 50 downloads per day to 5,000 or more overnight.
But here is what most developers get wrong: getting featured is not random. Apple’s editorial team follows a clear (if unwritten) set of criteria. They actively look for apps to feature, and they have a self-nomination process that most developers never use.
This guide breaks down how Apple’s featuring system actually works, what the editorial team looks for, how to nominate your app, and how to maximize the impact if you do get featured.
How Apple’s Editorial Team Works
Apple employs a team of editors around the world whose full-time job is finding great apps to feature. They are not engineers. They are writers, designers, and curators with backgrounds in journalism, media, and design.
What the Editorial Team Does
| Activity | Frequency | Impact |
|---|---|---|
| Today tab stories | Daily | Highest visibility, hand-written editorial |
| App of the Day | Daily | Major download spike, 24-48 hours |
| Game of the Day | Daily | Equivalent of App of the Day for games |
| Category features | Weekly | Sustained visibility in category |
| Seasonal collections | Periodic | Grouped by theme (back to school, holidays) |
| Search result features | Ongoing | Featured apps appear at top of search |
The editorial team works weeks to months ahead of publication. If they are planning a “Best Productivity Apps for Spring” collection in April, they started identifying candidates in February.
How Apps Get on Their Radar
- Self-nomination through App Store Connect (the most reliable path)
- Editorial browsing of new and updated apps
- External press and buzz that gets the editorial team’s attention
- Developer relations referrals from Apple’s DTS and WWDC teams
- Previous features — once featured, you are more likely to be featured again
The Self-Nomination Process
Apple provides a self-nomination form through App Store Connect. This is the most direct and reliable way to get your app considered for featuring.
How to Submit
- Log in to App Store Connect
- Navigate to your app
- Look for the “Promote Your App” section (or search for “App Store Promote” in Apple’s developer resources)
- Fill out the nomination form
What the Form Asks
| Field | What to Include | Tips |
|---|---|---|
| App description | What your app does and who it is for | Focus on the user benefit, not technical details |
| What’s new | Significant updates or new features | Tie to a current Apple initiative if possible |
| Screenshots and media | Your best visual assets | High quality, showing the app at its best |
| Story angle | Why this is interesting right now | Editorial team thinks in stories, not features |
| Timing | Relevant dates (launch, update, event) | Align with seasons, holidays, Apple events |
When to Nominate
- Before a major version launch (2-4 weeks ahead)
- When you add support for new Apple technologies
- When your app is relevant to a seasonal event
- When you have a compelling user story to share
- After a significant redesign
Submit your nomination at least 3-4 weeks before your target feature date. The editorial team plans far in advance.
What Makes an App Feature-Worthy
Apple has never published an explicit list of featuring criteria, but analyzing hundreds of featured apps reveals clear patterns.
Design Excellence
Design is the most important factor. Apple’s editorial team is design-obsessed. Your app does not need to look like an Apple app, but it needs to demonstrate design intentionality and polish.
| Design Criterion | What Apple Looks For | Common Disqualifiers |
|---|---|---|
| Visual polish | Consistent spacing, typography, color | Inconsistent margins, mixed styles |
| Native feel | Uses SF Symbols, standard controls, platform idioms | WebView-heavy, cross-platform UI quirks |
| Animation quality | Smooth, purposeful transitions | Janky, unnecessary, or missing animations |
| Dark mode support | Full, polished dark mode implementation | Dark mode as an afterthought |
| Accessibility | VoiceOver, Dynamic Type, proper labels | No accessibility support |
Your screenshots reflect your design quality. Follow the screenshot design principles that top apps use, and make sure your listing looks as polished as your app.
Technical Requirements
Apple strongly favors apps that adopt the latest platform technologies. This serves Apple’s marketing interests (showcasing new features) and signals that you are an active, invested developer.
| Technology | Why It Helps | Minimum Expectation |
|---|---|---|
| Latest SDK | Shows you are actively developing | Build with current year’s SDK |
| SwiftUI adoption | Apple’s preferred UI framework | Used for primary UI, not just settings |
| Widgets | Apple promotes widget-capable apps | At least one widget |
| App Intents / Shortcuts | Siri and Spotlight integration | Basic actions registered |
| Live Activities | Lock screen and Dynamic Island presence | If relevant to your app type |
| Spatial computing (visionOS) | Apple’s newest platform | Nice to have, not required for iOS featuring |
You do not need to adopt every new technology, but adopting 2-3 recent additions significantly increases your chances.
Unique Value Proposition
Apple features apps that tell a story. “Another to-do app” will not get featured. “A to-do app designed specifically for people with ADHD, backed by behavioral science research” might.
| Story Element | Example | Why It Works |
|---|---|---|
| Unique audience | ”Designed for elderly users” | Underserved market, emotional story |
| Unique approach | ”Uses AI to generate workout plans” | Technology angle, innovation |
| Social impact | ”Plants real trees based on your focus time” | Feel-good story, positive impact |
| Cultural relevance | ”Built for Ramadan tracking” | Seasonal, cultural, inclusive |
| Developer story | ”Solo developer, built in a year” | Human interest, indie spirit |
Seasonal and Event-Based Featuring Opportunities
Apple’s featuring follows a predictable calendar. Aligning your app’s updates and marketing with these windows increases your chances:
| Season/Event | Timing | Relevant Categories |
|---|---|---|
| New Year / resolutions | January | Health, Fitness, Productivity, Finance |
| Back to school | August-September | Education, Productivity, Reference |
| Holiday season | November-December | Games, Shopping, Photo, Entertainment |
| WWDC | June | Apps using new iOS features |
| iPhone launch | September | Apps optimized for new hardware |
| Earth Day | April | Environmental, wellness, nature apps |
| Pride Month | June | Apps supporting LGBTQ+ community |
| Mental health awareness | May, October | Health, meditation, journaling apps |
If your app is relevant to any of these windows, time your major update to land 2-4 weeks before the event. Submit your nomination even earlier.
Preparing Your App for Featuring
If you get featured, your listing needs to convert the massive surge of visitors. This is not the time to have mediocre screenshots or a weak description.
Pre-Featuring Checklist
| Item | Priority | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Professional screenshots | Critical | Best practices, all device sizes |
| Compelling first screenshot | Critical | Must hook visitors in 2 seconds (guide) |
| Updated description | High | Clear, benefit-focused, well-structured |
| Recent positive reviews | High | Aim for 4.5+ average |
| Stable, crash-free build | Critical | Featuring drives 10-50x traffic |
| Server capacity (if applicable) | Critical | Can your backend handle the spike? |
| Onboarding flow polished | High | First-time users need a smooth experience |
| Localized screenshots | Medium | Apple features apps globally |
Your screenshots do the heavy lifting during a featuring event. Users browse the Today tab, see your app, and decide to download based almost entirely on your icon, screenshots, and star rating. Invest in professional screenshots using Screenshot Lab and follow the screenshot best practices.
What Featuring Actually Does for Downloads
The impact of featuring varies dramatically based on the type of feature and your app’s category. Here are realistic expectations:
| Feature Type | Download Multiplier | Duration of Impact | Long-Term Benefit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Today tab story | 20-50x daily downloads | 2-5 days | Significant rank improvement |
| App of the Day | 10-30x daily downloads | 1-3 days | Moderate rank improvement |
| Category feature (top) | 5-15x daily downloads | 3-7 days | Good sustained visibility |
| Category feature (lower) | 2-5x daily downloads | 3-7 days | Modest improvement |
| Seasonal collection | 3-10x daily downloads | 1-2 weeks | Depends on collection prominence |
| Search result feature | 2-5x for that keyword | Ongoing (weeks to months) | Sustained keyword ranking boost |
The Post-Featuring Drop
Every featured app experiences a download drop after the feature ends. The key metric is where your downloads stabilize:
| Pre-Feature Average | During Feature | Post-Feature Stable | Net Gain |
|---|---|---|---|
| 50/day | 1,000/day | 80-120/day | 60-140% permanent increase |
| 200/day | 3,000/day | 300-500/day | 50-150% permanent increase |
| 1,000/day | 10,000/day | 1,500-2,500/day | 50-150% permanent increase |
The permanent gain comes from improved App Store ranking (downloads are a ranking signal), more ratings and reviews, and word-of-mouth from the new users.
After Being Featured: Maximizing the Moment
Getting featured is not the finish line. It is the starting line for a growth phase. Here is how to maximize the impact:
During the Feature
- Monitor crash reports hourly. A crash during featuring wastes your biggest growth opportunity.
- Respond to every review. The influx of reviews shapes your app’s perception for months.
- Track conversion rate. If it drops, identify and fix the listing issue immediately.
- Do not push updates. A new version during a feature can disrupt the process.
After the Feature Ends
- Analyze the data. Which countries drove the most downloads? What was your conversion rate?
- Optimize for new users. Review your onboarding flow. Where are new users dropping off?
- Request reviews from retained users. More reviews sustain the ranking improvement.
- Plan your next nomination. One feature makes the next one more likely.
- Update your marketing. “Featured by Apple” is powerful social proof. Use it in your website, press kit, and App Store description.
For ongoing listing optimization, follow the listing optimization checklist and continue refining your conversion rate.
Common Misconceptions About Featuring
| Misconception | Reality |
|---|---|
| ”You need connections at Apple” | Self-nomination is the primary path |
| ”Only big companies get featured” | Apple actively seeks indie and small developer stories |
| ”Featuring is permanent” | Most features last 1-7 days |
| ”Featuring guarantees long-term success” | Only if your app retains the new users |
| ”You need millions of users first” | Many featured apps had modest downloads before featuring |
| ”The review team decides featuring” | Editorial and review are separate teams with different criteria |
| ”Getting featured once is the goal” | Repeat featuring is where sustained growth comes from |
FAQ
How often can an app be featured? There is no official limit. Some apps have been featured multiple times per year, especially if they consistently release quality updates with new features. Each major update is an opportunity to re-nominate. Apple tends to re-feature apps that performed well during previous features (high downloads, positive reviews, good retention). Submit a new nomination with every significant update.
Does my app need to be free to get featured? No. Apple features both free and paid apps. However, free apps (including freemium and subscription) tend to get featured more often because they align with Apple’s goal of maximizing user engagement with the App Store. If your app is paid, make sure the price is justified by the quality and uniqueness of your offering. See our pricing strategies guide for more on how pricing affects visibility.
Can I improve my chances by emailing Apple directly? The official self-nomination form in App Store Connect is the recommended channel. Direct emails to Apple editorial are generally not effective unless you have an existing relationship through WWDC, Apple Developer Academy, or a previous feature. Focus on making your app genuinely excellent and let the nomination form do the talking. Your screenshots and listing quality speak volumes.
What should I do if my app gets rejected from featuring? Apple does not send rejection notices for featuring nominations. If your app is not featured, improve it based on the criteria in this guide and re-nominate with your next update. Focus on design polish, latest technology adoption, and a compelling story angle. Many developers nominate multiple times before getting their first feature. Persistence, combined with genuine quality improvement, is the strategy.
How much does featuring increase revenue? For subscription and freemium apps, revenue impact typically mirrors the download multiplier with a 1-2 week lag (users need time to convert to paying). For paid apps, the impact is immediate. A Today tab feature for a $4.99 app with a 20x download multiplier could mean $25,000 or more in additional revenue during the feature window. The sustained ranking improvement continues to drive revenue for weeks after the feature ends.