Apple to add more ads to App Store search results starting March 3

Apple announced on an advertising help page that it will introduce more ads to App Store search results starting in March. This expansion, which the company first mentioned last month, is set to start on Tuesday, March 3, according to a developer email seen by MacRumors.

“Search is the way most people find and download apps on the App Store, with nearly 65 percent of downloads happening directly after a search,” the company says. “To help give advertisers more opportunities to drive downloads from search results, Apple Ads will introduce additional ads across search queries.”

Until now, ads for related apps appeared at the top of search results. Now, they will also appear “further down in search results,” according to Apple.

App Store activity makes up a big part of what Apple calls its “services” business. The company makes money mainly by taking a cut from every App Store transaction, including app downloads and in-app purchases.

However, selling ad space to companies is adding more and more to its income. While App Store ads are not new, they have grown steadily.

For example, Apple added ads to the Today tab in 2022—a section that already mixes editorial content and marketing. Bloomberg also reported in 2025 that the company plans to bring ads to Apple Maps.

It rebranded its ad business from Apple Search Ads to Apple Ads in April 2025. This move signaled that the company wanted to expand where partners can reach customers. This makes sense: the company’s billions of devices, loaded with default apps, are some of its most valuable properties.