The news: In 2026, Apple will introduce additional ad placements beyond the single premium slot at the top of search results, giving brands more chances to reach users who are actively looking to download.
- Advertisers won’t choose where ads appear. Placement will be determined by auction dynamics, including bid and relevance, and may vary even within the same campaign.
- Pricing remains cost per tap or cost per install, and ad formats stay unchanged, using standard or custom product pages with optional deep links. Apple can lean on its reputation for safety to secure brand buy-in.
For advertisers, the upside is access to more inventory inside a market that already punches above its weight on revenues, per 9to5Mac.
Why it matters: Apple’s global audience may be smaller than Google Play’s, but it is far more valuable. Its smaller share of downloads versus Google Play drove a disproportionate share of money.
In Q2 2025, the App Store accounted for just 14.5% of global gaming app downloads and 28.3% of nongaming downloads, per Sensor Tower. Yet Apple captured 63.2% of global gaming app revenues and 73.0% of nongaming app revenues.
Key stat: Nearly 65% of downloads happen directly after a search, and ads in the top position convert at around 60%, per Apple. Adding more placements further down the results page expands supply inside a funnel that already works.
What this means for advertisers: Apple Ads is evolving from a scarce, premium product to a scaled performance channel. Apple reports more than 800 million weekly App Store visitors, with over 85% downloading at least one app per visit.
By expanding search ads, Apple increases monetization without changing user behavior—while raising competitive pressure for advertisers.
Brands should expect more competition, less predictability in placement, and rising importance of creative placement efficiency. Consider App Store search as a core performance channel, not a tactical add-on.