App not appearing in App Store search for over 6 weeks — including branded searches for its own name

App Store Distribution & Marketing App Store Connect
kzhys OP
Created Feb ’26
Replies 4
Boosts 2
Views 710
Participants 4

I'm hoping someone from Apple engineering can help, as support tickets and callbacks have not resolved this issue. The problem: My app "Brutal Time - Typographic Clock" does not appear in App Store search results at all — not even when searching for its exact name "Brutal Time." This has been ongoing for over six weeks. Additionally, the app does not appear in Apple Search Ads when I try to set up a campaign — suggesting this is a backend indexing issue, not a ranking issue.

Timeline: Dec 17, 2025: App launched, initially searchable Dec 31, 2025: Transitioned to freemium model, became invisible in search. Jan 5, 2026: Fixed the issue, submitted update (v2.02), approved same day Jan 14, 2026: Submitted metadata update (v2.03) to improve discoverability, approved same day Feb 8, 2026: Tried removing from sale and re-adding to force re-index — no effect Feb 10, 2026: Still not appearing in any search results

What I've tried:

  • Submitted multiple support tickets (most recent: Case #102797235758)
  • Each ticket generates an automated reply stating Apple will respond within 2 business days — they never have
  • Requested and received callbacks multiple times, was told it would be escalated to US engineering team. But no follow-up, no resolution, no explanation
  • Removed from sale and re-added to attempt to force re-indexing — didn't work
  • App shows "Ready for Distribution" in App Store Connect
  • Direct link works fine: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/brutal-time-typographic-clock/id6756289461

Response from Apple Support: "The behavior you observed is expected. App Store charts and search results change regularly and we don't guarantee app placement." This response misses the point entirely. I'm not asking about rankings — I'm asking why the app is completely invisible in search, including for its own branded name. This is not an isolated issue. Other developers have reported the same problem with the same non-response from Apple:

https://developer.apple.com/forums/thread/803937 https://developer.apple.com/forums/thread/73981 https://developer.apple.com/forums/thread/74110

Has anyone found a resolution? Is there any way to trigger a proper re-index, or escalate to someone who can actually investigate?

Replies  4
Boosts  2
Views  710
Participants  4
YukiNakano OP
May ’26

Adding another data point — same symptoms, same lack of resolution. Sharing here in case the pattern helps Apple eventually acknowledge this as a systemic issue.

App: ZenTerm (App ID 6760935103, Bundle ID com.zenterm.mobile) Released: 2026-03-31 (45 days ago) Status: Ready for Sale (1.3.2 live) Developer: Individual

Symptoms (matches Brutal Time exactly)

  • App Store search for the exact name "zenterm" → zero results, 45+ days running
  • iTunes Search API (https://itunes.apple.com/search?term=zenterm&country=jp) returns my app correctly
  • Direct App Store URL https://apps.apple.com/jp/app/zenterm/id6760935103 works fine
  • Apple Search Ads campaign creation flow cannot find my app either — neither by name search nor by pasting the canonical App Store URL
  • v1.3.2 (released 2026-05-06, with all third-party trademarks proactively removed from keywords) has now been live for 9 days — no change in search visibility

Apple Support response so far

DateActionResult
2026-04-11First written inquiryTemplated reply: "we don't guarantee app placement"
2026-04-14Second written inquiry (clarifying it's an indexing issue, not ranking)Ignored for 24 days
2026-05-08Phone call to Apple SupportAgent: "we cannot provide any answer on this case"
2026-05-08Third written inquiry (with Apple Search Ads evidence + Apple's own help doc cross-reference)Ignored for 7 days as of today, despite Apple's stated SLA of "within 2 business days" on the contact form

Apple's own documentation strongly suggests a silent flag

Per Apple Search Ads help "If your app does not appear as a promotion option," the listed causes are:

  1. Account not linked to ASC — N/A
  2. App registered <24h ago — N/A (38 days)
  3. App cannot be promoted (policy violation / guideline violation / placement unavailable) — ★ only remaining candidate
  4. Special characters in app name — N/A (pure ASCII)
  5. 32-bit / app bundle — N/A
  6. France / China specific — N/A

So Apple's own documentation strongly implies a policy-violation flag is silently active on the app, but Apple refuses to disclose what it is despite three inquiries.

Self-remediation already attempted

I proactively removed all third-party trademarks (Claude, Codex, Copilot, Mac mini, Raspberry Pi) from keywords in version 1.3.2 (released 2026-05-06), per public guidance that trademark keywords are the most common silent-suppression trigger. The Apple Search Ads check above was performed after this remediation went live.

Questions to the thread

For OP and others affected:

  • Has DTS Technical Support Incident yielded any actionable response, or is it always rejected as out of scope?
  • Has anyone observed a delayed reindex (weeks/months) eventually fixing this without intervention?
  • Has anyone tried switching the developer account from Individual to Organization and seen recovery?
  • Does anyone have a documented contact path that bypasses the standard support template?

Happy to share screenshots or additional diagnostic data if it helps validate this is a recurring infrastructure-level bug.
meelir OP
2d

Adding a third data point — same symptoms, same non-responsive support pattern.

App: Aaven: News & Audio (Apple ID 6804346714, Bundle ID com.aavenbriefing.ai) Released: 2026-09-01 Status: Ready for Distribution (approved, live, unchanged this whole time)

Symptoms (matches both reports above):

  • App Store search for the exact app name ("Aaven" / "Aaven: News & Audio") returns zero results / no autocomplete suggestion — intermittently, not even consistently absent.
  • Direct App Store URL (apps.apple.com/us/app/aaven-news-audio/id6804346714) has worked normally the entire time.
  • Apple's iTunes Search API (itunes.apple.com/search?term=Aaven) returns the app correctly — so some backend index has it right, while the App Store app's own live search does not.
  • Notably it briefly started working correctly a few days after release, then regressed and stopped again — so this isn't just a one-time post-release indexing delay either.

Apple Support response so far (Case ID 102953115792):

  • First reply: generic troubleshooting checklist (confirm "Ready for Distribution" status, Paid Apps Agreement/tax info, release scheduling, region selection) plus a claim that a ~24-hour indexing window explains it — doesn't hold up, since this is now day 7+ and the symptom recurred after already resolving once.
  • Second reply: entirely unrelated — generic guidance about debouncing keystrokes in an app's own in-app search field. Aaven has no in-app search feature at all; this didn't address the App Store indexing issue whatsoever.
  • Requested formal escalation after that; awaiting response.

Given three independent reports now with the identical fingerprint (works via direct link + third-party API, fails specifically in App Store's own live search, first-line support unable to meaningfully engage), this really does look like a systemic indexing bug on Apple's side rather than anything app-specific. Following this thread for any actual resolution.
miasun OP
1d

Adding a fourth data point: I hope someone from the Apple Engineering team responsible for App Store search can look into these recurring cases with highly similar symptoms.

My app, Mialight (App ID: 6770819530), has been available for approximately four weeks. However, I and several people in California and Texas whom I asked to test independently still cannot find it by searching its exact name, “Mialight,” using their own devices and U.S. App Store accounts. The same issue occurs on Apple’s public U.S. App Store website. The direct link works normally, and searching for the developer name, “Mialight LLC,” returns the app.

I submitted Developer Support case 20000142933730 approximately one week after the app became available. Support initially told me that the case had been escalated and was under investigation. Since then, the case has been assigned to three different Advisors. The current Senior Advisor asked me to provide a screen recording and screenshots. I submitted the requested evidence, but the next response asked me to provide the same recording again. I reattached the files and specifically requested confirmation that they had been reviewed, but I still have not received that confirmation or a clear answer about whether Engineering is investigating the issue. The case appears to be stuck in a Support loop in which I am repeatedly asked to submit the same evidence, without confirmation that it has reached the team capable of investigating the App Store search index.
miasun OP
1d

It is apparently some bugs from Apple side. Can engineers fix it?

App not appearing in App Store search for over 6 weeks — including branded searches for its own name
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