Apple launches AI generated tags in App Store developer beta for better app discovery

Apple’s new AI-generated tags for improving App Store discoverability are now available in the developer beta of iOS 26 but are not yet visible or affecting search rankings on the public App Store. Appfigures analysis indicates that metadata from app screenshots influences ranking, with Apple using AI—not OCR—to extract information from screenshots, descriptions, categories, and other metadata to assign tags automatically. Developers don’t need to add keywords manually to screenshots. Apple plans to let developers control which AI-assigned tags associate with their apps, with human review before tags go live. Understanding these tags will be important for developers when they become available to global App Store users.