Foldable Phones and App Store Optimization

April 25th, 2019

Foldable Phones and App Store Optimization
David Bell

by David Bell

CEO at Gummicube, Inc.

Android Foldables are on the way, in spite of issues with the screen causing delays. Once users begin using foldable devices, they’ll want to find apps that can work well on their new phones and look good whether the phone is folded or unfolded. This will present a new opportunity for developers to optimize their apps for foldable users to find and install, following proper ASO strategies.

Test Your App

Google began providing information about foldable devices at the 2018 Android Developer Summit, where developers were told the unfolding support would be easy to implement. With the release of the latest Android Q beta, developers can now begin testing their apps on folding screens as an Android Virtual device in Android Studio 3.5.

Developers can use Android Studio to test hardware configurations, behaviors and states on an emulator of a folding screen. This lets them see how well their apps transition between folded and unfolded modes, including seeing how the app looks on each screen size. The screens have different dimensions when they’re folded and unfolded, so it’s important to ensure the app looks good either way.

Ensuring an app is built and ready for folding screens before the devices launch will enable developers to target early adopters. However, preparing the app is only the first step – the next step is to optimize it.

Optimize the Page

Once an app is designed to work on foldable devices, its Play Store listing should be updated to show how well it works. Utilizing App Store Optimization best practices can help the app stand out when users are searching for apps they can use on their foldable phones, increasing click through and conversions.

The page’s creative sets can include screenshots on both folded and unfolded screens to demonstrate how it looks on both modes of the device. This will provide users with an idea of what its graphics and designs will look like on their new phones. If the app has a video, it can also be updated to include footage of the app switching between modes on a folding device, which would showcase the ease of transition and its uses in both modes.

Screenshots are important for conversion, as they provide users with a glimpse at what the app will look like and what it can do for them. A good, properly tested creative set can highlight the app’s benefits with callout text and visual examples, which can entice users to install the app and try it for themselves.

The Play Store description can also include information about how it’s built to be used on foldable devices. Utilizing foldable keywords in the description can help the app appear when users search for apps that can be used on foldable phones. It doesn’t have to be the entire focus of the description, but it can include a section calling it “Foldable phone compatible” and discussing how well the app works when folded and unfolded. As users begin searching for similar terms, it’s important to keep up with the popular phrases – whether “folding” or “foldable” is a more high-volume term can make a big difference in ASO.

Overall

Foldable devices are a highly-anticipated advancement in mobile technology, bridging the gap between phone and tablet. The technology is not yet perfected, but that means app developers have time to prepare for when they do hit the market. If they want to start off strong in the folding device market, their apps should be optimized in advance.

This means testing the app’s design and functionality for the folded and unfolded screen sizes and optimizing the Play Store page to demonstrate its uses on folding phones. Demonstrating its visuals and functionality on folded and unfolded screens through screenshots and videos can show users how well the app looks and functions on a folding device, while calling it out in the description can improve its visibility in searches.

Want more information regarding App Store Optimization? Contact Gummicube and we’ll help get your strategy started.

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