An App Store subtitle can be up to 30 characters and appears under your app's name throughout the App Store (Apple: Creating your product page). Apple lists the subtitle as one of the text fields search matches against, along with the title, keywords and primary category (Apple: App Store search). So a good subtitle does two jobs: it tells a person what the app does, and it carries a search phrase your name doesn't already cover.
What Apple says about the subtitle
- Length: up to 30 characters (product page guidance; App Store Connect also says it "can't be longer than 30 characters" in app information).
- Purpose: "summarize your app in a concise phrase". Apple suggests avoiding generic lines like "world's best app" and highlighting features or typical uses instead.
- Changing it: you update the subtitle when you submit a new version of your app.
- Search: Apple's search page names the subtitle as a text-relevance factor and says not to repeat words from your name, subtitle or category in the keyword field (App Store search).
Name, subtitle and keyword field compared
| Field | Limit | Who sees it | Best use |
|---|---|---|---|
| App name | 30 characters (Apple) | Everyone | Brand plus your main phrase |
| Subtitle | 30 characters (Apple) | Everyone, under the name | Second phrase, written as a benefit |
| Keyword field | 100 bytes (App Store Connect) | No one | Words that didn't fit above, no repeats |
A 4-step way to write one
- List words already in your name. Don't spend subtitle characters repeating them.
- Pick one phrase from your keyword research that your name doesn't cover and that you could realistically rank for.
- Write it as a benefit a person would read, e.g. "Build streaks, one day at a time" rather than a comma list of terms.
- Count characters, including spaces and punctuation, and stay at 30 or under.
Examples from real search results
The iTunes Search API returns app names, not subtitles, but names show how apps split their 30 characters. One app (ID 1525179720) uses a different name in each storefront (iTunes Search API, Oct 13, 2026):
| Storefront | Name returned |
|---|---|
| US | Budget app - spending tracker |
| UK | Spending Tracker - Budget App |
| Germany | Budget Planner - ausgaben plan |
The same pattern shows up for app 1438388363: "Habit Tracker" in the US and UK, "Habit Tracker - Tagesplaner" in Germany, and "Daily Planner routine schedule" in Mexico. The developer is choosing which words get the most visible slot in each country, and that choice should drive the subtitle too.
Long names are common. Of the 9 US results for "budget", 2 names use all 30 characters; for "photo editor", 3 of 9 do (iTunes Search API, Oct 13, 2026). If your competitors pack their names, your subtitle is where you can be clearer than them.
Common mistakes
- Repeating the app name word for word.
- Stuffing commas into it like a keyword field. People read this line.
- Using a slogan with no searchable words in it.
- Translating the English subtitle literally instead of researching what people search in that language.
FAQ
How long can an App Store subtitle be? Up to 30 characters (Apple).
Does the subtitle affect App Store search rankings? Apple lists the subtitle among the text-relevance factors for search, alongside the title, keywords and primary category (Apple).
Can I change my subtitle without a new app version? Apple's product page guidance says you can update the subtitle when you submit a new version of your app (Apple).
Should I repeat subtitle words in the keyword field? No. Apple says not to repeat words from your app name, subtitle or category in the keyword field (Apple).
Should the subtitle be different in each language? Each localization has its own subtitle, so write it from that market's search terms rather than translating word for word.
After you ship a new subtitle, the useful question is whether the phrase in it moved. TrackASO tracks those keyword ranks in the cloud: every tracked keyword is checked every night.