Apple today announced it is officially rolling out a new ad format for the App Store. The new Today tab format is more compact than the previous full-height card design but is viewable immediately upon opening the tab on the iPhone. The previous design required the user to scroll down the page to see it.
A nonsponsored slot continues to take the first position, but the ad placement is now always above the fold. The new format also allows Apple to make it easier for advertisers to submit campaigns and get approved more quickly.
The new ad format will start showing to iPhone users in July, running iOS 16.4 or later.
As the new ad format does not feature visible hero artwork, Apple is able to remove some of the approval conditions that were previously required to get an ad campaign approved for the Today tab. Apple will still review the app icon, name, and subtitle in accordance with their policies.
On tap, the ad will direct the user to a custom product page featuring advertiser-submitted artwork.
Existing Today tab advertising campaigns will be automatically converted to the new format in July.
The App Store Today tab ad format first debuted last year, around October 2022, with Apple expanding Search Ads to the Today tab and app product pages. The latter change proved particularly controversial, as it saw gambling and casino ads appear alongside legitimate app listings from developers. In response to the criticism, Apple halted showing gambling ads in these slots.
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