# App Store and Google Play character limits (2026 table)

> On the App Store the app name and subtitle are limited to 30 characters each, the keyword field to 100 bytes, promotional text to 170 characters and the description to 4,000 characters; on Google Play the app name is limited to 30 characters, the short description to 80 and the full description to 4,000.

Uptika team · Published: 2026-11-05 · Last updated: 2026-11-05 · https://uptika.app/en/guides/app-store-character-limits

The App Store gives you 30 characters for the app name and 30 for the subtitle, 100 bytes for the hidden keyword field, 170 characters of promotional text and 4,000 characters of description. Google Play gives 30 characters for the title, 80 for the short description and 4,000 for the full description. The tables below add every other text field, whether it counts for search, and whether changing it needs a new app version.

> Last checked: 5 November 2026, against the Apple and Google help pages listed under Sources. Stores change these pages without notice; when a number here and the store's own form disagree, the form wins.

## What are the App Store character limits?

Every text field you fill in App Store Connect has its own limit. The "Indexed" column says what Apple states about App Store search; "Needs a new version" says whether the change has to ship with an app version.

| Field | Limit | Unit | Indexed for App Store search? | Needs a new version? | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| App name | 2 to 30 | characters | Yes. Apple: your app is searchable by app name and company name | Yes, after the first release: change it when you create a new version (or when the version's status allows editing) | [App information](https://developer.apple.com/help/app-store-connect/reference/app-information/app-information) |
| Subtitle | 30 | characters | Yes. Apple tells you not to repeat its words in the keyword field | Yes. Apple: you update it when submitting a new version | [Product page](https://developer.apple.com/app-store/product-page/) |
| Keywords | 100 | bytes (Apple's search page says "100 characters") | Yes, hidden from users | Apple does not state it on the pages cited; in practice keyword changes ship with a version | [Platform version information](https://developer.apple.com/help/app-store-connect/reference/app-information/platform-version-information) |
| Primary and secondary category | Picked from a list | none | Yes. Apple: both are indexed by the search algorithm | Not stated on the pages cited | [App Store search](https://developer.apple.com/app-store/search/) |
| Promotional text | 170 | characters | No. Apple: it does not affect search ranking | No. Apple: update it at any time without a new version | [Product page](https://developer.apple.com/app-store/product-page/) |
| Description | 4,000 | characters, plain text, no HTML | Not among the fields Apple lists for App Store search; Apple says it is used for web search engine results | It is a version field; Apple names only promotional text as editable without a submission | [Platform version information](https://developer.apple.com/help/app-store-connect/reference/app-information/platform-version-information) |
| What's New in This Version | 4,000 | characters | Not among the search fields Apple lists | Yes, written per version; not available for the first version, required for every later one | [Platform version information](https://developer.apple.com/help/app-store-connect/reference/app-information/platform-version-information) |
| App Review notes | 4,000 | bytes | No, only App Review sees it | Sent with a submission | [Platform version information](https://developer.apple.com/help/app-store-connect/reference/app-information/platform-version-information) |
| In-app event reference name | 64 | characters | No, internal only | No: once the app is approved, an event can be submitted with or without an app version | [Offer in-app events](https://developer.apple.com/help/app-store-connect/offer-in-app-events/offer-in-app-events) |
| In-app event name | 30 | characters | Event cards can appear in search; Apple does not say how their text is indexed | Same as above | [Offer in-app events](https://developer.apple.com/help/app-store-connect/offer-in-app-events/offer-in-app-events) |
| In-app event short description | 50 | characters | Shown on the event card | Same as above | [Offer in-app events](https://developer.apple.com/help/app-store-connect/offer-in-app-events/offer-in-app-events) |
| In-app event long description | 120 | characters | Shown on the event details page | Same as above | [Offer in-app events](https://developer.apple.com/help/app-store-connect/offer-in-app-events/offer-in-app-events) |
| In-app purchase display name | 35 | characters | In-app purchases can appear in search results | Not stated on the pages cited | [Product page](https://developer.apple.com/app-store/product-page/) |
| In-app purchase description | 55 | characters | Shown with the purchase | Not stated on the pages cited | [Product page](https://developer.apple.com/app-store/product-page/) |
| Custom product page promotional text | No separate number on the custom product page help; plan for the same 170 | characters | No, promotional text does not affect ranking | No: custom product page metadata is reviewed independently of an app update | [Custom product pages](https://developer.apple.com/help/app-store-connect/create-custom-product-pages/configure-multiple-product-page-versions) |

Two related counts that are not text limits: the product page can showcase up to 20 in-app purchases and subscriptions in total across its two sections, and an app can have up to 10 in-app events published and 15 approved at the same time. An event runs for at most 31 days and can be published up to 14 days before it starts.

## What are the Google Play character limits?

Google Play has fewer text fields. Google says the same limits apply to full-width and half-width characters, so Japanese, Chinese and Korean listings get the same 30, 80 and 4,000.

| Field | Limit | Unit | Indexed for Play search? | Needs a new release? | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| App name | 30 | characters | Google: the text in your store listing helps users discover your app | No new release; edit it in Store listings, then send the change for review | [Store listing](https://support.google.com/googleplay/android-developer/answer/9859152) |
| Short description | 80 | characters | Same as above | Same as above | [Store listing](https://support.google.com/googleplay/android-developer/answer/9859152) |
| Full description | 4,000 | characters | Same as above | Same as above | [Store listing](https://support.google.com/googleplay/android-developer/answer/9859152) |
| Screenshot alt text | 140 | characters | Accessibility text for each screenshot | Same as above | [Preview assets](https://support.google.com/googleplay/android-developer/answer/9866151) |
| Release notes | 500 | Unicode characters per language | Not a listing field | Yes, written per release | [Prepare a release](https://support.google.com/googleplay/android-developer/answer/9859348) |

The listing is edited in Play Console under **Grow users → Store presence → Store listings**. Google adds a warning that matters more than any limit: repetitive or irrelevant keywords in the app name, short description or full description can lead to the app being suspended. More on each field in the [Google Play store listing guide](https://uptika.app/en/guides/google-play-store-listing).

## Why is the keyword field 100 bytes and not 100 characters?

App Store Connect Help says the keyword field holds "up to 100 bytes", while Apple's App Store search page says "100 characters". For plain English the two numbers are the same, because in UTF-8, the standard text encoding, each ASCII letter, digit and comma takes 1 byte. Letters outside ASCII take 2 bytes or more:

- Turkish ç, ğ, ı, ö, ş, ü: 2 bytes each.
- German ä, ö, ü, ß: 2 bytes each.
- Accented letters such as é, á, ã, ñ: 2 bytes each.
- Most Chinese, Japanese and Korean characters: 3 bytes each.

So a keyword field in Turkish or German fits fewer than 100 letters. A worked example, counted with `Buffer.byteLength` in Node.js:

| Keyword field | Characters | Bytes | Fits? |
|---|---|---|---|
| `Haushaltsbuch,Ausgaben,Einnahmen,Sparen,Budgetplaner,Kassenbuch,Geldbörse,Rücklagen,Finanzübersicht` (German) | 99 | 102 | No: 3 umlauts push it over |
| Same field without `Rücklagen` | 89 | 91 | Yes, 9 bytes free |
| `bütçe,harcama,gelir gider,birikim,tasarruf,fatura,borç,cüzdan,aylık plan,kredi kartı,döviz,altın` (Turkish) | 96 | 104 | No: 8 Turkish letters add 8 bytes |
| Same field without `altın` | 90 | 97 | Yes, 3 bytes free |

A character counter would show both first fields as under 100. The limit Apple's help states is in bytes, so count bytes. Other fields (name, subtitle, promotional text, description) are given in characters, so an umlaut there costs one character like any letter. The App Review notes field is the other one counted in bytes, which matters if you write notes in a language with many non-ASCII letters. The full method for packing the field is in the [App Store keyword field guide](https://uptika.app/en/guides/app-store-keyword-field).

## What does "needs a new version" mean?

On the App Store, most product page text belongs to a version. You edit it on the version page in App Store Connect (in **Apps**, pick the app, then the platform version in the sidebar), and it goes live only when that version passes review and is released. Name and category sit under **App Information**, but Apple still ties a name change to a new version after the first release.

What Apple states plainly:

- **Promotional text** is the exception: Apple says you can update it at any time without submitting a new version. Use it for news that changes faster than your release cycle; see [promotional text vs description](https://uptika.app/en/guides/promotional-text-vs-description).
- **Subtitle**: Apple says you update it when submitting a new version.
- **App name**: change it when you create a new version or when the version's status permits editing.
- **In-app events** and **custom product pages** go to review on their own, without an app update.

What Apple does not state: we could not find an official sentence that the **keyword field** can only change with a new version. App Store Connect shows it on the version page and developers commonly report that it ships with a version, but treat that as field practice, not an Apple rule. The same goes for the description. On Google Play, listing text is not tied to a release at all: you edit it, then send the change for review from the Publishing overview page.

## What are the most common character limit mistakes?

- **Trusting a character counter for keywords.** For the Turkish field above it shows 96, while the byte count is 104. Count bytes.
- **Spaces after commas.** Apple asks for commas with no spaces in the keyword field; every space costs a byte.
- **Repeating words.** Words already in the name, subtitle or category are wasted in the keyword field, and Apple asks you not to repeat them.
- **Plurals and duplicates.** Apple lists "climbs" and "climb" as duplicates; keep one.
- **Keywords in the promotional text or description.** Apple says promotional text does not affect ranking and asks you not to stuff the description.
- **Prices and claims in the name or subtitle.** Guideline 2.3.7 rules out prices, trademarked terms, popular app names and unverifiable claims in metadata.
- **Filling Google Play text with repeats.** Google warns that repetitive keywords can lead to suspension.
- **Writing What's New for version 1.0.** The field does not exist for the first version.
- **Assuming one limit for alt text.** Google Play screenshot alt text has its own 140-character cap.

## Quick checklist before you submit

1. App name between 2 and 30 characters, no price, no other app's name.
2. Subtitle up to 30 characters, no words repeated from the name; see the [subtitle guide](https://uptika.app/en/guides/app-store-subtitle) and [app name guide](https://uptika.app/en/guides/app-name).
3. Keyword field at or under 100 bytes (count bytes, not letters), commas without spaces, no word from the name, subtitle or category.
4. Promotional text up to 170 characters, written for people, not for search.
5. Description up to 4,000 characters, plain text, strongest sentence first; see [how to write an app description](https://uptika.app/en/guides/how-to-write-an-app-description).
6. What's New up to 4,000 characters for every update; see [release notes](https://uptika.app/en/guides/release-notes).
7. App Review notes up to 4,000 bytes, with a working demo account if the app needs sign-in.
8. In-app event texts: 30 / 50 / 120 characters; see [in-app events](https://uptika.app/en/guides/in-app-events).
9. Google Play: title 30, short description 80, full description 4,000, alt text 140, release notes 500 per language.
10. Every localization checked separately: limits apply per language, and multi-byte letters change the keyword field budget.

## How can Uptika help?

The free [Metadata Linter](https://uptika.app/en/tools/metadata-linter) runs in your browser and checks every field above against its limit, including the keyword field in bytes, and flags repeated words, singular/plural pairs and brand or claim risks. To see how a live listing uses its space, paste the store link into [Listing X-Ray](https://uptika.app/en/tools/listing-x-ray). In the panel, the [ASO score](https://uptika.app/en/product/aso-score) gives metadata efficiency 15 of its 100 points: how many of your most popular keywords sit in the indexed fields and how fully the title, subtitle and keyword field are used. The free plan needs no card: [create an account](https://uptika.app/app/#/?signup=1).

## Questions

### What is the App Store app name character limit?

The app name must be at least 2 and no more than 30 characters. App Store Connect Help states both numbers, and guideline 2.3.7 of the App Review Guidelines repeats the 30-character cap. After the first release you change the name when you create a new version.

### What is the App Store subtitle character limit?

The subtitle can be up to 30 characters and appears under the app name across the App Store. Apple says you update it when you submit a new version, so plan subtitle tests around your release schedule.

### What is the Google Play title character limit?

The Google Play app name is limited to 30 characters. Google says the same limit applies to full-width and half-width characters, so a Japanese or Chinese title also gets 30.

### How long can the App Store description be?

Up to 4,000 characters of plain text with line breaks; HTML is not supported. Only the first lines show before "more", and Apple calls the first sentence the most important one.

### What is the release notes character limit?

On the App Store, What's New in This Version allows up to 4,000 characters and is required for every version after the first. On Google Play, release notes allow up to 500 Unicode characters per language.

### What is the Play Store short description character limit?

The short description is limited to 80 characters. It is the first text people read on the listing, so spend it on what the app does and the main search term, not on slogans.

## Sources

- [App information (App Store Connect Help)](https://developer.apple.com/help/app-store-connect/reference/app-information/app-information)
- [Platform version information (App Store Connect Help)](https://developer.apple.com/help/app-store-connect/reference/app-information/platform-version-information)
- [Creating your product page (Apple Developer)](https://developer.apple.com/app-store/product-page/)
- [App Store search (Apple Developer)](https://developer.apple.com/app-store/search/)
- [Offer in-app events (App Store Connect Help)](https://developer.apple.com/help/app-store-connect/offer-in-app-events/offer-in-app-events)
- [Submit an in-app event (App Store Connect Help)](https://developer.apple.com/help/app-store-connect/manage-submissions-to-app-review/submit-an-in-app-event)
- [Configure multiple product page versions (App Store Connect Help)](https://developer.apple.com/help/app-store-connect/create-custom-product-pages/configure-multiple-product-page-versions)
- [App Review Guidelines (Apple Developer)](https://developer.apple.com/app-store/review/guidelines/)
- [Create and set up your app: store listing (Play Console Help)](https://support.google.com/googleplay/android-developer/answer/9859152)
- [Add preview assets to showcase your app (Play Console Help)](https://support.google.com/googleplay/android-developer/answer/9866151)
- [Prepare and roll out a release (Play Console Help)](https://support.google.com/googleplay/android-developer/answer/9859348)

## Free tools

- [Metadata Linter](https://uptika.app/en/tools/metadata-linter): Paste your store text: limits, repeats, singular/plural waste and policy risks, instantly, in your browser.
- [Listing X-Ray](https://uptika.app/en/tools/listing-x-ray): Holds a store listing's searchable fields against the store's own suggestions and the category's top 10.

---

Uptika is an ASO and store-intelligence tool for the App Store and Google Play. https://uptika.app/en