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What You Need to Know About App Store User Flows

June 5th, 2025

What You Need to Know About App Store User Flows
David Bell

by David Bell

CEO at Gummicube, Inc.

Understanding how users move through the app stores is critical to crafting an effective app store optimization (ASO) strategy. From initial app discovery to installation, each platform has its own logic, layout, and limitations that influence how your app is seen and whether it is downloaded. 

Featured placements in areas such as the Today Tab, Apps Tab, and category pages are curated by Google’s editorial team. In many of these editorial placements, developers have little to no control over what is displayed beyond standard elements like the app title or subtitle. Understanding which parts of the user journey you can optimize and which are managed externally is essential for making informed ASO decisions.

In this week’s ASO Tips and Tricks, we’ll break down user flows within the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store, identify key touchpoints, and highlight optimization opportunities developers should pay close attention to.

Let’s start with the Apple App Store.

Apple App Store Discovery

APPLE APP STORE: HOW DISCOVERY UNFOLDS

Organic Search: The First Interaction with Your App

User discovery often begins with a keyword search. Based on that query, the App Store displays a list of results that include the app’s icon, title, subtitle, rating, and up to three preview assets (such as app screenshots or an app store video).

In this view, users can immediately download the app using the “Get” button without ever tapping into the full Store Listing. That makes these surface-level assets extremely influential. If the icon and creatives are not compelling at a glance, users may scroll past before ever considering the app.

If a user does choose to explore further, tapping into the Store Listing opens a more detailed view. When an app store video is present, it displays at the top, pushing screenshots lower on the page. Written content, like the app description, requires scrolling to access. These design patterns make it essential for app developers to frontload value through visuals and ensure every element supports your app’s overall conversion. 

Today Tab: App Discovery

In addition to search, users may enter the App Store through the Today Tab, Apple’s daily curated feed of featured stories, collections, and app spotlights. If your app is selected by the Apple Editorial Team for a feature, it can be surfaced here with high visibility.

When a user taps on a Today Tab feature, they are taken to a full editorial story. These stories are written by Apple and often highlight apps based on seasonal relevance, design excellence, or innovation. Within the story, users can click through to your Product Page or explore further through search or related apps.

Here is where visual hierarchy matters. If your Product Page includes a preview video, that will display first and automatically push your screenshots lower on the page. While iOS does not have a standalone feature graphic, the first frame of your video, known as the poster frame, functions similarly. Developers can control this frame and should treat it as they would a thumbnail. It should be clean, compelling, and reflective of the in-app experience.

Apps Tab and Category Exploration

Users can also discover apps through the Apps Tab, where editorially curated app lists and categories are organized for browsing. Upon entering the Apps Tab, users are greeted with broad app suggestions. Once a user selects a category, such as "Health and Fitness" or "Education," the view becomes more targeted but retains the same formatting.

These app category pages mirror the Apps Tab structure, showing app icons, titles, ratings, and screenshots. Although the interface is visually consistent, the path to install still requires a tap to enter the Product Page.

For app developers, this structure makes it essential to tailor creative elements for every possible surface. The first screenshot, the app title, and your subtitle all do heavy lifting on the surface. Once inside, the video, full screenshot gallery, and description must deliver on that initial promise.

How Users Move Through the Google Play Store

HOW USERS MOVE THROUGH THE GOOGLE PLAY STORE

Branded App Search: Fast-Track to App Install

In contrast to Apple’s more editorial structure, the Google Play Store leans heavily on direct access and branded search behavior. When a user searches for a brand or specific app name,  Google often surfaces a top card result that includes the app icon, rating, developer, and app install button.

In this case, users have two paths. They can either install directly from the search result or click into the Store Listing for more detail. However, it is important to know that Google Play only tracks a "visit" when a user enters the Store Listing. This distinction matters when measuring your conversion rate performance. If many users install directly from search, your Store Listing’s actual conversion rate may appear lower than it truly is.

Store Listing: Where First Impressions Matter for Your App

Once a user lands on your Store Listing, the layout is designed to convey critical information quickly. If a preview video is included, it will display first, followed by screenshots. Unlike iOS, Google Play supports a dedicated feature graphic, which sits atop the video. This visual element is highly visible and often the first branding asset a user encounters.

Beneath the media section, the short description appears just above the fold. This is a critical ASO asset and one of the first places users look for validation. If a user taps the arrow to expand, they will see the full description. This section gives developers an opportunity to elaborate on features, value propositions, and updates in greater detail.

What makes the Play Store different is how the layout adapts depending on the presence or absence of certain creative assets. If no video is included, for instance, the screenshots will take the top visual spot. This change puts even more pressure on screenshot messaging and order. Make sure the first two screenshots tell a coherent, enticing story that can stand alone if needed.

Features - Where You Can Explore Apps

Google Play also includes editorial-style features, though the process differs from Apple’s. Developers can submit promotional content through the Play Console, which is then reviewed by the Google Play Editorial Team for potential inclusion in featured placements.

If your app is selected and featured, it may appear on genre-based explore pages, category collections, or limited-time themes. When a user taps on a featured card, they are taken to a brief editorial highlight that often includes your first screenshots, title, and promotional copy.

Featured apps without a video will default to showing screenshots first. That means the flow and sequencing of your images should be intentional. Ideally, these images guide the user through the app’s most impressive or relevant capabilities within the first few swipes. Titles, feature graphics, and even your app icon can also influence whether users click on the card at all.

KEY TAKEAWAYS ACROSS BOTH STORES

User flows within the app stores are not just visual. They are behavioral. Understanding how users move through each store can help guide more effective ASO strategies.

Apple’s user journey is editorially driven and requires an extra tap to reach the install button. Optimizing your Product Page, particularly your first three screenshots and preview video, is essential.

Google Play’s experience is more direct, especially for branded search. Feature graphics, short descriptions, and video hierarchy all influence conversion.

Both platforms reward preparedness. Whether through editorial selection or user-led app discovery, apps with refined creative assets and concise messaging are better positioned to convert.

Measurement varies. Apple counts app impressions and page views differently than Google, which only counts a page view when the full Store Listing is accessed. This can affect your understanding of install rate, especially if your listing receives high exposure through featured placements.

App developers need to understand not just where their app appears, but how users arrive there in the first place. The more refined your understanding of the path to install, the more opportunities you have to intervene with optimizations that work.

LET’S CHAT!

Whether your app is surfacing through branded searches or chasing a spot on the Today Tab, understanding user flows is essential to maximizing your visibility and conversions. An effective ASO strategy starts with understanding where users enter the app search journey, how they engage with each element, and what convinces them to download.

If you're looking for ASO services that align your creative assets and metadata with user behavior, we’re your team. Let’s talk about your app’s store listing and how we can elevate your app for long-term success. 

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