Apple confirms more ads are coming to App Store search results in 2026

Apple App Store

Apple is expanding the number of ads that appear in App Store search results, confirming plans to introduce additional placements starting in 2026. The update was detailed on the Apple Ads website, where the company said the change is designed to “increase opportunity in search results”.

Until now, App Store searches have featured a single ad slot at the very top of the results page. These ads appear when an advertiser targets a specific keyword and wins the auction for that term. Searching for one app can therefore surface a promoted rival above the organic results.

That is about to change. Apple says it will begin showing ads further down the search results page, creating multiple ad positions within a single query. The new placements will sit below the existing top slot, effectively increasing the total number of sponsored results users may see when searching for apps.

According to Apple, search remains the primary way users discover apps on the platform, with nearly 65 percent of downloads happening directly after a search. By adding more ad inventory, the company says it is giving advertisers more chances to drive downloads without requiring changes to existing campaigns.

Advertisers and developers will not be able to choose or bid for specific ad positions. Instead, ads may appear either at the top of the search results or further down the page, depending on factors such as bid value and auction ranking. Even within a single campaign, ad placement could vary from search to search.

Billing models will remain unchanged. Advertisers will continue to pay on a cost-per-tap or cost-per-install basis, and current search ad campaigns will automatically become eligible for the new placements once they launch.

Apple says the ad format itself will be identical across all positions. Ads will continue to use either a default or custom product page, with optional deep links, and will be billed according to the advertiser’s existing pricing model.

The company is keen to underline the scale of the opportunity. More than 800 million users visit the App Store each week, and over 85 percent download at least one app during their most recent visit. Apple also claims a 60 percent conversion rate for ads placed at the top of search results, reinforcing why search ads have become increasingly attractive to developers.

The expanded search ads will roll out in 2026 and will be supported on iOS and iPadOS 26.2 and later.