Apple announces future App Store features for developers
While the news didn’t get much keynote time, Apple has announced a range of new App Store features rolling out throughout 2026, aimed at giving developers more tools to market apps, grow subscribers, and streamline submissions.
New marketing tools include
Developers will be able to use Creative Assets, rich images and videos, that appear in the product page header and search results, going beyond standard screenshots. These can promote brands, seasonal content, or new features, and integrate with custom product pages and product page optimisation.
A new Asset Library in App Store Connect centralises all creative assets, preview videos, and screenshots in one place, allowing developers to reuse these across campaigns and independent submission for App Review without needing a full app update.
Enhanced discovery
The App Store will introduce Personalized Collections based on user interests, plus App Notes explaining why specific apps are recommended. These appear on the Apps, Games, and Search tabs and evolve over time. They begin rolling out this week in English in the US, with more languages and regions to follow
Game developers can also use Featuring Nominations to pitch special in-game offers or limited-time discounts to the App Store editorial team via the Apple Games app.
New Subs models
Powered by StoreKit 2, two new multi-user subscription options are coming:
- Volume Purchasing via Apple Business Manager and Apple School Manager, allowing enterprise and education buyers to deploy subscriptions across organisations through existing device management workflows. This arrives in autumn – and will be welcomed by a lot of people in IT.
- Group Purchases, letting a single subscriber buy seats and invite others to share a subscription — suited for creators and production companies alike. This arrives in winter.
App Store Bundles will let developers from different companies partner to offer users combined subscriptions at a better price. Developers can also create Suites — subscription packages not available as standalone purchases.
Retention Messaging is rolling out to all developers, enabling tailored communications or special offers to be shown to subscribers during the cancellation process.
Streamlined submissions
Developers will be able to group multiple In-App Purchases into a single unified App Review submission, reducing overhead. Mac App Store apps no longer require Intel support.
Parental Controls & App Categorisation
iOS 27, iPadOS 27, and macOS 27 will introduce Time Allowances — research-backed, age-tailored limits on app usage across categories like Entertainment, Games, and Social Media. Parents can adjust these and use Schedules to control which apps are accessible at different times of day.
From July, the App Store Connect age rating questionnaire will be updated so developers can flag social media capabilities (e.g. social feeds with user-generated content). Apps will then be automatically sorted into the correct Time Allowance category: Social Media, Entertainment, Games, or Other.
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