Apple Search Ads is now available in 91 countries. The App Store has introduced broadcast push notifications for Live Activities. Google Play now lets users resume paused or canceled downloads.

Contents

1. Apple Search Ads Expands to New Markets
2. Apple Search Ads now supports direct links to specific content
3. AI search added to the US App Store
4. Broadcast push notifications for Live Activities
5. App Store hides app rating distribution
6. New date range presets added to App Store Connect
7. Price and tax updates for apps, in-app purchases, and subscriptions
8. Featuring Nominations now available in App Store Connect
9. Google Play users can now watch videos for installed apps
10. Google Play introduced a feature to resume paused or canceled downloads
11. Developers can now test Android 16

Apple Search Ads News

Apple Search Ads Expands to New Markets

Apple has announced the launch of its advertising platform in 21 new countries, including Turkey, Cyprus, Armenia, Latvia, Estonia, Iceland, and more. Developers can now reach even more users worldwide by using Apple Search Ads to promote their apps.

Apple Search Ads now supports direct links to specific content

Apple Search Ads has introduced the option to add links to content on custom app pages. This update allows developers to direct users straight to the desired screen within the app, improving conversion rates.

App Store news

AI search added to the US App Store

The US App Store now features AI search, allowing users to find apps using natural language. This functionality aims to simplify app searches and make them more personalized.

Broadcast push notifications for Live Activities

Apple has introduced an update to Live Activities — push notifications can now be sent to all subscribers simultaneously, not just individual users.

With this update, the Push Notifications console now includes new metrics for broadcast push notifications within the Apple Push Notification service (APNs) in the production environment.

The updated Push Notifications console now offers data on:

• Total number of notifications successfully delivered via APNs
• Number of devices that received these notifications
• Maximum number of subscribers following the app’s Live Activities

These updates make it easier for developers to evaluate notification performance and discover new ways to improve their effectiveness.

App Store hides app rating distribution

After the iOS 18.1.1 update, users noticed a change in the “Ratings & Reviews” section on app pages. The rating distribution is now only visible when you open the section, whereas before, it was displayed on the main app page.

New date range presets added to App Store Connect

Developers now have access to new time ranges for analyzing app data. Following the update, they can view data for the past week, since the beginning of the current year, or since the app’s launch on the App Store.

Price and tax updates for apps, in-app purchases, and subscriptions

Apple has announced pricing and tax updates for apps, in-app purchases, and subscriptions on the App Store for developers in Nepal, Kazakhstan, and Madeira. These changes aim to simplify the process of selling digital goods and services through the App Store, which supports 44 currencies across 175 countries.
Apple has stopped withholding Value Added Tax (VAT) for developers in Nepal and Kazakhstan, leading to increased revenue for them. Additionally, the VAT rate for publications, magazines, books, and audiobooks in Madeira has been reduced from 5% to 4%.

Featuring Nominations now available in App Store Connect

Apple has introduced a new Featuring Nominations feature in App Store Connect, making it easier for developers to submit nominations for new launches, feature updates, or other significant changes to their apps. If an app is featured in App Store collections, developers will now receive a notification directly in App Store Connect. Additionally, new tools have been added to help create ready-to-use marketing materials for promoting apps on social media and attracting new audiences.

Google Play news

Google Play users can now watch videos for installed apps

Starting in November, Google Play users can watch videos about the apps they’ve installed directly via Marketplace. These videos are pulled from developers’ YouTube channels and aim to boost user engagement. It’s still unclear whether this feature will remain exclusive to Google Play partners or become available to all developers.

Google Play introduced a feature to resume paused or canceled downloads

The Google Play Store has started testing a new feature called “Smart Resume,” allowing users to resume canceled or paused app downloads within 24 hours. This feature is particularly useful in cases of unstable internet connections, as it eliminates the need to restart downloads from scratch.

Developers can now test Android 16

The first preview version of Android 16 is reportedly now available for developers to test.

The new version includes the following features:

• A built-in photo picker for seamless image selection
• Health Connect, an early API for working with medical records in the FHIR format
• Privacy Sandbox, aimed at improving user privacy protection

Developers can now manually download the Android 16 Developer Preview, test app compatibility with the new SDK, receive updates as they are released, and submit feedback through the feedback page.

It has also been reported that new Android 16 releases are planned for 2025. The main release with new APIs is expected in Q2, while an additional release in Q4 will focus on feature updates and fixes without significant changes to apps.