What a Feature Actually Means
Apple's App Store "Today" tab editorial features and Google Play's "Editor's Choice" designation can each deliver between 50,000 and 500,000 downloads depending on the category and placement. For a new app, a single feature can compress six months of organic growth into one week. Unlike paid acquisition, featured downloads convert to active users at higher rates because they come with editorial credibility. This is the highest-ROI distribution event available for mobile apps.
What Apple and Google Look For
Both App Store editorial teams look for similar qualities: Design excellence — apps that use platform-native patterns well, with polished animations, accessibility support, and high-resolution assets that look great on the latest devices. Relevance to a current moment — apps that connect to seasonal events, cultural moments, or trending topics (an Indian cultural events app before Diwali, for example). Technical quality — apps with high ratings, low crash rate, and fast load times. An app crashing on the latest iOS version will not be featured. App Store presence quality — professional screenshots, a preview video, a clear and well-written description.
How to Apply for Features
Apple: Use App Store Connect to fill out the "Product Page Promotions" section at least two months before your target feature date. Specify which upcoming release or event you want to tie the feature to. Include a press kit (high-resolution screenshots, app icon, promotional text). Google Play: Submit a feature nomination via the Google Play feature nomination form (found in the Play Console help documentation). Both processes are free and the editorial team makes the final decision.
Technical Requirements
For Apple features specifically: support for the latest iPhone screen sizes (including Dynamic Island on iPhone 16 Pro), support for Dark Mode if your app has a UI that benefits from it, accessibility (VoiceOver support at minimum), and no use of deprecated APIs. Apps with crash rates above 1% are rarely featured. Contact hello@devxaitechnologies.com to prepare your app for App Store featuring.