The fastest way to get your iPhone app reviewed is to make the reviewer’s job easy: a clear App Store page, a pitch that fits in one short email, and a press kit with screenshots and promo codes ready to go. We’ve been writing about iPhone and iPad apps since 2014, so this guide comes from the receiving end of those pitches. It covers what we look at before we write about an app, how to pitch us (and anyone else), the Apple resources worth your time, and the third-party tools indie developers rely on.
On this page
- What we check before we cover an app
- Fix your App Store product page
- Build a press kit
- Write a pitch
- Get discovered on the App Store
- Before you ship
- Pricing and business
- Tools indie iOS developers use
- Where to share your launch
- Newsletters and learning
- Get your app covered on iOS App Lists
- FAQ
What we check before we cover an app
Every app in one of our “best apps” lists has to clear three bars. They’re simple, and they’re the same ones most readers use when deciding whether to download:
- A rating of 3.5 stars or higher. Below that, we’d be recommending something most users didn’t enjoy.
- At least 100 ratings. A 5.0 from twelve people doesn’t tell readers much yet.
- An update in the last 12 months. An app that hasn’t been touched in a year is a risk on the next iOS release, and readers notice.
Brand-new apps rarely meet the ratings bar, which is why they usually show up first in a single-app review or our monthly new-apps roundup rather than a category list.
One more thing most developers don’t realize: your App Store listing is your press kit’s first draft. The icon, screenshots, price and rating we show readers come straight from your App Store page. If your screenshots are cluttered or your subtitle is vague, that’s what appears in the review.
Step 1: Fix your App Store product page first
Every reviewer, and every reader who clicks through from a review, lands on your product page. Coverage sends people there; the page decides whether they download. Get it right before you pitch anyone. Our free App Store listing checker scores yours in a few seconds.
- Name and subtitle work together. The subtitle should say what the app does for the user, not repeat the name.
- The first screenshot carries the page. It should show the main benefit and be readable at thumbnail size.
- Answer your reviews. Replies show reviewers and users that the app is maintained.
Apple’s own guides go deeper:
- Creating Your Product Page: the name, subtitle, screenshots, previews and description.
- Custom Product Pages: alternate versions of your page for different audiences or campaigns.
- Product Page Optimization: A/B test icons, screenshots and previews against your default page.
- Ratings, reviews, and responses: how to ask for ratings in-app and reply to reviews.
- Requesting App Store reviews: the developer docs for the in-app rating prompt, including when it will and won’t appear.
Step 2: Build a press kit
A press kit is one page or folder a writer can grab everything from without emailing you back. Host it on your website and link it in every pitch. Here’s what to include and why:
| Include | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| App icon (1024 x 1024 PNG) | Used as the article’s lead image. A blurry icon makes the whole post look cheap. |
| 5 to 8 clean screenshots | Real screens without marketing text overlays are easier to drop into a review. |
| A two-sentence description | What the app does and who it’s for, in plain words. |
| Price and in-app purchases | Readers always ask. Say whether it’s free, one-time or subscription. |
| App Store link and website | So nobody links to the wrong app with a similar name. |
| Promo codes | Lets a reviewer unlock paid features, and lets readers try the app. |
| Short founder bio and contact | Readers like knowing a real person built it. |
Apple has the tools for two of those items:
- Apple Marketing Tools: generate official download badges, QR codes and short links for your app.
- Request and manage promo codes: free download codes for reviewers, press and giveaways.
- Apple Design Resources: official device frames and templates for press screenshots and mockups.
- Marketing Resources and Identity Guidelines: the rules for using the App Store badge, Apple product images and Apple trademarks in your kit.
Step 3: Write a pitch a reviewer will actually read
Keep it short enough to read on a phone. Lead with what the app does, not how long you worked on it. A pitch that works looks like this:
Subject: [App name]: [what it does in five words] for iPhone
Hi, [App name] is a [category] app for [who] that [the one thing it does better than the usual option]. It’s [price model] and launched [date].
App Store: [link]
Press kit: [link]
Promo code: [code]
Happy to answer anything. Thanks for looking.
[Name]
- Pitch the right writer. Read what a site covers first. A games site won’t review your budgeting app.
- Put links in the body, not attachments. Attachments get filtered or ignored.
- Follow up once. A polite nudge after about a week is fine. More than one is not.
- Time it to news. A launch, a big update or a new iOS feature gives a writer a reason to cover you now.
Step 4: Get discovered on the App Store itself
Press is one channel. Apple’s own editors and search are others, and they reward the same preparation.
- Getting Featured on the App Store: what Apple’s editors look for, and how to tell them about an upcoming launch or update.
- In-App Events: time-limited events that can appear on your product page and in App Store search.
- Apple Ads: paid placement in App Store search results and on the Today and Search tabs.
- Promoting your apps: Apple’s overview of the promotion options it offers developers.
- App Store search: how App Store search works and what your listing can do to show up in it.
- Localization: reach more countries by translating your app and your App Store page.
Before you ship: the essentials
Most launch delays come from the same few places: an App Review rejection, a missing privacy declaration, or bugs nobody caught before release. These cover all three.
- App Review Guidelines: read these before submitting. Most rejections trace back to a section here.
- Human Interface Guidelines: Apple’s design guidance for iPhone, iPad and every other platform.
- TestFlight: invite beta testers and collect feedback before release. Early testers are also your first reviewers.
- App Analytics: impressions, product page views, downloads and retention, so you can see whether coverage moved anything.
- App Privacy Details: the privacy “nutrition label” every App Store listing has to fill in.
- Privacy manifest files: the file that declares the data your app and its SDKs use. Missing ones are a common cause of rejections.
Pricing and business
- App Store Small Business Program: a reduced commission rate for qualifying smaller developers. Check whether you’re enrolled.
- Auto-renewable Subscriptions: Apple’s guide to subscription pricing, offers and retention.
Tools indie iOS developers use
Apple covers the basics. These third-party tools fill the gaps, and most offer a free tier or trial so you can try them before paying. We have no affiliate relationship with any of them.
Screenshots and mockups
- fastlane snapshot: automatically captures screenshots on every device size and language, straight from your UI tests.
- Screenshots Pro: an App Store screenshot generator with templates for captions and device frames.
- Rotato: 3D device mockups and animations for your website, press kit and social posts.
- Previewed: ready-made 3D mockups and animated shots of your app.
App Store optimization (ASO)
- Astro: an ASO tool built for Apple developers, focused on keyword research and rankings.
- ASO.dev: App Store optimization tools for iOS, including keyword tracking.
- Appfigures: ASO, analytics and competitor tracking across the App Store.
- AppTweak: App Store marketing and market intelligence, aimed at larger teams.
Crash reporting
- Firebase Crashlytics: free crash reporting from Google.
- Sentry: error tracking, crash reporting and performance monitoring for iOS.
Subscriptions and paywalls
- RevenueCat: handles in-app purchases and subscriptions, with revenue analytics, across iOS, Android and the web.
- Adapty: in-app purchase infrastructure with paywall A/B testing.
Reviews and reputation
- AppFollow: tracks and replies to App Store reviews from one inbox, useful once reviews start piling up.
Press kits
- presskit(): a free press kit template made for game developers.
Where to share your launch
Most developer communities allow you to share your own app, but many limit it to set days or a required format. Read each community’s rules before posting, or the post gets removed.
- Product Hunt: a daily launch leaderboard. Worth planning a launch day around.
- Show HN: Hacker News for things people can try right away. Read the guidelines first.
- Indie Hackers: a community of solo founders. Build-in-public posts do well here.
- r/iosapps: Reddit’s iOS app discovery community, with a required post format for developers.
- r/iOSProgramming: a developer community that allows app promotion only on set days.
Newsletters and learning
- iOS Dev Weekly: the long-running weekly roundup of iOS development news.
- SwiftLee Weekly: a weekly Swift and iOS newsletter.
- Fatbobman’s Swift Weekly: a weekly roundup of Swift and SwiftUI articles.
- Hacking with Swift: free Swift and SwiftUI tutorials and courses.
- WWDC videos: every WWDC session, searchable, including App Store and marketing talks.
- Apple Developer Forums: ask Apple engineers and other developers directly.
Get your app covered on iOS App Lists
There are two ways to get your app in front of our readers.
Send us a tip (free). Use our contact page with your App Store link and press kit. We read every message, but free coverage is at our editors’ discretion and we can’t cover every app.
Sponsored review or news article ($75). A guaranteed, clearly labeled sponsored piece, published within 48 hours of payment.
- Request an app review: a single-app editorial review with a real verdict. See our NanoCount review for an example.
- Request a news article: coverage for a launch, update or milestone.
- Advertise with iOS App Lists: full details on both options.
- Already featured in one of our articles? Add our free “Featured on iOS App Lists” badge to your site or press kit.
Frequently asked questions
Do you guarantee a positive review?
No. Sponsored reviews get an honest verdict. If we find a critical issue, we tell you privately before publishing, and if the verdict comes in below 3 stars you can ask us to hold publication.
Can a brand-new app with few ratings be reviewed?
Yes, as a single-app review. The 100-rating minimum applies to our “best apps” lists, not to individual reviews.
Does a sponsored review include a dofollow link?
No. Links in sponsored coverage are marked sponsored, as Google requires. You’re paying for editorial coverage in front of our readers, not for search rankings.
Can I pay to be included in a “best apps” list?
No. List placement is editorial only. That’s what keeps the lists worth reading.
Sponsored coverage on iOS App Lists is labeled at the top of the page. We don’t guarantee rankings, downloads or traffic.