Apple Personalized Collections: can ASO influence them?
A new App Store surface recommends apps to each user, with a short note explaining why. Apple hasn't said how apps are chosen. Here is an honest read of what helps.
Most App Store surfaces are the same for everyone. Personalized Collections aren't, which makes them both valuable and hard to measure.
What we know
- Where: the Apps, Games and Search tabs.
- Based on: users' interests, app usage and downloads, drawing on on-device intelligence in line with Apple's privacy approach.
- App Notes: each recommended app comes with a short explanation of why it was suggested.
- Rollout: English, US first, from June 2026, with more regions and languages to follow.
What we don't know
Apple hasn't published how apps are selected or how App Notes are written. Anyone selling a guaranteed way into Personalized Collections is guessing.
What probably helps
- Be easy to understand. If App Notes explain a recommendation, your metadata needs to make your app's purpose and features plain. The same logic drives App Store Tags.
- Earn engagement. Recommendations based on usage favour apps people keep using. Retention work is ASO work here.
- Keep ratings and reviews healthy. A recommender has little reason to suggest poorly rated apps.
- Use in-app events. Apple already uses in-app events in personalized recommendations on the Today, Games and Apps tabs.
- Be specific about who it is for. "Budget tracker for freelancers" gives a recommender more to match than "smart finance app".
How to measure
Watch App Analytics acquisition sources for browse traffic from the tabs where collections appear, and compare before and after June 2026 in the US. It is indirect, but until Apple reports collection traffic separately it is the best signal available.
Questions people ask
What are Apple Personalized Collections?
Groups of recommended apps on the App Store's Apps, Games and Search tabs, chosen for each user from their interests, app usage and downloads, each with an App Note explaining the suggestion.
Can I get my app into Personalized Collections?
Apple hasn't published how apps are selected. Clear metadata, strong engagement, healthy ratings and in-app events are reasonable bets.
Where are Personalized Collections available?
They began rolling out in English in the US in June 2026, with more regions and languages to follow.
Want this mapped onto your product?
See how our ASO work runs, or send your store link and a founder will reply personally.
