Apple to expand advertising placements within App Store search results from next year

• The update will introduce additional ads across search queries to increase app visibility.
• App Store ads will appear both at the top of search results and further down the page.
• Existing search campaigns will automatically be eligible for the new ad placements.
• Apple said nearly 65% of App Store downloads happen directly after a search.

Apple has revealed that it will expand advertising placements within App Store search results from next year. 

The company said the move will introduce additional ads across search queries to give developers more opportunities to drive app downloads.

According to an update on Apple’s Ads website, ads will now appear not only at the top of search results but also further down the page. 

Existing search campaigns will automatically be eligible for the new placements, with advertisers not required to make any changes to their campaigns.

The expanded App Store search ads will begin rolling out on devices running iOS 26.2 and later, starting in early 2026.

Billing unchanged 

Furthermore, Apple said search remains the primary way users discover apps on the App Store, noting that nearly 65% of downloads occur directly after a search. 

The iPhone maker added that the additional ad inventory is designed to increase visibility for apps without altering how campaigns are managed or billed.

Advertisers will not be able to select or bid for specific ad positions. Instead, Apple will continue to determine placement based on a combination of bid value and relevance to the user’s search query, with ad matching handled automatically.

The ad format itself will remain unchanged, using either default or custom product pages with optional deep links. Billing will also stay the same, based on Apple’s cost-per-tap model, meaning developers only pay when a user taps on an ad.