This week, Apple sent out an email to developers informing them that starting on Tuesday, October 25, in all nations outside of China, There will soon be app-specific ads in the Today tab of the main App Store and a “You Might Also Like” section at the bottom of each app listing. Every ad in the App Store has an “Ad” icon and a blue background.
One of the first pieces of content users sees when they open the App Store is your app, according to a page on Apple’s website about App Store ad placements. “With a Today tab ad, your app can appear prominently on the front page of the App Store,” it says.
Developers will now be able to place ads in the Today tab for the first time; up until now, this tab has only shown editorially chosen content from the App Store’s editorial team, with no paid placement. A new feature that allows developers to advertise their apps on the pages of other apps is the “You Might Also Like” section.
According to legal expert Florian Mueller, the “You Might Also Like” ads are “another way of increasing the effective app tax rate, forcing developers to buy ads on their app pages to avoid others steering customers away from there,” he claimed in a tweet.
Apple just sent all developers an email that "Today tab and product page campaigns start October 25." It's another means of increasing the effective app tax rate, forcing developers to buy ads on their own app pages in order to avoid that others steer customers away from there.
— Florian Mueller (@FOSSpatents) October 21, 2022
Prior to this, the “Suggested” section of the Search tab and keyword-based search results were the only places where App Store ads could be found. There are four advertising options in the App Store, including ads in the Today tab and the “You Might Also Like” section. In July, Apple plans to increase ad placement options in the App Store.
Apple wants to nearly triple its current advertising revenue to reach at least $10 billion annually. According to Gurman, Apple will roll out search result ads in Apple Maps next year in addition to the App Store. In contrast, Apple’s News and Stocks apps already display conventional banner ads.
