How to Get Featured on the App Store and Google Play, Without Relying on Luck
How to get featured on the App Store and Google Play: what editors look for, how to prepare a launch or update worth featuring, and what you cannot control or buy.
**To get featured on the App Store or Google Play**, you need a listing and a product that editors can present with confidence. Featuring is editorial. Neither store publishes a checklist that guarantees a place, and neither sells one as a guaranteed slot.
What you can do is prepare the parts that editors look for: a polished listing, a clear update or launch story, localised pages, and a product that works well on the devices people use. This guide covers what to prepare, how to pitch honestly, and what to expect.
Key takeaways
- Featuring is an editorial decision. Neither store guarantees placement or publishes a full selection formula.
- A polished listing, accurate screenshots, and a clear story make your app easier to present.
- A meaningful update or launch gives editors a reason to talk about the app now.
- Localised pages and accessibility-friendly design can widen the set of markets where you fit.
- Be wary of anyone who sells a guaranteed feature. The store's own rules and editorial calendar decide.
What featuring is, and is not
Both stores highlight apps across the storefront, in collections, categories, and special sections. Those placements are chosen by the store's editorial teams, and the criteria vary by season, category, and market. A feature is a bonus, not a metric you can plan on.
That means the work is preparation and communication, not a trick. Make the app worth presenting, then make it easy for the team to present.
Prepare the listing first
| Area | What editors look for | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Icon | A clear, distinctive mark | Consistent with the store style and readable small |
| Screenshots | Real product, clear value | Accurate to the current build |
| Copy | Honest, clear, well written | No claims you cannot show |
| Localisation | Good pages in several markets | Native review and correct formatting |
| Quality | Stable, fast, accessible | Crash-free sessions and clear feedback |
Each area is part of the product page, so improving it helps regardless of featuring. That is the honest reason to start there.
Give editors a story
Editors choose apps they can explain. A new feature, a meaningful redesign, a new market, a partnership, or a relevant anniversary gives them a reason. A routine bug-fix update rarely does. Plan your launch or major update around a real change you can describe in two sentences.
- Identify the change that matters to users, and describe it in plain words.
- Make sure the listing, icon, and screenshots show that change accurately.
- Localise the key pages for the markets where the change is relevant.
- Prepare a short, honest pitch with the facts and a press kit link.
- Submit through the developer contact or pitch channel the store provides, and respect the response time.
What not to do
- Do not pay anyone who promises a guaranteed feature. The store's own rules decide.
- Do not use fake reviews or inflated ratings to make the app look ready.
- Do not spam editors or the developer contact with repeated pitches.
- Do not claim a placement you do not have in marketing copy.
What to expect
Most apps are not featured in any given month, and many launches are not featured at all. Treat featuring as an upside. The listing work, the update story, and the quality of the product are still the parts you control, and they keep helping even when no feature arrives.
Where NewASO fits
NewASO does not submit features, contact editors, or buy placements. Its job is the listing side: competitor keyword mining, scored phrases, validated Play and App Store fields, localisation with native review still required, rank checks by market, and an icon review against the category. Those help you present the app well. For the launch sequence, read app launch checklist. For the store listing, read app store product page optimization.
Frequently asked questions
Can I pay to get featured on the App Store?
Be cautious. Paid ads are available through advertising programmes, but editorial featuring is decided by the store. Anyone who guarantees a feature is not describing the store's process.
Does being featured change my rankings?
A feature can bring installs and visibility, but neither store describes it as a fixed ranking input. Treat it as a traffic event, not a permanent rank change.
What should I send an editor?
A short, factual summary of the app and the change, the store links, and a press kit or screenshots. Keep it concise and accurate, and respect the store's submission channel.