App Store: Significantly more advertising coming from March 2026

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The App Store is about to see further advertising expansion. Starting in March 2026, Apple will introduce additional ads in search results. The rollout will initially be limited to select countries, but global expansion is already planned. For many users, this means another change to app search, with paid content becoming even more prominent.

Advertising has long been a part of the Apple ecosystem. While Apple's own product and brand campaigns are usually high-quality, advertising in the App Store itself is often perceived as intrusive. Ads have long been an integral part of search results. With these new measures, Apple is further expanding this area and making it clear that the App Store is increasingly being used as an advertising platform.

More advertising in the App Store from March 2026

Apple informed developers this week that starting March 3, 2026, additional ads will appear in App Store search results. These will initially be visible to users in the UK and Japan. This requires iOS 26.2 or later, or iPadOS 26.2 or later, to be installed on the device.

The new ads appear directly in the search results and complement the existing advertising formats. This brings paid app placements even more into focus when users search for specific terms.

Gradual expansion into other markets

The introduction of the additional advertising is not limited to the UK and Japan. According to Apple, the new ad slots should be available to App Store users in all other markets by the end of March 2026. This is therefore a gradual global rollout.

This move is not surprising. Apple had already announced in December 2025 that it would further expand the advertising offerings in the App Store. The current implementation follows exactly this announced plan.

This is how the new ads work

Apple's website states that the additional ads are being introduced to give advertisers more opportunities to generate app downloads through search results. For developers and advertisers, this initially means no additional effort.

Apple emphasizes that no special steps are required for apps to appear in the new ad slots. Ads are displayed automatically, based on keywords that match user search queries with relevant ads. Developers cannot force their apps to be advertised for irrelevant search queries.

Ad formats and billing

Standard ads are still based on the respective product page of an app in the App Store. Additionally, Apple offers developers the option of creating so-called ad variations. These variations allow ad creatives to be targeted to specific audiences or keyword topics.

The billing process remains unchanged. The existing cost models for Apple Ads will continue to be the same, even though the ads will now be displayed in additional places within the search results.

Advertising in the App Store is nothing new

This latest expansion isn't the first time Apple has increased advertising in the App Store. Back in October 2022, ads were introduced in the "Today" section. That move also drew criticism at the time, as the section had previously been dominated by editorial content.

Another indication of the growing importance of advertising was the renaming of "Apple Search Ads" to "Apple Ads" in April 2025. The new name makes it clear that the advertising offering is no longer limited to search, but is broader in scope.

From March 2026, advertising in the App Store will become a greater focus

With the new ad placements, Apple is consistently pursuing its strategy, making the App Store an even more ad-driven platform. Starting in March 2026, search results will be increasingly accompanied by paid content, initially in the UK and Japan, and shortly thereafter worldwide. This opens up additional revenue streams for Apple, while for users, the app search experience will change further, and advertising in the App Store will become even more prominent. (Image: Shutterstock / Tada Images)