ASO: App Store vs Google Play compared

The fields at a glance

Field	App Store	Google Play
Name / title	30 characters	30 characters
Second line	Subtitle, 30 characters	Short description, 80 characters
Hidden keyword field	100 characters, comma-separated	does not exist
Long description	visible, by common practice not counted for search	4,000 characters, used for search

Check the limits in App Store Connect and the Play Console before submitting, because details can change. Some sources describe the keyword field in bytes rather than characters, which can matter for accented letters.

App Store: little space, spend it well

On the App Store, the name, subtitle and keyword field count most. That gives three rules:

No duplicates: a word in the title does not need repeating in the keyword field.
No spaces after commas: they cost room.
No other brands’ names: this breaks Apple’s rules and can lead to rejection.

The title, subtitle and keywords can generally only be changed with a new version, so plan changes alongside an update. Promotional text above the description can be changed at any time but does not count for search.

Google Play: the description counts

Google Play has no keyword field. Google reads your copy instead. So write naturally and put important terms where they belong. Overdoing it does not pay: the metadata policy prohibits keyword lists, and claims such as “#1” or “free” in the title are not allowed.

According to Google, the full description should also not just repeat the short one. And the policies apply to all translations.

Images and preview

Both stores show screenshots, often right in the search results. So the order is advertising: the first image has to show the benefit, not the start screen. Google Play adds the feature graphic, which some placements require.

Language versions

Each localisation has its own fields and therefore extra terms. Do not translate literally: another market may search for a completely different word. To compare, looking at successful apps in that language is enough to begin with. ASO keyword research shows the method.

What copy cannot fix

Ratings, crashes and uninstalls also affect visibility, and the platforms do not disclose the exact weighting. Google also names technical quality as important for recommendations on Play. A better title cannot save an app that crashes. If you want both checked: ASO with tob-apps.

ASO: App Store vs Google Play