Apple has confirmed that it will begin expanding advertisements in App Store search results in 2026. The company previously announced plans to introduce additional ad placements, and the rollout is now scheduled to begin in March across selected countries.
According to reports and developer notifications, the expanded ad system will first launch in the United Kingdom on March 3, 2026, followed by Japan shortly after. Apple plans to extend the feature to all supported regions worldwide by the end of March.
The updated advertising format will be available on iPhone and iPad devices running iOS 26.2 and iPadOS 26.2 or newer. Apple stated that each search query may include several ad placements, expanding beyond the current sponsored listing that appears at the top of search results.
With the new system, sponsored apps may appear in multiple positions within search pages, making advertisements more visible to users. However, advertisers will not be able to select or bid for specific placement locations. Instead, ads will automatically appear in any available position during active campaigns.
Apple also confirmed that the design of advertisements will remain the same. Ads will continue to use either default or customized product pages and may include optional deep links. The company will maintain its existing pricing model, charging advertisers based on cost per tap or cost per install.