The App Store’s New AI-Powered Tags are Now Available in The Beta Version

Apple’s initiative to enhance App Store discoverability through AI-driven tagging is now active in the iOS 26 developer beta. However, these tags are not yet visible on the public App Store and do not currently influence its search algorithm.

Naturally, any upcoming App Store update brings speculation about how changes might affect app search rankings.

Screenshot Metadata May Now Influence App Store Rankings, Says Appfigures

A recent analysis by app intelligence firm Appfigures suggests that metadata from app screenshots may now play a role in rankings. The company theorized that Apple was pulling text from screenshot captions—something that, in the past, didn’t factor into search rankings, which relied mainly on the app’s name, subtitle, and keyword list.

While it’s true that screenshots are now contributing to app discoverability, as confirmed during Apple’s Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC 25), the method Apple uses differs from Appfigures’ assumption. Instead of relying on OCR, Apple is using AI to extract meaningful information from screenshots, descriptions, categories, and other metadata.

Apple noted that this AI-driven approach means developers no longer need to embed keywords in screenshots or manipulate visuals to influence search tags.

This enables Apple to apply tags that more accurately categorize an app. According to the company, developers will eventually have the ability to manage which AI-generated tags are linked to their apps.

Apple also emphasized that human reviewers will vet these tags before they go live.

As the feature rolls out more broadly, it will become increasingly important for developers to understand how tags work and which ones can boost their app’s visibility among global App Store users.

Read the original article on: TechCrunch

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