How to optimise for both stores
Follow these steps in order. Each one is something we do on client work.
- Research per store. Search behaviour differs.
- Write per store. App Store has a keyword field; Play doesn't.
- Design shared assets, export per store. Sizes and rules differ.
- Use each store's tests. PPO and listing experiments.
- Localize both. Different limits.
- Track separately. App Analytics and Play Console.
App Store vs Google Play ASO: key rules and context
Side by side
| App Store | Google Play | |
|---|---|---|
| Title | 30 chars | 30 chars |
| Second line | Subtitle 30 | Short description 80 |
| Keyword field | 100 chars, hidden | None |
| Description indexed | No | Yes (4,000) |
| Testing | PPO: icon, screenshots, previews | Experiments: graphics and text |
| Review | Human review every submission | Automated + human |
What to do differently. On iOS, spend effort on the keyword field (keywords guide). On Play, write a strong, natural description (Google Play ASO).
What's the same. Icon and screenshots drive conversion on both; ratings matter on both.
Worked example (hypothetical)
This example is illustrative. The app is made up, and so are any numbers in it.
Say CookMate uses the same description on both stores. On Play, that description matters more for search, so we'd rewrite it with natural use of the main terms, while on iOS we'd use the keyword field.
Common mistakes
- Same copy everywhere. Different rules.
- Ignoring Play's description. It does more there.
- One screenshot export. Sizes differ.
- Shared metrics. Track per store.
If you want this handled for you, our pricing page lists every fixed package.
App Store vs Google Play: where your words go
The two stores index different fields. This is the comparison we use when we plan a listing for both.
| Element | App Store | Google Play |
|---|---|---|
| Title | 30 characters (app name) | 30 characters (app name) |
| Second line | Subtitle, 30 characters | Short description, 80 characters |
| Hidden keywords | Keyword field, 100 bytes | None; the visible text does the work |
| Long text | Description, 4,000 characters | Full description, 4,000 characters |
| Editable without review | Promotional text, 170 characters | Listing edits still go through review |
| Native A/B tests | Product page optimization (up to three treatments) | Store listing experiments (up to two variants) |
Native testing tools compared
Use the store's own test tool before any third-party guesswork.
| Apple product page optimization | Google Play store listing experiments | |
|---|---|---|
| What you can test | Icon, screenshots, previews | Graphics and text (icon, screenshots, descriptions) |
| Variants | Up to 3 treatments vs original | Up to 2 variants vs current listing |
| Localization | Treatments can be localized | Run per language (localized experiments) |
| How winners are judged | Estimated conversion lift with confidence | Performance vs current listing over the test |
How we measure the result
Here is how we judge whether App Store vs Google Play ASO work is paying off. Search changes move slowly and the daily numbers are noisy, so we read trends over weeks rather than single days. When impressions climb but installs stay flat, the bottleneck is conversion, so the icon and screenshots come next rather than more keywords.
Checklist
Copy this list into your release notes or ticket and tick each item off before you ship.
- Per-store research
- Per-store copy
- Per-store exports
- Both tests
- Both localized
Sources
- Apple: Search on the App Store (accessed 26 October 2026)
- Google Play Console Help: Create and set up your app's store listing (accessed 26 October 2026)
- Apple: Product page optimization (accessed 26 October 2026)
- Google Play Console Help: Run store listing experiments (accessed 26 October 2026)
- Apple App Store Connect Help: App information (accessed 26 October 2026)
- Apple App Store Connect Help: Platform version information (accessed 26 October 2026)
- Apple App Store Connect Help: Overview of product page optimization (accessed 26 October 2026)
Questions
Can I copy iOS metadata to Play?
Not as-is; Play needs a longer description.
Which store is easier?
Different, not easier.
Same screenshots?
Often, resized and without iPhone frames on Play.
Same keywords?
Overlap, but research both.
Do you cover both?
Yes.
Is ASO different on Google Play and the App Store?
Yes. Fields, limits, testing tools and policies differ.