How to Get Featured on the App Store (and Google Play)

Quick answer: To get featured on the App Store, submit a featuring nomination in App Store Connect for your launch, a major update or new content, at least a few weeks ahead and ideally up to three months before. Apple's editors weigh user experience, design, innovation, uniqueness, accessibility, localization and your product page. Nothing guarantees a feature. Google Play does not take self-nominations, but eligible apps can request featuring for promotional content.

Featuring means an editor chose your app for a spot you cannot buy. On the App Store, that includes stories on the Today tab, App of the Day and Game of the Day, curated collections on the Apps and Games tabs, and placements for In-App Events. Apple says featured selections are localized and regionally curated, so you might be featured in one country and not another.

On Google Play, editors build collections and promoted lists, and promotional content such as events and offers can appear in featured placements.

Featuring is different from paid placements such as Apple Ads or Google Ads. Those you can buy; editorial featuring you can only earn.

Apple added Featuring Nominations to App Store Connect so you can tell the editorial team about upcoming moments directly. You need the Account Holder, Admin, App Manager or Marketing role.

1. In Apps, select your app.
2. In the sidebar, under Featuring, click Nominations.
3. Click the plus button and choose Create Nomination.
4. Give the nomination a name you will recognize later.
5. Choose the type: App Launch, App Enhancements or New Content.
6. Write a detailed description of what is happening and why it matters.
7. Pick a publish date or date range.
8. Add additional information: related apps, countries, localizations and up to five supporting URLs, such as a TestFlight public link or a press page.
9. Submit. Individual nominations can be saved as drafts first.

Timing. Apple's featuring page asks for a minimum of two weeks' notice, its help page recommends at least three weeks, and it suggests nominating up to three months ahead for wider consideration. Build this into your app launch plan so the nomination is not an afterthought.

Apple says there is no checklist of requirements, but it lists the factors its team considers.

Games are also judged on gameplay, art, controls, story, replayability, sound and technical performance.

Notice the last row of the table. Editors look at your product page, so weak screenshots or an English-only page in localized markets work against you. Our App Store screenshot best practices cover what a strong page looks like.

Editors read many nominations. Make yours easy to understand and act on.

• Lead with what is new. "A redesigned editor with offline sync and full VoiceOver support" beats "Big update!"
• Explain why it matters to users, not to you.
• Tell the story. A small team, an unusual origin or a clear mission gives editors something to write about.
• Name the date and markets. Say which countries and languages the launch covers.
• Highlight accessibility and localization if you invested in them. Both are on Apple's list.
• Link to a working build with a TestFlight public link so editors can try it.
• Mention In-App Events if you have one planned. Approved events can be attached to a nomination; see our In-App Events guide.

A short structure that works: one sentence on what the app is, two or three on what is new, one on who it helps, one on the timing, then links.

Google Play works differently. Its help center states that Google does not accept self-nominations to be featured, and that top-performing apps can be featured by the Google Play team on promoted lists. What you can do:

• Build a high-quality app. Stability, performance and good large-screen support matter. Watch Android vitals in Play Console.
• Polish your store listing. Clear screenshots, a proper feature graphic and accurate descriptions in every market you target. See our Google Play store listing guide.
• Use promotional content if eligible. Promotional content is available for all games and for apps that meet Google's eligibility criteria. When you create an event, you can request featuring if you have requests left for the quarter. Events with featuring requested must be submitted at least 14 days before they start, and featuring is still not guaranteed.

Featuring rarely comes from one nomination. It comes from an app editors keep noticing.

1. Localize properly. Translate the app and the product page, including screenshots, for your main markets, starting with the countries where you already see downloads.
2. Invest in accessibility. Support Dynamic Type, VoiceOver and sufficient contrast, and mention it.
3. Adopt new platform features early, where they genuinely help your users.
4. Plan regular moments: seasonal content, In-App Events and meaningful updates give you reasons to nominate again.
5. Earn good ratings with a well-timed, rule-compliant prompt. See how to get app reviews.
6. Keep your product page current with screenshots that match the latest UI, and run every nominated release through the App Store submission checklist.