Apple’s WWDC 2025 keynote introduced a sweeping set of changes that will directly impact how developers approach App Store Optimization (ASO). From the rollout of the new Liquid Glass design to the launch of a dedicated Games app and enhanced analytics, the App Store ecosystem is evolving—and apps that align with these changes stand to gain a competitive edge. Here’s an in-depth look at what’s coming and how to adjust your ASO strategy accordingly.
1. Liquid Glass Design & Icon Changes
Apple is introducing a “Liquid Glass” design language across iOS and iPadOS, characterized by smooth, translucent UI elements and a consistent, glassy aesthetic. Alongside this, all app icons will adopt a more uniform look featuring rounded corners, subtle gradients, and a layered, glass-like finish.
ASO Implications:
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Mandatory icon redesign: Apps that don’t update their icons to match the new style risk appearing outdated or inconsistent with the broader system, potentially hurting user trust and discoverability.
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Ecosystem alignment: Apple historically favors apps that align with its design guidelines in editorial features and search. Adapting your UI and icons early could increase your chances of being featured.
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Plan ahead: Start redesigning your app icon and consider aligning your in-app UI with the Liquid Glass design to stay ahead of the competition when the updates roll out later this year.
2. Dedicated Games App
Apple’s new dedicated Games app creates a standalone home for gaming, complete with its own search functionality, editorial features, and integration with Apple Arcade.
ASO Implications:
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New discovery channel: This app presents a significant opportunity for game developers to reach a highly engaged audience.
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Optimized visuals and metadata: Tailor your app’s title, subtitle, description, and screenshots to resonate with this gaming-focused audience. Highlight achievements, leaderboards, social features, and unique gameplay hooks that align with Apple’s editorial focus.
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Competitive positioning: Early adopters who optimize for the Games app could benefit from a surge in organic discovery as users explore this dedicated space.
3. Visual Intelligence—Search Through Screenshots
Apple’s new Visual Intelligence feature allows users to interact with app screenshots in the App Store to search for related content and features.
What does this mean?
When a user is browsing an app’s page in the App Store, they’ll see the developer-uploaded screenshots—just like today. But now, if a screenshot shows a specific feature (such as a “Buy Now” button, a settings page, or a key function), the user can tap directly on that part of the screenshot.
Here’s how it works:
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Tapping on a screenshot does NOT open the app itself. Instead, it keeps the user within the App Store.
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Apple’s Visual Intelligence then runs a search related to the feature the user tapped on. This search might show similar apps, different sections of the same app, or relevant features from other apps in the ecosystem.
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This interaction effectively turns screenshots into interactive search entry points, helping users discover apps and features more easily.
ASO Implications:
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Design clear, focused screenshots: Screenshots should clearly showcase important features and elements, avoiding clutter or overly complex visuals.
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Highlight key features visually: Use screenshots to emphasize the most important or unique aspects of your app—like dashboards, workflows, or unique tools.
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Use overlays and labels carefully: Strategic callouts can help users identify what to tap, but too many can clutter the image and reduce Visual Intelligence’s effectiveness.
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Consistency with UI design: Screenshots should match the app’s real interface. Visual Intelligence relies on recognizing UI elements, so misleading screenshots might hurt discoverability or user trust.
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Update regularly: As new features are added or UI changes occur, update screenshots to reflect the app’s current state.
Bottom Line:
Screenshots have evolved from static promotional images to interactive discovery tools. By crafting clean, feature-focused screenshots that align with Apple’s Visual Intelligence system, developers can drive organic discovery and increase user engagement—all while keeping users inside the App Store experience.
4. Shortcuts & Intelligent Actions
Apple Intelligence now integrates deeply with Shortcuts, enabling AI-powered automations that streamline tasks and enhance user workflows.
ASO Implications:
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Metadata emphasis: Clearly highlight your app’s support for Shortcuts and automation capabilities in your descriptions and bullet points.
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In-App Events: Promote new Shortcuts and automations through targeted in-app events to educate users and drive adoption.
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Discoverability boost: Apple often rewards apps that integrate seamlessly with its ecosystem, so investing in Shortcut support could result in increased visibility.
5. Live Translation in Messages/Calls
Apple’s on-device live translation now extends to Messages, Calls, and FaceTime, making real-time communication across languages easier than ever.
ASO Implications:
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International focus: Apps that facilitate collaboration, communication, or translation should highlight their real-time language support capabilities.
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Feature integration: If possible, integrate Apple’s live translation framework to meet user expectations for seamless communication.
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Metadata & screenshots: Emphasize these features prominently in your app’s metadata, screenshots, and videos to appeal to a global audience.
6. App Store Connect Analytics Overhaul
Apple has overhauled App Store Connect’s analytics, making it easier to access and analyze your app’s performance data. Key improvements include a new layout, expanded filtering options, and deeper subscription analysis.
Expanded Filters—What Are They Exactly?
Apple now allows developers to apply up to seven filters simultaneously per metric—compared to the previous limit of three. These filters enable you to segment your data by multiple dimensions at once.
What does that mean in practice?
While filters like device type (iPhone, iPad), region, and app version were already available, the key improvement is that now you can combine them more flexibly. For example, you can:
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Filter by device type + region + app version + acquisition source—all in one view.
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See how users in a specific country using an older app version interact differently than those on the latest version.
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Layer additional filters such as subscription status, user cohort, or app event participation.
This multi-dimensional filtering helps you build highly targeted segments, so you can better understand how different factors affect metrics like installs, revenue, churn, or feature usage.
Subscription Analysis—What’s New and Why Is It Important?
Apple’s new subscription analytics add over 50 new metrics, covering both state-based (snapshot) and event-based(movements) insights.
Here’s what’s included:
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Plan starts, churn, and retention rates.
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Cohort analysis that shows how users move through different stages of the subscription lifecycle—like trial, paid, churn, and reactivation.
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Benchmarks to compare your performance to similar apps.
Why is this interesting?
Historically, many developers have relied on third-party tools like RevenueCat to get detailed subscription analytics (e.g., cohort churn, plan-specific retention). Apple’s improvements now bring much of this functionality directly into App Store Connect, reducing the need for some external solutions.
ASO Implications:
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Use expanded filters to identify which user segments respond best to your app’s metadata changes.
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Leverage cohort data to understand how different marketing efforts or store listing updates impact conversion, retention, and revenue.
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Evaluate whether to adjust or streamline your subscription analytics stack based on these new built-in capabilities.
Bottom Line:
Apple’s App Store Connect overhaul provides a more powerful, flexible, and integrated analytics experience. With multi-layered filtering and detailed subscription insights, developers can analyze user behavior, test ASO changes, and track revenue performance more effectively—all within Apple’s ecosystem.
Apple is rolling out new features that impact discoverability and user engagement:
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Tags: Automatically generated, human-reviewed tags highlight app features and appear in search results alongside categories.
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CPP keywords: Developers can now assign keywords to Custom Product Pages, which then appear in organic search results with custom screenshots.
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AI-generated review summaries: These summaries provide users with quick insights into your app’s strengths and weaknesses and appear on the app page itself.
ASO Implications:
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Tag management: Review and adjust your assigned tags to ensure they reflect your app’s core features and enhance your search relevance.
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Keyword-rich CPPs: Use this opportunity to create tailored CPPs for different user segments and features, complete with relevant keywords and visuals.
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Reputation management: Monitor AI-generated review summaries and flag inaccuracies quickly to protect your brand reputation and ensure accurate representation.
8. Accessibility Nutrition Labels
Developers can now declare accessibility features in a standardized, region-specific format that appears on the app page.
ASO Implications:
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Inclusivity as a trust signal: Clearly highlighting accessibility features builds trust with users who value inclusive design.
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Marketing opportunity: Use screenshots and descriptions to showcase your app’s accessibility features, making them a core part of your value proposition.
Action Plan: How to Prepare Now
| Area |
Actions |
| Design & Icons |
Start redesigning icons to match the Liquid Glass aesthetic and update in-app UI where possible. |
| Visual Assets |
Create clean, feature-focused screenshots that align with Visual Intelligence. |
| Metadata & Tags |
Optimize keywords, manage tags carefully, and emphasize new features like Shortcuts and live translation. |
| CPP Strategy |
Develop multiple Custom Product Pages with targeted keywords and visuals for different user segments. |
| Analytics |
Use expanded filters and cohort analyses to understand user journeys and refine ASO strategies. |
| Offers & Events |
Plan In-App Events and special offers to promote new features and drive re-engagement. |
| Accessibility |
Complete nutrition labels thoroughly and highlight inclusive features in marketing materials. |
Conclusion
WWDC 2025 marks a transformative moment for app developers. With new design guidelines, search capabilities, and analytics tools, Apple is signaling a shift toward a more visually driven and personalized App Store experience. Apps that align with these changes—through updated icons, optimized screenshots, tailored metadata, and thorough analytics—will be better positioned to succeed in this new landscape. The time to prepare is now, before iOS 26 and other system updates roll out later this year.
