Google Play vs App Store: Metadata Character Limits Compared
Most ASO guides tell you the character limits. Fewer explain why those limits exist, which fields actually get indexed, and how the two stores differ in ways that change your entire keyword strategy. This post covers all of it — field by field, store by store.
Why Metadata Limits Actually Matter
Every character slot is a ranking opportunity you either use or waste. Apple and Google have different indexing engines, different algorithms, and different philosophies about what metadata is for. Copy-pasting the same text into both stores is leaving rankings on the table.
The stakes are concrete: Apple indexes a fixed set of text fields and ignores everything else. Google Play's algorithm reads your long description like a web crawler reads a webpage. Those two sentences alone should change how you write copy for each platform.
The Full Comparison Table
Here's every major metadata field across both stores, with character limits and indexing status.
| Field | Apple App Store | Google Play |
|---|---|---|
| App Name | 30 characters | 30 characters |
| Subtitle / Short Description | 30 characters (subtitle) | 80 characters (short description) |
| Keywords Field | 100 characters (hidden from users) | Not available |
| Long Description | 4,000 characters (not indexed) | 4,000 characters (indexed) |
| Developer Name | Counts toward search | Counts toward search |
| In-App Purchase Names | Indexed (up to 30 chars each) | Not applicable |
| What's New (Release Notes) | 4,000 characters (not indexed) | 500 characters (not indexed) |
| Promotional Text | 170 characters (not indexed) | Not available |
| App Category | Single primary + optional secondary | Primary + secondary |
A few things in that table deserve more explanation than a cell can hold.
Apple App Store: How Indexing Actually Works
Apple is strict and opaque. The fields that get indexed for search are:
App Name (30 chars) — your highest-weight field. Keywords here carry the most ranking power. Every word matters. Don't waste characters on prepositions or articles if you can avoid them.
Subtitle (30 chars) — indexed at roughly the same weight as the name. Most apps underuse this. "Track Habits & Build Streaks" beats "Your Daily Habit Companion" because the first version is stuffed with rankable phrases without reading like keyword spam.
Keywords Field (100 chars) — hidden from users entirely, seen only by Apple's index. No spaces after commas — Apple treats spaces as wasted characters. Don't repeat words already in your name or subtitle; Apple deduplicates across fields. Use singular forms; Apple typically handles plurals. Use commas, not spaces, as separators: fitness,tracker,calories,steps,health not fitness tracker calories steps health.
Developer Name — indexed. If your developer account name contains a relevant keyword (e.g., "Nexus Health Apps LLC"), it contributes. Most developers don't think about this until it's too late to change it cheaply.
In-App Purchase Names — each IAP name (up to 30 characters) is indexed independently. A subscription called "Premium Plan" is a missed opportunity. "Workout Tracker Premium" is not.
What's not indexed on Apple: long description, promotional text, release notes. Apple uses the long description only for conversion — users read it on the product page, but it contributes nothing to your keyword rankings. Write it for humans, not crawlers.
Want help mapping your keyword strategy across both stores? Our mobile app marketing services team handles full-funnel ASO — from keyword research through conversion rate optimization.
Google Play: A Different Game Entirely
Google built Play Store search on top of the same infrastructure that powers Google Search. That means the long description is a ranking asset, not just a conversion tool.
App Name (30 chars) — same limit as Apple, same importance. Lead with your primary keyword if it makes grammatical sense.
Short Description (80 chars) — this is where Google separates itself from Apple immediately. You get 80 characters instead of 30, and it's indexed. That's roughly three times the keyword real estate in a single field. Use it. A short description like "On-demand delivery for furniture and appliances — real-time tracking, no minimums" does dual duty: it ranks and it converts.
Long Description (4,000 chars, indexed) — the biggest strategic difference between the two stores. Google's crawler reads this like a webpage. That means keyword density matters (modestly — don't stuff), semantic relevance matters, and structure matters. Use your primary keyword in the first 167 characters because that's what gets truncated in the listing before "Read more." Mention your core keywords naturally two to three times throughout. Use short paragraphs or bullet points — readability signals matter here just as they do on the web.
No dedicated keywords field — Google doesn't give you a hidden keyword input. Everything has to live in visible copy. This is why lazy developers who write one-paragraph descriptions are leaving significant organic reach untouched.
Developer Name — indexed on Play just as it is on Apple.
The Strategic Differences That Change Your Workflow
Once you understand the indexing rules, the workflow implications follow naturally.
Keyword research splits into two tracks. For Apple, you're optimizing a constrained 160-character budget (name + subtitle + keywords field) with zero overlap and maximum semantic coverage. For Google, you're writing persuasive copy that also happens to be keyword-rich. These are different skills.
You can't share a single metadata doc between stores. Teams that maintain one "app listing" document and push it to both stores are doing half the work in both places. Maintain separate documents. Your Google Play long description should be drafted with keyword placement intentionality. Your Apple long description should be drafted purely for conversion because it doesn't rank.
Update cadence differs too. Apple's keyword field can be updated with every new app version submission. Google Play lets you update store listing metadata independently of a new build — which means you can run keyword experiments on Play without a new release. That's a meaningful operational advantage.
Localization multiplies your keyword field on Apple. Each locale gets its own 100-character keyword field. If you're targeting English (US), English (UK), and English (AU), that's 300 characters of keyword space. For context on why localization is one of the most underdone ASO levers, the logic parallels what we covered in our guide to deep linking and strategic marketing — small structural decisions compound into significant distribution advantages.
Common Mistakes We See in Both Stores
Repeating keywords across Apple fields. If "fitness" is in your app name, don't put it in your subtitle or keyword field. You get zero additional ranking benefit and waste characters that could cover a different query.
Writing Google Play descriptions as feature lists. A bulleted feature dump isn't optimized copy — it's a changelog. Write sentences that naturally incorporate your keyword phrases in context. Google's algorithm is sophisticated enough to distinguish between semantic relevance and mechanical repetition.
Ignoring the short description on Google Play. Approximately half the listings we audit have generic short descriptions that neither rank for secondary keywords nor communicate a clear value proposition. Eighty characters is enough to do both.
Treating "What's New" as a changelog only. On Apple, release notes are read by existing users deciding whether to update. They're not indexed, but they do influence ratings behavior — users who understand what changed are more likely to update promptly, which influences review velocity. On Google Play, you have only 500 characters, so prioritize user-facing improvements over internal fixes.
Keyword field formatting errors on Apple. Spaces after commas, repeated words, phrases that duplicate the app name — these are wasted characters in a 100-character budget where every character is a ranking signal.
FAQ
Does Google Play index the long description for search rankings?
Yes. Google Play's search algorithm treats the long description similarly to how Google Search treats webpage body text. Keyword placement, density, and semantic relevance all factor in. This is fundamentally different from Apple's App Store, where the long description has no effect on search rankings.
Can I use the same keyword strategy for both Apple and Google?
No. Apple's indexing is limited to the app name, subtitle, keyword field, developer name, and IAP names. Google indexes the full long description. Your keyword placement strategy needs to be tailored separately for each store.
What happens if I repeat keywords across Apple's name, subtitle, and keyword field?
Apple deduplicates. Repeating "tracker" in all three fields doesn't improve your ranking for "tracker" — it just wastes character budget that could cover additional keyword variations.
How often should I update my metadata?
On Google Play, you can update store listing copy anytime without a new build. Run keyword experiments frequently. On Apple, metadata updates require a new version submission, so batch your keyword changes with planned releases. At minimum, revisit both stores' metadata quarterly or after any significant change in your competitive landscape.
Does the developer name affect app store rankings?
Yes, on both platforms. Apple and Google index the developer account name as part of the app's search signals. It's not a major ranking factor, but it's worth considering when you create a new developer account — especially if you're building multiple apps in the same category.
What's the most underused metadata field across both stores?
On Apple: in-app purchase names. On Google Play: the short description. Both are indexed, both are consistently underdeveloped, and both offer ranking opportunity at low optimization cost.
App metadata optimization isn't a one-time task — it's a sustained advantage. The stores change their algorithms, competitors update their listings, and new keyword opportunities emerge as your user base grows. If you want a team that tracks all of it and runs structured experiments rather than guessing, our mobile app marketing services are built for exactly that. Or book a 30-minute call and we'll walk through your current listings together.
