ASO Glossary

App Store Category

Definition

The primary classification of your app within the App Store's taxonomy (e.g., Productivity, Health & Fitness, Games).

What Is App Store Category?

App Store categories are the taxonomic buckets Apple and Google use to organize the millions of apps in their stores. Apple's App Store has 26 main categories (Productivity, Health & Fitness, Education, Photo & Video, etc.) plus 19 Games subcategories. Google Play has 33 main categories. You select one primary category and optionally one secondary category when publishing your app. The category determines: which top-charts your app can rank in (each category has its own top free, top paid, top grossing lists), which featured placements you're eligible for, and which related-apps your listing appears alongside. Choosing the right category is one of the highest-leverage ASO decisions — picking a less-competitive category with the same audience can dramatically improve top-chart visibility.

Why It Matters for App Developers

Top-charts are massive discovery sources. A top-100 ranking in "Productivity" gets your app in front of hundreds of thousands of users; the same app, if it had to compete in "Lifestyle," might rank #500. Category choice can determine whether your app shows up on the top-charts at all. The secondary category gives you a fallback discovery surface. Many successful apps choose a category strategically — e.g., a habit tracker might choose "Productivity" over "Health & Fitness" because competition is lower in the former even though the latter is more topically accurate.

Technical Details

Apple: 26 primary categories + 19 Games subcategories (Action, Adventure, Arcade, Board, Card, Casino, Casual, Family, Music, Puzzle, Racing, Role Playing, Simulation, Sports, Strategy, Trivia, Word). One primary, one optional secondary, settable in App Store Connect. Cannot be changed without a new app submission. Google Play: 33 primary categories including Education, Productivity, Health & Fitness, Tools, Lifestyle. Set in Google Play Console; can be changed without app submission. Top-charts are computed per-category, so a less-competitive category means easier top-chart access.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I choose the right App Store category?

Pick a category where (1) your app genuinely fits topically and (2) competition is manageable enough to top-chart. A habit tracker may fit both "Productivity" and "Health & Fitness" — choose the one where you have a realistic shot at the top-chart, since top-chart visibility drives massive discovery.

How many App Store categories can I select?

Apple lets you select one primary category and one optional secondary category. Google Play also typically allows a primary category. The primary determines which top-chart you compete in; the secondary is a fallback discovery surface.

Can I change my app's App Store category later?

On Apple, you can change the category only by submitting a new app build — it requires App Store review. On Google Play, you can change the category through the Play Console without a new app submission. Most apps reconsider their category every 12–24 months.

Does category affect App Store search rankings?

Indirectly. Category does not directly affect keyword rankings, but it affects top-charts (which drive discovery) and which featured placements you're eligible for. A strong category choice compounds visibility across multiple discovery surfaces.