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Apple will begin using AI technology to power the discovery of apps on the App Store, the company announced at this week\u2019s Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC 25).<\/p>\n
In a session focused on updates to App Store Connect, its app distribution platform for developers, the company announced it will introduce App Store Tags \u2014 labels that highlight specific features and functionalities found in an app.<\/p>\n
These tags will initially be generated by Apple\u2019s large language models using various sources, like the app\u2019s metadata. They\u2019ll then be human-reviewed before being applied to apps on the App Store.<\/p>\n
Apple customers will be able to use these tags when searching for apps on the App Store, where the tags appear alongside the categories on the search page and the apps that appear in the search results. <\/p>\n
Apple says the new tags will help surface information that\u2019s often buried in app listings, like the app\u2019s App Store description, category, metadata, or even in its screenshots. The tags, Apple believes, will help users more easily find the apps that offer the functionality they\u2019re looking for, while also giving developers a better idea about how their apps are being discovered.<\/p>\n
Today, consumers find apps through a number of App Store features, including its editorial pieces on the Today tab, collections curated by the App Store\u2019s editorial team, by browsing app categories, or using App Store Search. Apple also monetizes the App Store with ads that can appear on the Today tab, the Search tab, on product pages, and in its search results. <\/p>\n
When App Store users tap on one of the new tags, they\u2019ll be taken to a new page offering a curated collection of all the apps and games that offer similar features or functionality \u2014 an extension to the App Store\u2019s existing feature that points users to apps they \u201cmight also like,\u201d found at the bottom of individual listings. <\/p>\n
Although the tags themselves are AI-generated and reviewed, developers will ultimately have the final word on which tags are associated with their apps. A new information page will be available in the App Store Connect software, where they can manage tags or deselect those they don\u2019t want to show up on their app\u2019s product page. <\/p>\n
Apple is already using AI on its App Store to summarize an app\u2019s reviews by combining information into a short paragraph.<\/p>\n
Tags aren\u2019t the only improvements coming to the App Store. Apple says that developers will also be able to create custom product pages that appear when a user searches for apps using particular keywords. It\u2019s also improving its app \u201cnutrition labels\u201d feature; expanding its lineup of app age ranges (there are now five); and extending offer codes to consumables, non-consumables, and non-renewing subscriptions. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n