Google play aso checklist 2026

A complete, up-to-date ASO checklist for Google Play in 2026 — covering metadata, visuals, ratings, localization, and technical factors.

The complete Google Play ASO checklist for 2026

App Store Optimisation on Google Play is not a one-time task. It's a set of ongoing practices that compound over time. This checklist covers everything: what to do on launch, what to revisit monthly, and what to monitor continuously.

Use this as a reference. Bookmark it. Come back to it every time you ship an update.

Metadata

App title

  • [ ] Contains your primary keyword naturally (not keyword-stuffed)
  • [ ] Under 30 characters
  • [ ] Unique and memorable — avoids generic category names
  • [ ] Matches what users would search for, not internal product names

Short description

  • [ ] Contains your second most important keyword
  • [ ] Written as a benefit statement, not a feature list
  • [ ] Under 80 characters
  • [ ] Reads well in search preview (first ~50 chars are shown before truncation)

Long description

  • [ ] 400–600 words minimum (longer is generally better for indexing)
  • [ ] First 150 characters contain your main keyword — this section gets extra weight
  • [ ] Written naturally for human readers — not keyword-stuffed
  • [ ] Covers the primary use cases and target users
  • [ ] Mentions relevant secondary keywords 2–3 times throughout
  • [ ] Uses short paragraphs and bullet points for readability
  • [ ] Ends with a call to action or support contact

Recent changes (What's new)

  • [ ] Updated with every release
  • [ ] Mentions specific improvements, not just "bug fixes and performance improvements"
  • [ ] Uses benefit language: "Fixed crash when exporting PDFs" not "stability improvements"

Visuals

App icon

  • [ ] Recognisable at 48×48px (the smallest size shown on device)
  • [ ] Distinct from top 5 competitors in your category
  • [ ] No text in the icon
  • [ ] Tested as a Store listing experiment against at least one alternative

Screenshots

  • [ ] Screenshot 1 communicates the core value proposition without text explanation
  • [ ] All screenshots have device frames
  • [ ] All screenshots have marketing captions (benefit-focused, large enough to read in preview)
  • [ ] Screenshots cover 5–6 distinct features, not the same screen multiple times
  • [ ] Screenshot order tested with Store listing experiments
  • [ ] All required sizes uploaded (phone portrait, tablet if applicable)

Feature graphic

  • [ ] Uploaded (required for featuring opportunities)
  • [ ] 1024×500px
  • [ ] Works as a standalone image — does not rely on app icon overlay for context
  • [ ] Matches screenshot visual style

Promo video

  • [ ] (Optional but recommended) Uploaded to YouTube and linked in Play Console
  • [ ] Under 2 minutes
  • [ ] First 10 seconds show the core feature — not a brand intro

Localisation

  • [ ] Short description localised for your top 5 non-English markets
  • [ ] Long description localised for your top 3 markets (or all if using AI translation)
  • [ ] Title reviewed for top markets — some keywords do not translate directly
  • [ ] Screenshots reviewed for non-English markets (text captions should be in the local language)
  • [ ] Custom store listings set up for countries where your app is #1 in installs (Play Console → Store listing → Custom store listings)

Ratings & reviews

  • [ ] In-app review prompt implemented using Play Core API
  • [ ] Review prompt triggered after a success moment, not on first launch
  • [ ] Review prompt has a session count gate (at least 3–5 sessions before asking)
  • [ ] All 1-star and 2-star reviews from the last 30 days have been responded to
  • [ ] Response time to new reviews is under 72 hours
  • [ ] Crash-related reviews have been acknowledged and fix timeline communicated

Technical / Android vitals

  • [ ] Crash rate below 1.09% (Google's "bad behaviour" threshold)
  • [ ] ANR rate below 0.47%
  • [ ] App startup time within acceptable range (checked under Android vitals)
  • [ ] No policy warnings in Play Console (check Policy status regularly)
  • [ ] Target API level is current (Google requires targeting within 1 year of the latest Android release)
  • [ ] App size is as small as reasonably possible — large APK size correlates with lower install rates

Conversion optimisation

  • [ ] At least one Store listing experiment has been run and a winner applied
  • [ ] Install rate from listing page is tracked monthly (Play Console → Acquire users → Store performance)
  • [ ] Conversion funnel reviewed quarterly: impressions → listing views → installs

Competitive monitoring

  • [ ] Top 5 competitors checked monthly for listing changes
  • [ ] Keyword gaps identified (keywords competitors rank for that you don't)
  • [ ] Category ranking tracked weekly for primary category

Monthly maintenance schedule

| Task | Frequency | |---|---| | Update "What's new" with every release | Every release | | Check Android vitals (crash rate, ANR) | Weekly | | Respond to new 1-star and 2-star reviews | Every 2–3 days | | Check Store performance (installs, conversion rate) | Monthly | | Review keyword rankings for primary keywords | Monthly | | Check competitor listings for changes | Monthly | | Refresh screenshots if last updated > 6 months ago | Quarterly | | Run a new Store listing experiment | Quarterly | | Review localised listings for accuracy | Quarterly |

The most common things indie developers skip

In practice, most indie developers on this checklist are missing:

  1. Localised listings (covered by zero or only 1–2 languages)
  2. Screenshot A/B experiments (never run a single one)
  3. Responding to reviews (check once a month, if that)
  4. Updating "What's new" with anything useful

Fixing these four alone will produce measurable improvement in most apps within 60 days.

Apporb handles the entire checklist in one workspace: AI localization, screenshot editor, unified review inbox, and push notifications — for indie developers. Free plan at apporb.com.

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