How to choose and change an app name on both stores

Your app name is the most visible text you own on either store, and on the App Store it is one of the four text sources Apple names for search. Both stores give you 30 characters. The name carries your brand, and the remaining characters should carry the one term people search for when they need what your app does.

What are the app name rules on each store?

Both stores cap the name at 30 characters; they differ in how you change it and in what they forbid.

How do you choose an app name?

Use the formula brand + keyword, and keep the brand first.

Brand: core search term

1. Pick a brand that is easy to say and spell. Apple's product page advice: a simple, memorable name that is easy to spell and hints at what the app does. Be distinctive, and avoid generic terms or names too similar to existing apps.
2. Choose one core search term. The phrase people type when they need your app: "budget planner", "home workouts", "trip planner". One strong term beats a list.
3. Join them with a separator. A colon or a dash is common. Both count as characters.
4. Count to 30. Spaces and punctuation count.
5. Move the rest to the other fields. Secondary terms belong in the subtitle and keyword field on the App Store, and in the short and full description on Google Play.
6. Check availability. Try to create the app record in App Store Connect early, and search both stores for the brand.

Examples with invented apps:

Should the brand alone ever be the name? Yes, when the brand is already what people search for. A new app rarely has that, so the keyword part does real work until it does.

What do the stores forbid in an app name?

App Store. Guideline 2.3.7 asks you to choose a unique app name, use keywords that describe the app accurately, and not pack metadata with trademarked terms, popular app names, pricing information or other irrelevant phrases to game the system. It also limits app names to 30 characters and says names, subtitles, screenshots and previews should not include prices. Apple may change inappropriate keywords or take other steps against abuse.

Google Play. The metadata policy says:

• No emoji, emoticons or repeated special characters in the title, icon or developer name.
• No ALL CAPS unless it is part of your brand name.
• No text about store performance or ranking: Google's examples are "App of the year", "#1", "Best of Play 20XX" and "Popular".
• No price or promotional information, such as "10% off", "$50 cash back" or "free for limited time only".

Google's best practices add that words like "Free" and "No Ads" don't belong in titles, that the title should be unique and avoid common terms, and that it must not mislead people into downloading the wrong app. Repetitive or irrelevant keywords in the name or descriptions can lead to suspension, and Google notes long titles may be shortened on some devices.

How do you change an app name on the App Store?

You change it with a new version. App Store Connect Help says you can edit the name until you submit the app to App Review; later you can change it when you create a new version or when the version status permits editing.

1. In App Store Connect, open Apps and select your app.
2. Create a new version for the platform.
3. Click App Information under General in the sidebar.
4. Choose the language from the menu at the top right and edit the name. Repeat for each localization you want to change.
5. Click Save, attach a build to the version and submit it for review.
6. The new name goes live with that version.

If the name you want is already used by another app in your own account, Apple gives two options: submit an update to that app to change its name, or remove that app from App Store Connect.

How do you change an app name on Google Play?

You edit it in the store listing, which is separate from your app releases and shared across tracks.

1. In Play Console, select the app and go to Grow users > Store presence > Store listings.
2. Open your main store listing and edit App name under App details. Edit each translation you keep.
3. Save. The change appears on the Publishing overview page with your other changes for review.
4. If managed publishing is on, store listing changes wait until you choose to publish them; Google lists store listing changes among the changes it holds back.

Review time is not fixed. Google's publishing page says some apps may get extended reviews of up to 7 days or longer in exceptional cases.

Can two apps have the same name?

On the App Store, App Store Connect Help says you can use an app name for one app per localization. If another developer uses the name and you hold the trademark, Apple offers a claim form. Google Play publishes no hard uniqueness rule, but its best practices ask for a unique title and forbid titles that mislead people into installing the wrong app. Either way, a name close to an existing app's name invites confusion and, under Apple's guidance, should be avoided.

Does the app name affect ranking?

Yes on the App Store, by Apple's own description: search results use text relevance, which covers matches in the title, subtitle, keywords and primary category, plus user behavior such as downloads and ratings. On Google Play, Google's search guide asks for a title that reinforces what your app is about. Neither store publishes weights, so treat a rename as a test you measure, not a guaranteed gain.

How do you monitor ranks after a rename?

This is a practical routine, not an official rule from either store.

1. Before the change: list your brand, the old name's keyword and the new name's keyword, plus 5 to 10 core terms. Record each term's rank in every storefront that matters.
2. Ship one change: change only the name in that release if you can, so the effect is readable.
3. Daily for 2 to 4 weeks: read ranks at the same time each day. Judge on weekly trends, not single days.
4. Watch your brand term: people who knew the old name should still find you. If the brand search slips, make the brand clearer in the name or subtitle.
5. Watch rivals: a rival's title change in the same weeks can move your ranks too, so check theirs before crediting your rename.
6. Decide: keep the name if the new term gains and core terms hold; otherwise revise with the next release.

For how daily rank readings work and why they move, see keyword rank tracking. Limits for every other field are in App Store character limits; the line under the name is covered in App Store subtitle. If you want a different message for an ad audience rather than a new name, use custom product pages or update promotional text.

How Uptika helps

Check a draft name in the free Metadata Linter: it counts characters, flags words repeated across your name, subtitle and keyword field, and flags brand and claim risks such as "#1" or "best". In the panel, the free "Keyword radar" reads your brand and core terms every day, which covers the rename monitoring plan above; the free plan keeps 7 days of history, paid plans keep the full history. On Starter, "Rival log" records rivals' title, screenshot and price changes by date, and "Copy workshop" helps you write the title and subtitle within the limits with keyword coverage. See Keyword radar and competitor tracking, or start free.

Questions

Sources

1. App information (App Store Connect Help)
2. Add a new app (App Store Connect Help)
3. Localize app information (App Store Connect Help)
4. Creating your product page (Apple Developer)
5. App Store search (Apple Developer)
6. App Review Guidelines (Apple Developer)
7. Create and set up your app (Play Console Help)
8. Metadata policy (Play Console Help)
9. Best practices for your store listing (Play Console Help)
10. Get discovered on Google Play search (Play Console Help)
11. Control when app changes are reviewed and published (Play Console Help)