Updated ASO teardown, US App Store
FlyCowboys - Pilot Training App Store optimization
A Education app's App Store page, taken apart: the screenshots and why each one helps people decide to download, the icon and design system, and an ASO score out of 100.
- Est. monthly downloads
- 13K+526% vs previous month
- Est. monthly revenue
- $54K+2% vs previous month
- Est. revenue ÷ downloads
- $4.15
- Rating
- 4.2★147 ratings
Downloads and revenue are third-party est. for the US App Store, latest month vs the month before. Revenue includes renewals, so revenue ÷ downloads is a rough ratio, not what a new user pays. Estimates as of ; rating and dates from the App Store, .
Screenshots and why they convert
8 screenshots of up to 10, the first 6 shown here. The first 3 show in search results when there's no preview video.
#1In search results
Your Personal AI Flight Instructor
- flight instructornot in name
- What it shows
- A sky and cloud illustration with a headline and the line “Every answer explained, every weak spot found”. The edge of a phone with a radar chart is cut off at the right.
- Why it converts
- The headline names the product idea in plain words, an AI flight instructor. The phone is cropped, so this frame sells the promise and not the screen.
#2In search results
- What it shows
- A brown cowboy hat sitting on a phone showing a Progress screen: a 12-day streak, 8 of 35 badges and a knowledge check radar chart. Sky and clouds continue from the first image.
- Why it converts
- Continues the first image into one wide scene and adds the brand mascot. It has no caption, so at search-result size the visitor gets the mood but no stated benefit.
#3In search results
Learn, Don’t Memorize
- learnnot in name
- What it shows
- A practice question about a warm front and dew point, the answer “Fog.” marked Correct, and a Pilot Tip that explains why.
- Why it converts
- Shows the teaching method, not just a question bank. The visible explanation backs up the “every answer explained” promise from the first image.
#4
One App. Every Rating.
- private pilotnot in name
- instrument ratingnot in name
- What it shows
- A Course screen listing Private Pilot License (Active), Instrument Rating and Commercial Pilot, each marked as a written exam study course.
- Why it converts
- Shows three courses pilots look for and where each one lives. A visitor studying for any of them can see the app covers their exam.
#5
Talk To Tower
- atcnot in name
- radionot in name
- What it shows
- A VFR radio practice home screen with a Daily Tower Check-in card, a “Fly Today’s Check-in” button, session stats of 1, 82% and 82%, and scenario categories.
- Why it converts
- Shows a second kind of practice beyond written questions. The subtitle says what the visitor gets: practicing ATC calls before using the real radio.
#6
Stay Sharp After The Checkride
- checkridenot in name
- What it shows
- A Today’s 10 card with a Start button, a “Pick a topic instead” link and a knowledge check radar chart across areas such as Aero, Systems and Weather.
- Why it converts
- Speaks to a later need, keeping skills fresh after the exam. It shows a clear daily routine, which gives a reason to keep the app.
Icon and design system
What makes the page read as one brand at a glance.
- One symbol: a cowboy hat whose brim doubles as airplane wings. It links the name to flying.
- Two colors, cream on brown, with no text. This matches the brown and cream used across the screenshots.
- The shape is simple and large, so it should stay readable at small sizes. Test it in dark and tinted modes.
- 01
Big promise in the first headline
The first image says “Your Personal AI Flight Instructor” in a large serif. It tells a visitor what the app is before any UI appears.
- 02
Bold white captions with a short subtitle
Most later images have a white headline and a short line that adds detail, such as the three rating names.
- 03
Captions name what pilots study
Private, instrument and commercial ratings, ATC radio calls and the checkride appear in the captions. Visitors can match the app to their own exam.
- 04
One brown and cream system
A dark brown gradient, cream app screens and a brown accent repeat on most images after the first two. The icon uses the same colors.
- 05
Panoramic opening
The first two images share one sky scene with a hat on the phone. It links the images, but the second one carries no caption.
ASO score breakdown
70 of 100 points. The full rule is under “How the ASO score works” below.
- App name24 / 25
- Uses 27 of 30 characters9/10
- Brand + keyword phrase10/10
- Keywords fill half the name or more5/5
- Screenshots28 / 35
- Caption on every screenshot4.2/5
- Each caption names a feature people search for8.3/10
- First screenshot shows the main use5/5
- One consistent design system5/5
- Readable at search-result size5/5
- Trust signal0/5
- Ratings4 / 25
- 4.2 average (full marks at 4.8)3.8/15
- 147 ratings (full marks at 100,000)0/10
- Freshness14 / 15
- Last update 38 days ago (full marks within 30)14.2/15
Where the points are
- Ask happy users for a rating+21 pts
4.2 stars from 147 ratings. Apple's in-app rating prompt can be shown up to 3 times a year; show it right after a user finishes something in the app.
- Ship an update+1 pts
The last update was 38 days ago. A new version also refreshes the "What's New" notes people read before they download.
- Check caption terms against your subtitle and keywords
7 caption terms aren't in the app name: flight instructor, learn, private pilot, instrument rating, atc, radio, checkride. Captions don't count for search; the subtitle and the 100-character keyword field do.
Apply it to your app
A checklist for your next product page update.
- Say what the app is in the first headline, in words your users use.
- Use a short subtitle under each headline to add one specific detail.
- Name the exact exams, levels or tasks your users talk about in the captions.
- Show the teaching or result moment, such as an explained answer, not only a menu.
- Give every image a caption if you use a wide scene across two images.
- Reuse the icon colors in your screenshots so the page reads as one brand.
How the ASO score works
- 01
App name, 25 points
Up to 10 for how much of Apple's 30 characters it uses, 10 for a brand + keyword structure, 5 when keywords fill half the name or more.
- 02
Screenshots, 35 points
Captions on every image, captions that name searched features, a first screenshot that shows the main use, one design system, readability at search size, and a trust signal.
- 03
Ratings, 25 points
Up to 15 for the average (from 4.0, full marks at 4.8) and 10 for the count (from 1,000, full marks at 100,000 ratings).
- 04
Freshness, 15 points
Full marks for an update in the last 30 days, falling to zero at 180 days. 85+ is excellent, 70+ strong, 50+ fair.
Common questions
What is an ASO score?
A 100-point check of the parts of an App Store page you control: the app name, screenshots, ratings and how recently the app was updated. It's our own scoring rule, shown in full on this page, not a number from Apple. Use it to compare your page with apps that already sell well in your category.
How long can an app name be on the App Store?
30 characters. A common pattern is a short brand followed by the main thing people search for, like “FlyCowboys - Pilot Training”, which uses 27. Apple also gives you a 30-character subtitle and a 100-character keyword field for more terms.
Which screenshots show up in App Store search results?
The first one to three, when the app has no preview video. That's why the first three should cover the main reasons people download. FlyCowboys uses them for flight instructor and learn.
How many screenshots can an iPhone app have?
Up to 10 per device size. Apple recommends focusing each screenshot after the first on one main benefit or feature. FlyCowboys uses 8.
Where do the download and revenue numbers come from?
They're third-party estimates for the US App Store, not figures reported by the developer. Treat them as a sense of scale. Growth compares the latest month with the month before.
Do screenshot captions help an app rank in search?
Apple says search results use text matches in the app name, subtitle, keywords and primary category, plus user behavior such as downloads, ratings and reviews. Captions aren't on that list: they help people who already see the app decide to download. When a caption names something people search for, put that term in the keyword field too.
Where the numbers come from
- Apple: Creating your product page
- App name limit (30 characters), up to 10 screenshots, the first one to three shown in search results, keyword field.
- Apple: App Store search
- Search results use text relevance (name, subtitle, keywords, primary category) and user behavior (downloads, ratings, reviews).
- Apple: Ratings, reviews and responses
- The in-app rating prompt can be shown up to three times in a 365-day period.
- FlyCowboys - Pilot Training on the App Store
- Name, developer, category, icon, screenshots, rating, release and update dates (US storefront), checked Nov 4, 2026.
- Downloads and revenue
- Third-party est. for the US App Store, latest month, pulled Oct 29, 2026. Not reported by the developer.
Related
Your product page wins the install.Know which campaign sent it.
Airbridge Core shows which Meta, TikTok, Google and Apple Ads campaign brought each user and what they paid. Trusted by 1,000+ brands processing 100B+ events a month. $40+/mo after a 30-day free trial, no annual contract.