Some Best Practices for Maximum Exposure at App Release

2025 Strategy
Updated: Dec 16, 2025

In 2012, we advised launching on Thursdays at 4 PM to hit the “Weekly Refresh.” In 2025, the App Store is a daily engine. With the “Today” tab refreshing every 24 hours and App Store Connect offering native “Featuring Nominations,” your launch strategy must be surgical.

24hAvg. Review Time
TuesdayIdeal Media Launch
14 DaysMin. Feature Lead Time

1. The Editorial Shift: From Weekly to Real-Time

While the major “Games” and “Apps” tab collections still see heavy movement on Thursdays, the Today Tab—your biggest source of organic traffic—is updated daily. To maximize exposure, your goal is no longer just “hitting the refresh,” but building Download Velocity that signals Apple’s algorithms.

Figure 1: Average App Store Download Velocity by Day (2025)

2. The “Ghost Release” Method (Staging)

Apple now supports Pre-Orders and Phased Releases, but “Staging” remains the best practice for high-profile launches. Here is the 2025 workflow:

30 Days Out: The Pitch Submit a “Featuring Nomination” directly in App Store Connect. Apple’s editors now require at least 2 weeks’ notice, but 4-6 weeks is the gold standard for a “Today” story.
14 Days Out: Approval & Promo Codes Set your “Availability Date” to a future date. Submit for review. Once approved, your status becomes “Pending Developer Release.” You can now generate 100 Promo Codes for media and influencers while the app is technically “dark.”
Launch Day: The “Big Bang” Manually release the app on a Tuesday morning (9 AM PT). This gives you a full 48-hour window for media coverage to peak before the “Weekend Rush” begins on Thursday evening.
Expert Tip: Use the 2025 App Store Marketing Assets tool in App Store Connect to automatically generate “App of the Day” social cards the moment you get the notification you’ve been selected.

3. Why Tuesday is the New Thursday

By launching on Tuesday, you allow press reviews to saturate the web by Wednesday. When the “Weekend Rush” starts on Thursday, your app already has a high App Store Ranking and a healthy number of ratings, making you a much safer bet for Apple’s editors to put in the “Large Bricks” on Friday.

Warning: In 2025, Apple is stricter on “Minimum Functionality.” Staging an app that crashes or feels incomplete will result in a permanent “blackflag” from the editorial team, regardless of your PR push.

4. Final Checklist for 2025

  • In-App Events: Schedule an event to coincide with your launch week. These now appear in Search results.
  • Product Page Optimization (PPO): Use Apple’s built-in A/B testing to see which screenshots convert best before the big traffic spike.
  • Privacy Labels: Ensure these are 100% accurate; 2025 review bots will reject you instantly for data-tracking mismatches.

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