Mobile & App Stores

Busted

• Alternative app distributionGetting an app onto phones without the default public store, through direct download or another marketplace, while owning more of the risk.
• App clip / instant appA tiny, link-invoked slice of an app that handles one immediate task without a full install. Apple's current version is App Clips.
• App iconThe home-screen tile that carries your whole brand at thumbnail size, under strict platform rules about shape, transparency, and safe area.
• App lifecycleThe foreground, background, suspended, and stopped states your app crosses as people switch away, return, or the OS kills it.
• App Privacy details / Data safety sectionThe store questionnaire about what data your app collects, printed on your listing as a privacy 'nutrition label' shoppers can read.
• App review rejectionThe store denies your build and cites a guideline number, blocking release until you fix it, explain yourself, or appeal.
• App screenshots / preview videoThe swipeable images and short muted video on your product page: captioned, device-framed shots that sell the app before anyone installs.
• App size / bundle budgetA hard ceiling for how much the store download and installed app may weigh, so new code and assets cannot quietly bloat every release.
• App Store Connect / Play ConsoleThe publisher dashboards at Apple and Google where builds land, listing copy is edited, testers are invited, and your money shows up.
• App Store Optimization (ASO)Tuning your app's title, keywords, and creatives so the store's own search puts you in front of people who never heard of you.
• App thinning / split APK / app bundleLetting the store cut one app upload into device-specific downloads, so each phone gets only the code and assets it needs.
• App Tracking Transparency (ATT) promptThe iPhone system dialog an app must use before tracking someone across other companies' apps and sites or accessing the IDFA.
• Background modeA declared, tightly limited reason the OS lets an app keep doing a specific job after it leaves the screen.
• Background refresh / silent notificationA brief, OS-controlled chance to sync while the app is off screen, sometimes triggered by a push that shows no visible alert.
• Beta distributionPutting a pre-release build on real testers' phones through TestFlight or a Play testing track, before anyone in the store sees it.
• Bundle ID / package nameThe permanent reverse-domain string (com.acme.notebook) that identifies your app to the OS and the store. Choose once, keep forever.
• Code signing and provisioningThe certificates and profiles that prove your build is really yours and say which capabilities, and for test builds which devices, it may use.
• Cross-platform appOne codebase compiled or wrapped to ship on both iOS and Android, instead of building and maintaining two separate apps.
• Custom product pageA campaign-specific version of your store page, with different screenshots and copy but the same app behind it.
• Custom URL schemeA link like myapp:// that launches an installed app and routes inside it, without using an HTTP website address.
• Deep linkA URL that opens one specific screen inside an installed app instead of dumping the user on the home screen or a web page.
• Deferred deep linkingA link that survives the trip through the app store, so a brand new install opens on the screen the link pointed at, invite code and all.
• Expedited reviewAsking Apple to move a critical fix or time-sensitive app through review faster, with no promise that it will agree.
• IAP product typeThe store category that decides whether a purchase is spent, owned forever, or renewed over time.
• In-app purchase (IAP) / store billingSelling digital stuff through the platform's own checkout, which store rules generally require for digital goods and which takes a cut of each sale.
• Kids category and age ratingThe store declarations for who an app is suitable for, with extra data, ad, purchase, and link rules when children are the audience.
• Minimum deployment targetThe oldest OS version your app will install on. Raise it for newer APIs, raise it too far and older phones lose the app.
• Native module / bridgeThe adapter that lets shared React Native, Expo, or Flutter code call an iOS or Android API the framework does not expose.
• Over-the-air (OTA) updatePushing new JavaScript and assets straight to installed apps, so you can fix a bug in minutes without another store review.
• Permission primingYour own screen explaining why you need the camera or location, shown before you spend your one shot at the OS permission dialog.
• Phased / staged rolloutShipping an update to a small percentage of users first and widening over days, so a broken build hits 1 percent instead of everyone.
• Pre-order / pre-registrationA live store page before launch where people reserve the app, get notified at release, and may receive it automatically.
• Push notification / rich pushA message your server sends to a phone that shows up on the lock screen even when the app is closed. Rich push adds images and buttons.
• Push tokenThe changeable address for one installed copy of your app, used by APNs or FCM to deliver a push notification to that device.
• Receipt validationChecking Apple's signed transaction or Google's purchase token before your server unlocks paid access.
• Release trackThe store lane that decides whether a build goes to your team, beta testers, or the public.
• Restore purchasesThe 'I already paid' button: asks the store for this account's past purchases and re-unlocks them on a fresh install or a new phone.
• Review notes / demo accountThe login and step-by-step map that let a store reviewer reach features hidden behind accounts, payments, hardware, or setup.
• Runtime permissionThe OS popup asking to use your camera, mic, photos, or location, shown while the app runs. The user's answer sticks.
• Safe area / notch insetsThe padding that keeps your UI clear of the notch, home indicator, and rounded corners so nothing important sits under hardware.
• Sandbox purchaseA full store checkout made with test money, so you can prove the paywall and entitlement flow work without charging anyone.
• Splash screen / launch screenThe first frame the OS draws over app boot, usually your logo on a brand color, so tapping the icon feels instant instead of frozen.
• Store listing metadataThe text fields on your store page: name, subtitle, keywords, description, what's new. The copy the store indexes and shoppers skim.
• Store review promptThe native 'rate this app' dialog you request from the OS, which decides whether to show it and caps how often it appears.
• Store submissionUploading a finished build plus the required paperwork and hitting 'submit for review', then waiting for Apple or Google to say yes.
• Subscription paywallThe screen that asks for a recurring payment: plans, price, trial terms, and one obvious button between the user and the good features.
• Universal Links / Android App LinksA normal https link that opens your app if it is installed and your website if it is not, proved by a verification file on your domain.
• Version number / build numberTwo numbers per release: the version humans read (1.4.2) and the build number the store uses to tell your uploads apart.
• Widgets / Live ActivitiesSmall, glanceable app surfaces on the home screen, Lock Screen, or Dynamic Island, showing useful state without opening the app.

The territory

28 core terms mapped for this field, ranked by how often builders reach for them. Each one is a future entry. Want to bust one? One entry, one file, one pull request.

• App Store Optimization (ASO)tuning listing metadata and creatives to rank in store search"SEO but for the app store" · "making my app show up when people search"
• Store listing metadatatitle, subtitle, description, and keyword slots that drive discovery"keyword field" · "the words on my store page"
• App screenshots / preview videothe marketing images and video shown on the product page"those framed phone pictures" · "the screenshots with text on them"
• Store submissionuploading a release candidate and required information for platform review"sending it to Apple" · "hitting submit for review"
• App review rejectionstore denying a build for policy reasons"Apple said no" · "they bounced my app"
• App Store Connect / Play Consolethe publisher dashboards for builds, metadata, and payouts"the backend where I upload the app" · "the publishing website"
• Version number / build numberthe two-number scheme stores use to order releases"the 1.2.3 thing" · "why the store says duplicate build"
• Beta distributionpre-release distribution channel for external testers"TestFlight" · "beta invite thing"
• Phased / staged rolloutreleasing an update to a growing percentage of users"give it to 10% first" · "slow release in case it breaks"
• Code signing and provisioningcertificates that authorize a build to run and ship"provisioning profile" · "the certificate nightmare"
• Bundle ID / package namethe app's permanent unique identifier across stores"the reverse-domain name thing" · "com.something.myapp"
• Minimum deployment targetoldest OS version the app supports"which iPhones can install it" · "lowest Android version"
• In-app purchase (IAP) / store billingselling digital goods through the platform's payment system"buying inside the app" · "Apple's 30% cut"
• Subscription paywallthe screen gating features behind a recurring purchase"the upgrade screen" · "where I ask for money"
• Restore purchasesrequired flow to re-grant entitlements on a new device"I already paid, give it back" · "get my subscription on my new phone"
• App Privacy details / Data safety sectionmandatory declaration of data collected"privacy nutrition label" · "the data questionnaire"
• Push notification / rich pushserver-initiated alert, optionally with image and actions"the pop-up alert on the lock screen" · "ping people to come back"
• Runtime permissionOS-controlled access requested while the app is running"the popup asking for camera access" · "allow or don't allow"
• Permission primingasking why before triggering the OS permission dialog"explain before the popup asks" · "pre-permission screen"
• Deep linkURL that opens a specific screen inside an installed app"link that jumps straight into the app" · "opens the app not the website"
• Universal Links / Android App Linkshttps URL that opens the app if installed, web if not"smart link that knows if you have the app" · "no ugly redirect page"
• Deferred deep linkinglink that survives install and lands you on the intended screen"remembers where I was going after I download it" · "link that works even before install"
• Over-the-air (OTA) updatepushing JS/asset changes to installed apps without store review"update without resubmitting" · "hot push a fix"
• App iconthe launcher/home-screen tile identity, size-and-shape constrained"the little square" · "the thing on the home screen"
• Splash screen / launch screenstatic first frame shown while the app boots"the loading logo when you tap open" · "the screen before the screen"
• Safe area / notch insetspadding that avoids notch, home indicator, and rounded corners"don't put stuff under the notch" · "the bottom bar space"
• Cross-platform appone codebase compiled or wrapped for multiple platforms"hybrid app" · "build once ship to both"
• Store review promptnative in-app dialog requesting a rating, rate-limited by OS"please rate us popup" · "the star request"

Deeper in the field

• Custom product page alternate store listing variants targeted per ad campaign
• Pre-order / pre-registration pre-launch signup that auto-installs on release day
• Release track store channel separating internal, beta, and production builds
• Expedited review requesting faster app review for a critical fix
• Review notes / demo account reviewer instructions and credentials needed to evaluate gated app features
• App thinning / split APK / app bundle per-device artifact slicing to shrink downloads
• App size / bundle budget download size limits affecting install conversion and cellular downloads
• Alternative app distribution installing outside the official store, now legal in the EU
• IAP product type store category such as consumable, non-consumable, or subscription
• Receipt validation verifying store purchase evidence before granting paid access
• Sandbox purchase test transaction that exercises store billing without real money
• Push token per-install address used to deliver push notifications to a device
• Background refresh / silent notification waking the app to sync without visible alert
• Background mode declared capability allowing limited work while the app is not foregrounded
• App lifecycle foreground, background, suspended, and terminated states an app moves through
• Custom URL scheme non-HTTP scheme used to route links into an installed app
• App clip / instant app tiny slice of an app runnable without full install
• Widgets / Live Activities glanceable surfaces outside the app itself
• Native module / bridge glue exposing platform APIs to a cross-platform runtime
• App Tracking Transparency (ATT) prompt iOS dialog required before cross-app advertising identifiers
• Kids category and age rating content-rating tier with stricter rules