Apple will add more App Store search ads
Apple will add more App Store search ads in 2026, expanding inventory while keeping placements driven by relevance – not higher bids.
Apple plans to add more ads to App Store search results in 2026, expanding its ad inventory while keeping tight controls on how advertisers influence placement.
What’s changing. The new ads will appear inline with App Store search results, mixed among organic listings. The existing top-of-search ads will stay the same. Advertisers don’t need to do anything to appear in these new placements, Apple said, because they can’t.
What Apple is saying. In guidance shared with Apple Insider, Apple made one point clear: relevance is non-negotiable.
- “If your app isn’t relevant to what the user is searching for, it won’t be displayed — regardless of how much you may be willing to pay,” an Apple representative said.
Apple added that apps that aren’t a strong match for a search query won’t even enter the auction, regardless of bid size. Apple Ads weighs both relevance and bids, but relevance decides who gets in the door.
Why we care. Apple is expanding its App Store search ad inventory, which could raise competition and increase how often ads appear during discovery. At the same time, Apple’s relevance-first approach means bidding alone won’t guarantee visibility. That puts more pressure on smart keyword choices and strong creative. With no control over placement, advertisers who closely match user intent are most likely to benefit from the added exposure.
What advertisers can control. Creative still matters. Advertisers can prepare multiple ad variations to better match different audiences or keyword themes. If they don’t provide custom creative, Apple will automatically generate ads using the app’s product page assets.
Billing stays the same. There will be no pricing changes, Apple confirmed. Advertisers will still pay per tap or per install, based on their current setup.
The big picture. Apple has steadily expanded its ads business. It added ads to the Today tab in 2022 and recently rebranded Apple Search Ads as Apple Ads, signaling broader ambitions while continuing to resist the traditional auction dynamics seen elsewhere.
The report. Apple to flood App Store search results with more ads in 2026
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