Apple has confirmed plans to expand advertising placements within App Store search results, giving developers more opportunities to surface their apps through paid discovery.
The update will begin rolling out in early 2026 on devices running iOS 26.2 and later.
Why Apple Is Doing This
Apple says search remains the primary discovery method on the App Store, with nearly 65% of downloads happening directly after a search. The expanded ad inventory is intended to increase app visibility without adding new campaign complexity.
What’s Changing
Search ads will appear in more positions within App Store search results
Ads will continue to show at the top of search results, with additional placements further down the page
Existing search campaigns will automatically qualify for the new placements
No campaign changes will be required from advertisers
What’s Not Changing
No new bidding options for specific ad positions
Placement will still be determined by bid value and relevance
Ad formats remain the same, using default or custom product pages
Billing stays cost-per-tap (CPT) — developers only pay when a user taps
What This Means for Developers
More ad placements mean increased competition within search, but also more opportunities to capture high-intent users. With targeting, pricing, and formats unchanged, the impact will largely come down to keyword strategy, relevance, and creative performance.
The update reinforces Apple’s continued push to scale App Store advertising—while keeping tight control over how inventory is accessed and priced.
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