Guide: Optimize your App Store performance with A/B Testing

Apple and Google allow you to test different elements of your app store presence. These elements include:

• Screenshots 
• Title 
• Video 
• Descriptions

These tests are not just theoretical — according to SplitMetrics, A/B tests on visual creatives can yield 19–26% average uplift in conversion when done well.
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What is an A/B Test?

An A/B test compares two or more variations of an element to see which performs better. Typically, 50% of your audience sees version A, and 50% sees version B. The goal is to find which version drives more app downloads.
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Industry data backs this: some companies report conversion lifts of up to 83% from micro UX changes.
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Preparing for an A/B Test

Before running a test, create a hypothesis:

1. ‍Change: What you want to test (e.g., highlight a positive app review in the description).
2. Expected Result: What you think will happen (e.g., downloads will increase).
3. ‍Reasoning: Why you expect this result (e.g., social proof may encourage more downloads).
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Ideas for A/B Tests

• Change the order of screenshots (the first two are the most viewed) 
• Use different artwork in the screenshots 
• Highlight numbers, like total downloads.
• Add emojis to showcase features.
• Use bullet points in descriptions.
• Test longer vs shorter descriptions.
• …etc. 

Tip: Begin all tests with research and analysis. User insights are a great starting point.
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Setting up an A/B Test

Apple 

You can test screenshots to see which performs better.

Steps:

1. Go to Product Page Optimization.

2. Click Create Test.

3. Name your test.

4. Choose the number of variants (e.g., reorder screenshots or upload new ones).

5. Click Create Test to start.
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More info:

‍In Apple App Store Connect, go to Product Page Optimization to create an A/B test. Follow Apple’s guide for step-by-step instructions.

You can also read a more general overview of Product Page Optimization on the official Apple site.

Google 

1. Go to Grow Users > Store Presence > Store Listing Experiments.

2. Name your experiment.

3. Choose what to test:  

• ‍Localized Experiment: Test different descriptions.   ‍
• Default Graphics Experiment: Test screenshots.

Enter experiment details:

• Set your goals (number of variants, target metric).
• Click Next.

Choose metrics to test. Click Edit Variant to configure the changes.

Testing Best Practice: Only test one variable at a time (e.g., either title or screenshot). If you test multiple changes simultaneously, it’s hard to know which one drove the result.

Configure the attributes. Click Save. Submit changes to Google for review.

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Click Publish to start the experiment.
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More Info:

‍In Play Console, go to Store Listing Experiments and follow the guide for detailed instructions. You can also read an overview of A/B testing for both Android and Apple.

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Further reading

• Boost organic results with A/B testing on Google Play and the App Store‍
• Beginner’s Guide to A/B Testing for ASO on the App Store & Google Play
• A/B testing in App Store: Full guide to Apple’s Product Page Optimization