App Store and Google Play character limits: name, subtitle, keywords and more

On the App Store you get 30 characters for the app name, 30 for the subtitle, 100 bytes for the keyword field, 170 for promotional text and 4,000 for the description. On Google Play you get 30 characters for the title, 80 for the short description and 4,000 for the full description.

The free App Store character counter lets you type each field and see what fits, what’s left and what’s wasted, for both stores. This post is the reference for the limits themselves. For what to actually write in each field, see the App Store words next to your screenshots.

The limits at a glance#

Sources: Apple’s app information reference and platform version information, and Google’s Play Console store listing help.

Why the keyword field is counted in bytes#

Apple caps the keyword field at 100 bytes, not 100 characters. Plain English letters, numbers and commas take one byte each. Accented letters like é take two, most Chinese, Japanese and Korean characters take three, and emoji take four.

So a keyword list that fits in English can overflow once it’s translated. If you localise your listing, count each language separately.

How to get more out of 100 bytes#

• Commas, no spaces. sleep,white noise,rain not sleep, white noise, rain. Each space is a byte you’re not using.
• Don’t repeat your name or subtitle. Apple already searches those fields, so repeating their words here spends bytes on nothing.
• Don’t list a word twice.

The counter has a button that removes spaces, empty gaps and repeated keywords in one go.

Name and subtitle: 30 characters each#

The name is searchable and is the first thing people read. App Store Connect won’t save more than 30 characters. Use the space after your brand for what the app does.

The subtitle shows under the name in search results, and Apple searches it too. Lead with the outcome people get rather than a tagline that only makes sense once they know the app.

Promotional text: the field you can change any time#

Promotional text sits above the description and is the only one of these text fields you can edit without submitting a new version. That makes it the place for launch news, a seasonal feature or a limited offer. The name, subtitle, keywords and description change only with a new version.

Description: put the point up top#

You get 4,000 characters, but only the first few lines show before people tap “more”. Say what the app does and who it’s for in those lines. Everything after is for people already interested.

Google Play’s fields#

Play’s title is 30 characters, and Google’s metadata policy doesn’t allow words like “best”, “top”, “#1” or “free” in it. The short description (80 characters) is the line people see near the top of your listing. The full description runs to 4,000. Use the words people would actually type, written naturally, rather than stuffing keywords.

FAQ#

Does the App Store description affect search?#

Apple searches the name, subtitle and keyword field. Write the description for people.

Can I use emoji in the keyword field?#

You can, but each one costs four bytes and adds little for search.

Is my text saved in the counter?#

Only in your own browser, so you can come back to it. Nothing is sent to us.

What about in-app events and other fields?#

The counter covers the main listing fields above. Check App Store Connect for anything else.

Want help with the words?#

Ignura is a launch studio for consumer apps, prosumer tools and B2B. We write listing copy and design App Store screenshot sets for apps getting ready to launch. If you’d like a hand, book a free 15-min call.