Since WWDC25, Apple has been labelling apps with short AI-generated terms such as "Sleep." In 2026 those labels sit with your app in US search results and on your product page, and tapping one opens a collection of similar apps (App Store Connect Help, 2026). Apple calls them App Store Tags. You didn't write yours, and you can only remove them.
Most coverage still describes the June 2025 beta, and almost none says which fields Apple reads. This guide covers what tags are, how Apple assigns them, whether they're still US-only, and what they do for search. Then it gets practical: how to review them, and what to write to earn the right ones. For background, see which metadata fields rank, surface, or feed other systems.
Key Takeaways
- Apple's LLMs assign tags from your metadata, and "the tags are all human reviewed" (Apple, WWDC25).
- As of September 28, 2026 they're US-only, built from en-US metadata.
- You can deselect a tag. You can't add one.
- Apple names your description, category and screenshots as inputs, so plain feature copy is the lever.
What are App Store tags, and where do they appear?
App Store tags are "glanceable terms that help people understand more about your app or game's essential qualities," in Apple's words. As of September 2026, Apple's help page lists three placements: US search results, the Search tab next to app categories, and your product page (App Store Connect Help, 2026). Tapping a tag opens a curated collection of similar apps.
Apple's WWDC25 session describes that collection as "a dedicated view with a personalised and curated collection of apps or games that share similar features or functionalities." Later in the same talk, Apple calls these views "tag rooms" (Apple, WWDC25 session 328). So a tag labels your app and also puts it in a room other shoppers can browse.
Search results came first. Apple's help page now says tags "can now appear on your product page," and Phiture reported them there on US iOS 26 devices set to en-US by October 2, 2025 (Phiture, 2025).
Why the confusion in search results? Pages ranking for "app store tags" mix up three different features. Here's how to tell them apart.
| Feature | Who assigns | Where it shows | Markets | Status, Sep 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Search refinement tags (2021) | Apple | Chips under a broad search that narrow it, such as "photos" to "collage" | Not stated | An older, different feature (MacRumors, 2021) |
| App Store Tags (2025) | Apple's LLMs plus human review; you can deselect | Search results, Search tab, product page, tag rooms | US only | Live; the subject of this guide |
| Google Play tags | You choose up to five in Play Console | Search and discovery on Google Play | No market limit in Google's help | Live; see the last section |
How does Apple decide which tags your app gets?
Apple's large language models generate tags "using a range of data sources, including your app's metadata," and "the tags are all human reviewed," Apple said at WWDC25 in June 2025 (Apple, WWDC25 session 328). Its help page adds that tags are applied by default "based on the metadata you provide in App Store Connect (en_US only)."
The same session names the inputs. "Your app's metadata, its description, category, even screenshots hold very useful information about your app that's often buried," the presenter says, and Apple is "building on app categories" to generate tags. That's the strongest primary evidence that your description and screenshots shape tags, even though the description shows no sign of ranking in App Store search in our evidence grades.
Screenshots aren't read the way some vendors first guessed. Drawing on Apple's WWDC25 explanation, TechCrunch reported in June 2025 that the extraction "involves AI, not OCR," and concluded that developers "shouldn't need to add keywords to the screenshots" (TechCrunch, June 14, 2025). Whether captions help ranking is graded separately under screenshot captions.
Human review makes wrong tags rare but possible. In November 2025, a developer on Apple's forums said their app's only tag was "video," a feature it doesn't have (Apple Developer Forums, 2025). One unanswered thread says nothing about frequency.
Several things remain undocumented. Apple hasn't published which fields weigh most, whether the private keyword field is read, how many tags an app gets, how often tags regenerate after a metadata change, which iOS versions show them, or when product-page tags arrived.
How Apple turns your metadata into tags
Tags are the model's summary of what your en-US listing says the app does, checked by a human. Vague copy gets vague tags, or none. That's our reading of WWDC25, and it's why the fields Apple ranks versus the ones it only reads both matter.
Are App Store tags still US-only in 2026?
Yes. As of September 28, 2026, Apple's help page says "tags are only supported and displayed to users across the App Store in the United States," built from en_US metadata (App Store Connect Help, 2026). Apple announced no tag changes at WWDC26 (Apple, WWDC26 session 205).
Last verified against Apple's pages: September 28, 2026.
iOS 27 shipped on September 14, 2026 (Apple Developer Releases) without changing that. The one recent change is in the API: App Store Connect API 4.5, released September 22, 2026, deprecated "the territories relationship on app tags" and the two endpoints that listed a tag's territories (Apple, API 4.5 release notes).
What does that imply? Less than it seems. Dropping a per-tag territory list could precede a wider launch, or just remove a field that only ever held the US. Apple's reference still says an AppTag can "control which App Store territories feature it" (Apple, AppTag). Our read: plan for US-only until the help page changes.
Tags now stand apart from Apple's other AI surfaces. Apple's AI review summaries, now in nine storefronts, cover the US plus eight English storefronts. Personalized Collections and App Notes launched "in English in the U.S." in June 2026 (Apple Newsroom, June 8, 2026), and Apple's What's New in App Store page (2026) now says Collections are "available in select countries and regions." Of these three surfaces, only tags are still documented as US-only.
So if the US isn't a core storefront for you, tags can wait. If it is, they're live now, and your en-US copy drives them.
App Store tags: from beta to still US-only
Do App Store tags affect search rankings, or just discovery?
Apple hasn't said tags feed search ranking. Its search page defines text relevance as "matches for your app's title, subtitle, keywords, and primary category," and mentions tags separately, as something results "may also include" (Apple Developer, App Store search, 2026). What Apple confirms is discovery: tags show in results, on the Search tab and on product pages.
Apple's help page adds that tags "align your app with user intent, leading to improved relevance." That's about shoppers; Apple's ranking list doesn't include tags. Confirmed and Myth below follow our evidence grades for common ASO claims.
| Claim | Grade | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Tags show in search results, on the Search tab and on product pages | Confirmed | App Store Connect Help, 2026; WWDC25 |
| Deselecting a tag removes your app from that tag's room | Confirmed | Apple, WWDC25 session 328 |
| Tag-room installs count as App Store Browse; a tag used as the search term counts as App Store Search | Reported by a vendor | Phiture, October 2025; Apple's source types don't mention tags |
| Tags lift keyword rankings | Unconfirmed (one case) | Neo Ads, October 2025 |
| Screenshot text is OCR'd into tags | Myth | TechCrunch, June 2025, on Apple's WWDC25 explanation |
The ranking claim rests on one case. In October 2025, Neo Ads reported that a sports game started "ranking on 70 new long-tail 'multiplayer' keywords" after tags launched, with no metadata change (Neo Ads, October 17, 2025). One unaudited example isn't evidence.
Apple's February 2026 research does rank on "a result's semantic fit to the query," with "a statistically significant +0.24% increase in conversion rate" from LLM relevance labels (Apple Machine Learning Research, 2026). That's a case for plain copy. It says nothing about tags; see the two relevance engines Apple ranks on.
How do you measure what tags do? Our house method compares App Store Browse impressions and downloads before and after a tag change; here's how to split App Store Search from App Store Browse by source type. Keep rank snapshots in the free Keyword Rank Checker.
How do you review and deselect tags in App Store Connect?
Open your app in App Store Connect, go to App Information, then Edit under App Store Tags. You need one of four roles: Account Holder, Admin, App Manager or Marketing (App Store Connect Help, 2026). Phiture reports that "tags can be updated without submitting a new build."
- In Apps, select the app you want to view.
- In the sidebar, click App Information, under General.
- Below App Store Tags, click Edit.
- In the pop-up window, review your selections, make any changes, and click Save.
Deselecting a tag removes it from your product page and pulls your app out of that tag's room, Apple said at WWDC25. The help page warns that "deselecting all tags may affect your discoverability." We haven't confirmed that a removed tag can be switched back on.
| What you find | Our house rule |
|---|---|
| Accurate and core to the product | Keep |
| Accurate but minor | Keep; it adds a room |
| Names a feature you don't have | Deselect, then find the copy that caused it |
| Implies the wrong audience | Deselect |
| A tag you want is missing | Fix the en-US copy and re-check after release |
With several apps, script the review through the API:
GET https://api.appstoreconnect.apple.com/v1/apps/{id}/appTags
?fields[appTags]=name,visibleInAppStore
PATCH https://api.appstoreconnect.apple.com/v1/appTags/{tagId}
{"data": {"type": "appTags", "id": "{tagId}",
"attributes": {"visibleInAppStore": false}}}The appTags resource arrived in App Store Connect API 4.1 on October 1, 2025, "to review the Apple created app tags for your app and opt out of certain app tags" (Apple, API 4.1 release notes). Each tag has two attributes, name and visibleInAppStore, and there's no create endpoint (Apple, App tags). We built these calls from Apple's reference, so test one first.
On September 28, 2026, we fetched the server-rendered US App Store web pages of 13 well-known apps in 8 categories, including Calm, Duolingo and ChatGPT, from a non-US connection. Each page's data has a field named tags, and it was empty in all 13. We don't know whether that field holds App Store Tags, or whether a US request would fill it.
So log the API instead. Weekly and after each release, save each tag's name, visibleInAppStore, the date and your en-US copy changes, beside a weekly review-summary log. That's a protocol; we're not publishing results from it here.
How do you optimize your metadata for the tags you want?
Write en-US metadata that names your core features plainly, keep your category honest, and show those features in screenshots. Apple builds tags from "the metadata you provide in App Store Connect (en_US only)" and named the description, category and screenshots at WWDC25 (Apple, 2025). You can't type a tag in, so copy is how you earn one.
- Pick three to five target tags from intent. List feature words a US shopper would tap, such as "sleep sounds" or "budget planner." If they aren't in your keyword map, map the intents you want to be found for.
- Say each one plainly in the en-US localization. Give the name and subtitle your top one or two (see subtitle examples that name a use case). Put the rest in the first lines of the description as concrete features.
- Complete the English (U.S.) localization. If your listing leans on English (U.K.) or another primary localization, add a full en-US one. That's our inference from Apple's "en_US only" wording.
- Keep the primary category accurate. Apple builds tags "on app categories," so a mis-filed app risks tags from the wrong family (our inference). Pick the honest app category.
- Show the features in screenshots. TechCrunch reported in June 2025 that Apple reads screenshots with AI techniques rather than OCR, so show each feature clearly and name it in a short caption.
- Re-check tags after every metadata release. Deselect anything wrong, and judge copy changes over two to four weeks (our house guideline).
On iOS, the description shows no sign of ranking in App Store search in tests. Yet Apple's WWDC25 session names "its description, category, even screenshots" as information behind tags. So copy that didn't matter for keyword ranking now shapes which tag rooms you enter.
How each field lines up, per Apple's text-relevance list and its statements on tags:
| Field | In Apple's text-relevance list? | Tag input, per Apple? |
|---|---|---|
| App name | Yes | Yes, as "metadata" |
| Subtitle | Yes | Yes, as "metadata" |
| Keyword field | Yes | Not documented |
| Description | No | Yes, named at WWDC25 |
| Primary category | Yes | Yes, named at WWDC25 |
| Screenshots and captions | No | Yes, named at WWDC25 |
| Promotional text | No | Not documented |
Before you ship, draft each en-US field against its limit in our free Metadata Character Counter. The same plain copy helps AI assistants, so write the description for extraction. It's the core of our keyword and metadata optimization work.
What doesn't work?
- Tag bait in the description. Every tag is human-reviewed, and Guideline 2.3.7 bans packing metadata with "irrelevant phrases just to game the system" (App Review Guidelines, 2026).
- Deselecting everything. Apple warns it "may affect your discoverability."
- Dropping keyword work. Apple's search page still lists four text-relevance inputs: title, subtitle, keywords and primary category (Apple Developer, App Store search, 2026). Tags change none of them.
How do Apple's tags compare with Google Play tags?
They work the opposite way. On Google Play you choose tags yourself: "Your app or game can have a maximum of five tags," and Google says to pick those "most obviously relevant to your app" (Play Console Help, 2026). On the App Store, Apple's LLMs assign tags and you can only deselect them.
Google isn't purely manual either. AppTweak's analysis, last updated April 8, 2024, found that "some of these automatic Google Play tags are not even available for developers to choose from in the console" (AppTweak, 2024). The shared lesson is simple. On Play you pick the words; on iOS you write the copy the model picks from. For games, see choosing Google Play tags for a game.
| App Store | Google Play | |
|---|---|---|
| Who assigns | Apple's LLMs, then human review | You, from Google's list, plus some automatic tags |
| Your control | Deselect only | Choose up to five |
| Markets | US only | No market limit in Google's help |
| Inputs | en-US metadata; description, category and screenshots named | Your picks in Play Console |
| Where shown | Search results, Search tab, product page, tag rooms | Search and discovery on Google Play |
| Where you manage it | App Store Connect, or the appTags API | Play Console store settings; changes can take up to 24 hours |
Frequently asked questions
What are App Store tags?
They're short labels, such as "Sleep," that Apple assigns with large language models and human review. In September 2026 they appear in US search results, on the Search tab and on product pages. Tapping one opens a collection of similar apps, and you can deselect yours in App Store Connect.
Are App Store tags available outside the US?
Not as of September 28, 2026. Apple's help page says tags are "only supported and displayed to users across the App Store in the United States," built from en_US metadata. Apple announced no tag changes at WWDC26, so re-check Apple's page before planning other markets.
Can I add my own tags to my app?
No. Apple applies tags by default from your App Store Connect metadata, and you can only deselect them, in App Information or through the API's appTags resource. To earn a missing tag, name that feature plainly in your en-US name, subtitle and description.
Do App Store tags affect search rankings?
Apple hasn't said so. Its search page lists text relevance as title, subtitle, keywords and primary category, and mentions tags separately. Tags are a confirmed discovery surface. One October 2025 newsletter case claimed a ranking lift, which we grade Unconfirmed.
What happens if I deselect a tag?
The tag leaves your product page, and your app leaves that tag's collection, which Apple calls a tag room. Apple warns that deselecting all tags "may affect your discoverability." Deselect only tags that are wrong or misleading, and keep accurate minor ones.
Which metadata does Apple use to generate tags?
Apple says tags come from "the metadata you provide in App Store Connect (en_US only)." At WWDC25 it named your description, category and even screenshots. It hasn't said whether the private keyword field is used, how fields are weighted, or how often tags regenerate.
Are App Store tags the same as the search tags from 2021?
No. In April 2021, MacRumors reported Apple testing refinement chips that narrowed a broad search, such as "photos" to "collage." Today's App Store Tags, announced at WWDC25, describe individual apps and come from your metadata through LLMs and human review.
The bottom line
App Store tags are a readout of your en-US listing.
- What: LLM-assigned, human-reviewed labels in US search, the Search tab and product pages, each leading to a tag room.
- Where: US only as of September 28, 2026. Watch API 4.5's territory change, but don't bank on it.
- Control: you can remove tags but never add them, so deselect only wrong ones.
- Lever: plain feature copy in en-US, since the description, category and screenshots are named inputs.
- Ranking: no confirmed effect, so track App Store Browse traffic.
Open App Information in App Store Connect today and screenshot your tag list. Then book a free 30-minute call, and we'll map the tags you want against your en-US metadata. The fixed-price ASO audit is the usual starting point.
