Apple is adding more ads to App Store search results starting March

Apple App Store

• Apple to expand App Store search ads with more sponsored listings from March 3.
• Ads will now appear lower in search results, increasing paid placements.
• App developers may face higher competition and costs due to increased ads.

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Apple will begin showing more ads in App Store search results from March 3, expanding where sponsored listings appear when users look for apps. The change was confirmed on Apple’s advertising help page and in a developer email seen by MacRumors, following earlier signals that the company planned to increase the presence of ads across the App Store.

Until now, App Store search ads have largely appeared at the very top of search results, typically promoting apps related to a user’s query. With the upcoming rollout, Apple says ads will also start appearing further down the search results page, increasing the number of paid placements users may encounter before finding organic listings.

“Search is the way most people find and download apps on the App Store, with nearly 65 percent of downloads happening directly after a search,” Apple said. “To help give advertisers more opportunities to drive downloads from search results, Apple Ads will introduce additional ads across search queries.”

The move reinforces the importance of the App Store to Apple’s broader services business. Every app download and in-app purchase already generates revenue for Apple through commissions, but advertising has become an increasingly valuable layer on top of that. App Store ads are not new, but their footprint has steadily expanded over the years.

In 2022, Apple introduced ads to the Today tab, a space traditionally associated with editorial recommendations and curated app features. In 2025, Bloomberg reported that Apple was also planning to bring ads to Apple Maps, signalling a broader ambition to monetise its default apps more aggressively. The rebranding of Apple Search Ads to simply “Apple Ads” in April 2025 further hinted that search was no longer the only surface Apple had in mind.

What it means for developers, users, Apple

From Apple’s perspective, the logic is straightforward. The company controls billions of active devices worldwide, each preloaded with its own apps and services. That ecosystem represents some of the most valuable digital real estate in the industry, especially for developers eager to stand out in an increasingly crowded App Store.

For developers, the expanded ad placements could be a double-edged sword. On one hand, it creates more opportunities to reach users at the moment they are actively searching for apps. On the other, it risks making discovery more expensive and competitive, particularly for smaller developers who already struggle to compete with deep-pocketed rivals for visibility.

For users, the experience may subtly change as well. While Apple has long argued that its ads are clearly labelled and privacy-friendly compared to rivals, the growing presence of sponsored results raises familiar questions about how easy it will be to find genuinely relevant apps without wading through paid placements.