GuideMar 31, 20264 min read

App Store category guide: primary, secondary, and subcategories

Your App Store category should match what the app actually does. Primary category, secondary category, and subcategories all matter.

App Store category is not just filing. It changes where users browse, how competitors compare against you, and whether the product page feels honest when someone lands from search.

Primary vs secondary

Apple lets you choose primary and secondary categories that best describe the app. If you select Games or Stickers, you can also choose one or two subcategories to define the app more accurately.

How to choose

  • Pick the category that matches the app's main job.
  • Use the secondary category only when it is genuinely useful.
  • For Mac apps, keep App Store Connect aligned with Xcode.

Common mistake

Do not choose a category only because it looks less competitive. A mismatch can reduce trust and make screenshots, keywords, and reviews pull in different directions.

Source notes

Apple's App information reference documents primary and secondary category fields, Mac category alignment, and Games or Stickers subcategories.

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Written by Yassine

Indie dev. Built lokal because translating App Store screenshots by hand was eating my launches. Reach out at hi@lokall.app.

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