ASO news digest for July 2026
Apple updated the age rating questionnaire and tightened screenshot requirements in the App Store, while Google added new impression metrics and shifted to counting unique clicks in Google Play reporting. All the key ASO updates from July — in our new digest.
App Store News
The App Store age rating questionnaire now includes questions about social media functionality
Apple has updated the age rating questionnaire in App Store Connect — it now includes questions about whether an app has social media functionality (the ability to distribute, promote, or interact with user-generated content through a feed). Apps with such functionality will receive a separate Social Media content descriptor on their App Store page. Developers can answer the questions now, and starting September 2026, this will become mandatory when submitting new apps and updates.
Screenshots with transparent backgrounds no longer pass App Store review
Apple has clarified the requirements for uploaded screenshots — images with an alpha channel (transparency) are now rejected when uploading to App Store Connect.
Google Play News
New impression metrics are now available in Google Play statistics
New impression metrics are now available in Play Console under the Reach section: Total impressions, User impressions, and Device impressions. They show how many times an app was shown to users on Google Play — including views of the app icon, app details page, and promotional content — as well as how many unique users and devices saw it. Impressions can’t be segmented by traffic source yet.
Google Play install reporting has shifted to counting unique clicks
As of July 2026, store listing performance reports in Google Play focus on user intent — meaning unique clicks on the “Install,” “Open,” and “Pre-register” buttons — rather than final outcomes (completed installs).
