How to prepare for AI impact on App Store and Play Store search

As of earlier this month, Google introduced Gemini into its Ask Play functionality in the Play Store, making it less ‘simple search bar’ and more ‘AI-driven assistant’.

It brings a wealth of extra information into the mix in terms of being able to rapidly search reviews, screenshots, functionality and technical capability. It’s also a sign that the old rules of App Store Optimisation (ASO) are being re-written.

What does it mean for app owners, developers and ultimately users, what should we be doing as a result and what’s Apple’s counter-punch? Apadmi’s Product Marketing Lead Aimee Heeran investigates…

Moving from search to Ask Play

Originally a simple Q&A box on individual app pages, Ask Play has evolved into a store-wide personal assistant powered by Gemini 3 Flash. In the latest version of Play Store (49.3), it now sits front and centre as a chatbot directly on app listings.

When a user views an app listing page, they will be able to ask questions like 'does it offer free delivery' or 'is there a loyalty program' - so you can ask directly about functionality.

Furthermore, the results are based on a cross-reference of metadata, technical documentation and thousands of user reviews resulting in a more considered recommendation.

So what should the new priorities be?

Optimising for AI answers, not keywords

The Play Store description will be the primary source material for Gemini. A static, keyword-stuffed description will no longer be enough. This will need to be updated for high-clarity, feature-rich text to ensure the AI "knows" the full value proposition of the app.

Thousands of reviews, one AI answer

Maintaining reviews and ratings still remains essential and you could argue even more so. Gemini will sift through thousands of reviews to create a single, prominent summary. One week of unresolved negative feedback on "navigation" could now be surfaced by the AI as a definitive reason not to download.

Screenshots as a source of data

Enabling an app to shine by showcasing screenshots is still an important part of the shop window, but it’s no longer just for the users. Data from screenshots is further fuel for search and should clearly depict the UI features within the app as the AI uses them to validate your app's capabilities.

Cadence equals trust

Stale metadata leads to stale AI answers. Frequent updates and ‘What’s new’ logs are essential to feed the AI the most current information about features and fixes in apps. The information must also move from being keyword-centric to intent-centric, considering key functionality and features as well as what problem a user might want an app to solve.

Where does that leave Apple?

On the idea of intent, that brings things nicely onto Apple. While Google focuses on a dedicated store assistant, Apple’s approach through Apple Intelligence is broader. Apple is expected to roll out what’s being called ‘World Knowledge Answers’ in the Spring, which integrates App Store data directly into Siri and Spotlight.

The key difference lies in intent. While Gemini tells you about an app, Apple’s system-wide AI focuses on doing things with the app. Apple Intelligence uses App Intents to let users find apps not by searching for its name, but by asking Siri to perform a task like, 'Find an app that can scan this receipt and split the bill.'

"This represents a big shift in the way users will be assessing apps before they download," says Apadmi's Head of Product Marketing, Emma Casson. "It reinforces the need to ensure the fundamentals of product marketing (descriptions, reviews, community management, technical information, updates) are not just up to date, but are evolving to ensure visibility with AI as well as users."

What’s coming next?

We are moving into the era of agentic discovery. We can expect Gemini and Siri to not just recommend apps, but to proactively offer to set them up for us. Imagine an AI saying, 'I found a travel app that matches your itinerary; would you like me to install it and import your flight details from your email?'

In the meantime, the goal is no longer just to be found, but to be trustworthy and technically transparent enough for an AI to surface your product and have confidence it will do what it says it can.

Apadmi’s expert Product Marketing team works with leading brands across all sectors to ensure any App Store and Play Store presence is working as hard as it should. If you have any further questions on this, or anything ASO-related, we’d love to hear from you.