Updated ASO teardown, US App Store
NGL: ask me anything App Store optimization
A Lifestyle 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
- 602K−14.3% vs previous month
- Est. monthly revenue
- $502K−0.1% vs previous month
- Est. revenue ÷ downloads
- $0.83
- Rating
- 4.8★390.5K 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
7 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
you’ve seen it all around
- What it shows
- Two selfie-style photos with speech bubbles reading “any plans this weekend?” and “whos your best friend?”, plus a gummy bear, a crown and a waving hand, on a pink-to-orange gradient.
- Why it converts
- Shows the kind of question the app is about, but not what the app does or how. A visitor has to guess the product from the bubbles. The first slot is used for mood, not for the core use.
#2In search results
share your link
- linknot in name
- What it shows
- A phone showing a story with an “Ask me anything!” card and an NGL.LINK button, with bubbles such as “ur the best” and “we should talk more!” around it.
- Why it converts
- Shows how the app starts: you put a link in your story and friends reply. The big caption names one action. The bubbles show the kind of replies you can expect.
#3In search results
view & share replies
- repliesnot in name
- What it shows
- A phone showing a story photo with a card that reads “Ask me anything!” and a reply, “I really love ur style”.
- Why it converts
- Shows the other half of the loop: a reply becomes something you can post. One idea per image.
#4
get msgs & love
- msgsnot in name
- What it shows
- A phone with an inbox list of “New Message!” rows marked “From a friend” and “From team NGL”, and a large pink heart on the corner.
- Why it converts
- Shows the inbox, so a visitor sees what receiving looks like. “msgs” is short for messages, and the caption tells the benefit, not the screen name.
#5
play q&a games
- q&anot in name
- gamesnot in name
- What it shows
- Four game cards (Dealbreaker, Never Have I Ever, Cancelled and a ship-style card) above a phone showing a “3 words” card, “describe me in 3 words”.
- Why it converts
- Adds a second reason to install: games beyond plain questions. The caption names “q&a games”, a feature people may look for. The card titles are large enough to read.
#6
take a hint
- hintnot in name
- What it shows
- A “Get a hint” button and a “reply” button above a phone with a “Sender Hints” screen marked PRO, showing a profile with counts for messages, friends and views.
- Why it converts
- Shows a paid feature as the last idea. The PRO badge is visible, so the visitor sees there is an upgrade. The top phone is cropped, which makes the frame busy.
Icon and design system
What makes the page read as one brand at a glance.
- One idea: the three-letter name in bold white letters. The name is the brand, so the text is needed here.
- Pink-to-orange gradient matches the background of every screenshot, so icon and gallery read as one brand.
- Thick outline and flat letters keep the shape clear at small sizes. The icon does not say what the app does.
- 01
Short lowercase captions
Most captions are two to four words, in large white type: “share your link”, “view & share replies”. Easy to read at thumbnail size.
- 02
One gradient on most images
Most images use the same pink-to-orange background, and it matches the icon. Swiping feels like one story.
- 03
Steps as a loop
Images two to four follow the app’s flow: share a link, view replies, get messages. Each one shows a single step.
- 04
Playful 3D props
A gummy bear, a heart, a donut and a paw sit at the corners. They add mood and keep the set from looking like plain UI.
- 05
A paid feature at the end
The “take a hint” image shows a PRO badge on the Sender Hints screen, so the upgrade is part of the story.
ASO score breakdown
83 of 100 points. The full rule is under “How the ASO score works” below.
- App name22 / 25
- Uses 20 of 30 characters6.7/10
- Brand + keyword phrase10/10
- Keywords fill half the name or more5/5
- Screenshots23 / 35
- Caption on every screenshot5/5
- Each caption names a feature people search for8.3/10
- First screenshot shows the main use0/5
- One consistent design system5/5
- Readable at search-result size5/5
- Trust signal0/5
- Ratings25 / 25
- 4.8 average (full marks at 4.8)15/15
- 390,480 ratings (full marks at 100,000)10/10
- Freshness13 / 15
- Last update 55 days ago (full marks within 30)12.5/15
Where the points are
- Use the rest of the app name+3 pts
10 characters are free. Add the next most important search term.
- Ship an update+2 pts
The last update was 55 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
6 caption terms aren't in the app name: link, replies, msgs, q&a, games, hint. 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.
- Use the first image to say what the app does, not only the mood.
- Keep each caption to two or three words and one idea.
- Match the screenshot background to the icon color.
- Put the steps of your core loop in order, one step per image.
- Make card titles and key labels large enough to read as a thumbnail.
- Show a paid feature with its label, so visitors know an upgrade exists.
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 “NGL: ask me anything”, which uses 20. 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. NGL uses them for link and replies.
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. NGL uses 7.
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.
- NGL: ask me anything 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.
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