Apple Will Show More Ads in App Store Search Results

App Store will show more ads (photo: dok. Apple)

Apple says it will increase the number of ads that appear in App Store search results starting next year. This was communicated in an update on the Apple Ads website.

According to Apple, showing more ads will provide developers with a greater opportunity to reach new potential users. In line with this expansion, Apple will slip ads into some new sections.

Currently, ads only appear in a single slot at the top of the app's search results. In the future, additional ad slots will be tucked further down along the user's search results list.

Apple deliberately adds ads in search results because this feature is the main tool for most users in finding and downloading apps. The company claims that almost 65 percent of downloads occur after users perform a search process on the App Store.

"To help provide more opportunities for advertisers to drive downloads from search results, Apple Ads will introduce additional ads across search queries," Apple wrote, quoted on Thursday, December 18.

Advertisers cannot choose specific positions related to the placement of their ads. The placement of ads will depend on factors such as the number of bids and the relevance ranking of the ad.

The billing system for developers will not change. They will continue to use the cost-per-click or cost-per-install model. Advertising campaigns that are currently running will automatically qualify for new ad slots next year.

This ad expansion is planned to be released globally in 2026. This feature will be supported on devices running iOS and iPadOS operating systems version 26.2 and above.