Apple just announced a major change coming to the App Store, and iPhone users aren’t going to like it

Apple is adding more ads to App Store search results starting in 2026. If you use the App Store to find new apps, you’ll see more sponsored posts on your screen next year. Right now, when you search for an app, you only see one ad at the top of the results. 

For example, if you search “Facebook,” you might see a TikTok ad above the real results because TikTok paid for that spot. Apple says it’s adding more ads across search results to give advertisers extra chances to show up. This change has both good and bad sides, though.

For app makers, it’s a big deal because search is how most people discover apps. According to 9to5Mac, Apple says nearly 65 percent of all downloads happen right after someone searches. More ad spots mean smaller apps have better chances of being seen.

More ads mean more scrolling for regular users

But for regular users, this isn’t great news. Finding the app you actually want is already hard enough. Adding extra paid ads further down the page means you’ll need to scroll more to reach the real results.

Apple is clear about why it’s doing this. The company wants to create more opportunities in search results. More than 800 million people visit the App Store every week, and over 85 percent download at least one app during their visit. The current top-of-search ads have a 60 percent conversion rate, which makes these spots very valuable. Apple users have been reporting other frustrating iPhone problems lately, adding to concerns about user experience.

For advertisers and developers, there’s good news. You don’t need to change your existing campaigns to use these new spots. Apple says your current search ad campaigns will automatically work with the new placements when they launch in 2026.

You can’t pick where your ad appears. Advertisers can’t choose to show up only at the top or only further down. Your ad’s position depends on things like your bid amount and how well your bid does in the auction. This means your ad could appear in different spots even when running the same campaign.

Apple confirmed the ads will look the same no matter where they show up on the page. The ads will use either a default page or a custom page, and advertisers can add an optional link. While Apple focuses on advertising changes, some users have noticed unexpected safety features in other apps that show how technology can protect people. 

The payment system stays the same too. Advertisers will still pay based on their chosen model: cost per tap or cost per install. The new ad spots will arrive in 2026 on devices running iOS and iPadOS 26.2 and later.