December 19, 2025
An Apple a day, more ads on the way
2026 Apple introducing more ads to increase opportunity in search results
More ads in App Store search: fans say the ‘premium’ vibe just got downgraded
TLDR: Apple will add more sponsored results to App Store searches in 2026. Commenters slam the move as greedy and trust-eroding, sharing phishing stories and warning real apps could be buried, while a few note search already had ads; the fight is over Apple’s “premium” identity versus ad money.
Apple will add more ads to App Store search in 2026, so sponsored results will show up beyond the top slot. You can’t pick positions; campaigns are auto-slotted at the top or further down, billed per tap or install. Apple says most downloads start with search and touts high conversion, but the internet heard one thing: more ads.
On Hacker News, the mood swung from disappointed to furious. al_borland called it “greedy or desperate,” arguing Apple’s premium feel came from fewer ads. trvz didn’t hold back, calling App Store ads “filthy” and saying responsible teams should be fired. sgentle shared a horror story: they tapped the first result for “ChatGPT” and landed on a scammy clone, joking App Store search is “torrent-level trustworthy” now. Others tried to calm the pitchforks, noting this update is specifically about search, which already had ads, but they still called it “unfortunate.”
Memes flew: “Tim Cook, now with ad-supported vibes,” and “the App Store turning into a mall kiosk.” The big drama is trust—will extra ads bury real apps and boost copycats? Apple says relevance wins, not just money, but the crowd isn’t buying it. The community wants fewer ads, not more, and they’re loud.
Key Points
- •Apple Ads will add more ad positions within App Store search results starting in 2026.
- •Existing search results campaigns are automatically eligible for all positions; advertisers cannot select or bid for specific positions.
- •Ad formats remain the same, using default or custom product pages with optional deep links; billing stays CPT or CPI.
- •Keyword-based matching and relevance determine ad display, with over 60% average conversion rate reported for top-of-search ads.
- •Product pages — while browsing ads appear atop the You Might Also Like list and are unavailable in mainland China.