11 articles on app store for app builders shipping to the App Store and Google Play.
App Store phased release rolls a version update out to a random sample of users with automatic updates on over 7 days: 1 percent on day one, then 2, 5, 10, 20, 50 and 100. You can pause it for up to 30 days in total, or release to everyone with one button. Here is exactly what Apple says it does, what it does not do, and how I decide when an Expo app update should use it.
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App Store in-app events are event cards Apple shows on your product page, in search results and in its editorial tabs to promote a timely moment inside your app, such as a challenge, a competition or a major update. An event can run for up to 31 days, be promoted up to 14 days early, and be submitted for review without a new app version. Here is what Apple allows, what gets an event rejected, how to wire the deep link in an Expo app, and the Real Moment Test I use before creating one.
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An App Store pre-order publishes your product page before your release date so people can order the app, and on launch day it downloads to their device automatically. Apple only publishes the pre-order after the build has passed App Review, the release date has to sit two to 180 days out for a brand-new app, and you have to release the version manually. Here is how to set it up in App Store Connect for an Expo app, what Apple charges and when, and the three questions I use to decide whether a pre-order is worth the wait.
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App Store promo codes give someone a free download of your paid app. Offer codes give someone a free or discounted in-app purchase or subscription. Since March 26, 2026 Apple no longer lets you create promo codes for in-app purchases, so an Expo app with a subscription paywall hands out offer codes, and a paid-up-front app hands out promo codes. Here is what each one does, the limits Apple publishes, how to create them in App Store Connect, and how to redeem them from a RevenueCat paywall.
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The App Store age rating questionnaire is the required set of questions in App Store Connect that decides whether your app shows as 4+, 9+, 13+, 16+ or 18+. Apple calculates the rating from your answers, and a handful of capability questions (unrestricted web access, social media, medical information) push a plain utility app up two tiers if you answer them loosely. Here is what each question means, which answers move the rating, and how to fill it in for an Expo app.
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How to write an app store description: lead with your single biggest benefit in the first two lines (the only text visible before 'more'), keep paragraphs to three lines, and skip the feature list in favor of outcome sentences. Here is the exact structure, the character limits that matter, and how to use Claude Code to draft and iterate fast.
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How to make an app icon for the App Store: export one 1024x1024 pixel PNG with no transparency and no rounded corners, point Expo at it, and let the system round it. Here is the exact size, the format rule that rejects most first icons, the Android adaptive version, and how I get all of it done fast with Claude Code.
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Most indie builders pick keywords by gut. The ones who rank pick them by search volume, competition, and relevance - all three together. Here is the exact process I run with Claude Code to find the right App Store keywords before a new app ships.
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The App Privacy questionnaire is where first-time submissions quietly go wrong. Answer it wrong and you either get rejected or you publish a privacy label that does not match your app. Here is how to answer it accurately in about twenty minutes.
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Getting featured is not luck and it is not only for big studios. Here is what Apple's editors actually look for, the concrete things you can do to earn a feature, and how to put your app in front of the people who choose.
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Getting the first reviews on a new app is the hardest part of the App Store growth curve. Here is the exact sequence I use to get an app from zero reviews to a credible rating in the first 30 days.
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David