# WWDC26 Recap: App Store and Platform Updates for Mobile Growth Teams

- Link: https://phiture.com/blog/wwdc26-updates/
- Published: 2026-06-09T13:57:27+01:00
- Author: Phiture

###     Table of Contents

 * [Creative Assets: Header](https://phiture.com/blog/wwdc26-updates/#creative_assets_header)
 * [The Asset Library](https://phiture.com/blog/wwdc26-updates/#the_asset_library)
 * [Personalized Collections](https://phiture.com/blog/wwdc26-updates/#personalized_collections)
 * [Placements: What Changed Where](https://phiture.com/blog/wwdc26-updates/#placements_what_changed_where)
 * [Workflow Implications](https://phiture.com/blog/wwdc26-updates/#workflow_implications)
 * [Apple Intelligence and Siri](https://phiture.com/blog/wwdc26-updates/#apple_intelligence_and_siri)
 * [7.  Apple In-App Purchase and StoreKit Updates](https://phiture.com/blog/wwdc26-updates/#7_apple_in-app_purchase_and_storekit_updates)
 * [iOS 27 and iPadOS 27](https://phiture.com/blog/wwdc26-updates/#ios_27_and_ipados_27)
 * [macOS 27 “Golden Gate”](https://phiture.com/blog/wwdc26-updates/#macos_27_%e2%80%9cgolden_gate%e2%80%9d)
 * [watchOS 27 and visionOS 27](https://phiture.com/blog/wwdc26-updates/#watchos_27_and_visionos_27)
 * [What to Act on First](https://phiture.com/blog/wwdc26-updates/#what_to_act_on_first)
 * [FAQ](https://phiture.com/blog/wwdc26-updates/#faq)

Apple held its annual developer conference on June 8. For mobile growth and ASO 
practitioners, the main news is a set of App Store changes built around a new asset
system in App Store Connect. There are also platform updates across iOS 27, iPadOS
27, macOS 27, and other operating systems worth knowing about. This article goes
through it all.

_**Note:** All features and updates covered in this article were announced at WWDC26
on June 8, 2026. They are currently in developer beta and will be publicly released
this fall, likely in September, alongside iOS 27 and iPadOS 27._

## **Creative Assets: Header**

Apple renamed its “Feature Banner” asset as “Header”. This asset is now available
for editing, uploading, and review in the App Store Connect (previously, this asset
was only available for selected developers, and its update needed to be done through
a request from the Editorial team via email or under the Promotional Artwork section).

 

![screenshot wwdc26](https://phiture.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Screenshot-2026-
06-09-at-11.14.12-1024x789.png)

The Header can be images or videos, which are separate from your standard screenshots
and app previews. They have their own upload flow and review process, and they appear
in placements that screenshots haven’t historically covered, specifically the product
page header, and can also be selected as the App Store search results. The assets
can be pre-approved and used as per the requirement.

 

![screenshot wwdc26](https://phiture.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Screenshot-2026-
06-09-at-11.24.27-1024x777.png)

A few things worth knowing about the Header:

 * They can be completely different from your existing screenshots and app preview.
   You’re not locked into reusing what you already have.
 * They work across Custom Product Pages (Search & Today Tab), the main product 
   page, and Product Page Optimization tests.
 * They can be used for both organic store placements and paid Apple Ads, from the
   same library.
 * They apply to iOS 27 and iPadOS 27.

Apple’s[ What’s New on the App Store](https://developer.apple.com/app-store/whats-new/#enhancements)
page notes that the Header can be used to highlight a brand, promote seasonal content,
or showcase new features, since screenshots are tied to the actual UI of the app.

 

## **The Asset Library**

App Store Connect now has a centralized Asset Library where you can manage all of
your app’s visuals in one place: screenshots, app previews, header, organized by
platform, size, and selected placement for it to be displayed in.

![Screenshot asset library](https://phiture.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Screenshot-
2026-06-09-at-11.22.45-1024x747.png)

The workflow change here is that assets can be submitted for App Review independently
of an app update. No new build required. Once assets are approved, they can go live
on your store listing and/or on your Apple Ads, at any time. Apple’s[ App Store enhancements page](https://developer.apple.com/app-store/whats-new/#enhancements)
confirms that assets can also be reused across Custom Product Pages and In-App Events,
reducing redundant uploads when managing multiple CPPs or event promotional campaigns.

 

![screenshot wwdc26](https://phiture.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Screenshot-2026-
06-09-at-11.24.08-1024x748.png)

Before this, updating store creative meant bundling changes into an app version 
submission, which meant waiting on an engineering release. You can now submit new
assets directly, get them reviewed, and update the listing without having to wait
for a new build of the codebase.

## ⏎  **Personalized Collections**

Apple is adding Personalized Collections across the Apps, Games, and Search tabs.
These collections are based on user interests, app usage, downloads, and other App
Store signals, with explanations for why each app is relevant. This means that discovery
may become more recommendation-led rather than keyword-led only.

 

## **Placements: What Changed Where**

### **Product Page Header**

Both the main product page and Custom Product Pages can now use Creative Assets 
in the header. These assets don’t need to match your product page screenshots and
app preview; they’re separate content designed for that placement specifically. 
This applies to iOS 27 and iPadOS 27.

![product page header wwdc26](https://phiture.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Screenshot-
2026-06-09-at-11.14.25-1024x642.png)

The new Asset Library of the App Store Connect now includes a product page preview
that shows how your visual assets (header, screenshots, app preview, in-app events)
appear on iPhone and iPad across different sizes and product pages. Useful for catching
layout issues before anything goes live.

![wwdc26](https://phiture.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Screenshot-2026-06-09-at-
11.23.13-1024x760.png)

### **App Store Search Results**

You can now choose which visual assets appear in organic keyword search results,
including the header asset. The creative a user sees when they search for a term
relevant to your app can be tailored to that context, rather than the default assets
Apple pulls from your existing screenshots and app preview.

![wwdc26](https://phiture.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Screenshot-2026-06-09-at-
11.17.56-1024x809.png)

### **Custom Product Pages (CPPs)**

Two updates. First, CPPs now support the header visual, so a custom page can have
a different hero asset from your main product page. Second, Apple has enhanced their
deep linking feature on CPPs, which lets you route users directly to a specific 
section of your app after installation. For teams running web-to-app campaigns, 
this helps ensure the post-install experience aligns with what was promised in the
ad or on the landing page.

![cpp wwdc26](https://phiture.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Screenshot-2026-06-
09-at-11.13.32-1024x587.png)

### **Apple Ads**

Creative Assets work in paid placements too. According to Apple’s[ Creative Assets for ads guide](https://ads.apple.com/app-store/h/help/design-your-own-ads-with-creative-assets),
you can select specific assets for Search ads and Today Tab ads, and since everything
lives in the same Asset Library, paid and organic creative can be managed together.

Before, the Today Tab ads portrayed an _animated _display of the different CPP visuals,
without an option to select one specific visual to optimize the Conversion Rate 
of your ads strategy.

### ⌊wwdc26⌉⌊wwdc26⌉

### **Product Page Optimization (PPO)**

Two changes. First, you can now preview assets before launching a test, saving time
that would otherwise be spent running a test just to spot a rendering issue. Second,
the header is now a testable element in PPO. Previously, you could test screenshots,
app previews, and the icon; the header was fixed. Now it’s included, which gives
you another variable to experiment with for conversion rate.

## ⌊wwdc26⌉⌊wwdc26⌉

## **Workflow Implications**

The most practical change in this update is decoupling asset submission from app
releases. The old process: identify a creative change -> design produces assets -
> assets go into the next app submission -> engineering submits a build -> Apple
reviews the build -> update goes live. Every creative refresh consumed engineering
time and was tied to the release calendar. The new process specifically excludes
engineering from asset changes. You submit assets to the Asset Library, App Review
approves them, and they go live. That makes it easier to respond to seasonal moments,
coordinate with Apple Ads campaigns, or follow up quickly on PPO test results without
waiting for the next app version. 

![WWDC26](https://phiture.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Screenshot-2026-06-09-at-
11.23.24-1024x769.png)

The reuse capability also simplifies things if you manage multiple CPPs. Instead
of uploading the same assets separately for each page, you upload them once to the
library and pull them across pages and In-App Events.

 

## **Apple Intelligence and Siri**

### **App Intents and SiriKit**

Apple issued a formal deprecation notice for SiriKit at WWDC26, with App Intents
now the framework for connecting your app to Siri, Spotlight, Shortcuts, and other
system surfaces. SiriKit apps still compile and run for now, but they’ll show deprecation
warnings. Apple has indicated a support window of roughly two to three years.

App Intents allows Siri to call into specific functions of your app even when the
user hasn’t opened it. Apps without App Intents integrations won’t show up in Siri
interactions that chain actions across apps. That’s not an emergency today, but 
it’s worth planning for if you have SiriKit code that needs to be migrated.

### **The New Siri Experience**

In iOS 27, Siri is now called Siri AI and appears as a bubble in the Dynamic Island.
It draws on a semantic index of the user’s personal data, including emails, files,
photos, and calendar, to answer contextual queries. There’s also a standalone Siri
AI app for longer chat-style conversations with follow-up questions.

![wwdc26](https://phiture.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Screenshot-2026-06-09-at-
14.51.35-1024x467.png)

The scope of what Siri AI can access goes beyond just triggering app actions. Developers
can now choose to expose content from within their app through the new index, meaning
Siri AI can read and interact with actual in-app content, not just launch features.
Apple demonstrated this with a messaging app in which a user asked Siri questions
about specific messages and replied directly through Siri, without opening the app
at all. If this gets widely adopted, it could reduce how often users open apps directly,
since they can access content through the assistant instead.

 

![wwdc26](https://phiture.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Screenshot-2026-06-09-at-
13.49.15-1024x909.png)

For app developers, the main implication is App Intents: apps that expose their 
core actions and content through the framework can be surfaced directly by Siri 
AI. Apps that don’t are harder to reach through that surface.

One important caveat: Siri AI will not be available in the EU at launch due to the
EU Digital Markets Act ([more info](https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2026/06/due-to-dma-siri-ai-delayed-in-eu-for-ios-27-and-ipados-27/))

### **Privacy**

Apple’s AI stack uses on-device processing where possible, with Private Cloud Compute
for heavier tasks. WWDC26 added privacy manifest APIs that let developers declare,
per intent, whether a Siri interaction is allowed to go to the cloud or must stay
on-device. For apps handling sensitive data, that’s a new control worth knowing 
about.

 

## **7.  Apple In-App Purchase and StoreKit Updates**

### **Streamlined Apple In-App Purchase submission**

Apple is improving the In-App Purchase submission workflow in App Store Connect.
Instead of submitting IAPs one by one, teams will be able to group multiple In-App
Purchases, including subscriptions, into a single submission. IAP submissions can
also be combined with related review items such as In-App Events, custom product
pages, and PPO tests, with status and App Review messages managed in one centralized
view. Support for App Store Connect web and the App Store Connect API is coming 
later this summer.

### **Retention Messaging**

A new Retention Messaging feature lets subscription apps show cancellation-stage
messaging that reminds users of the subscription value and can include a special
offer. This is especially relevant for lifecycle, CRM, and monetization teams because
it adds an App Store-native save flow without adding extra friction to cancellation.
Apple says Retention Messaging is coming this fall.

### **Subscription Bundles and Suites**

Apple is adding Bundle and Suite options for auto-renewable subscriptions. Bundles
let users purchase access to multiple subscriptions in a single subscription. Suites
let developers sell a set of subscriptions together when those subscriptions are
not available standalone. This could matter for publishers, fitness apps, education
products, multi-app ecosystems, and products with tiered access models. More information
on requesting Bundle and Suite functionality is expected later this summer.

### **Group Purchases and Volume Purchasing**

Apple is introducing Group Purchases and Volume Purchasing for subscriptions. Group
Purchases let one subscriber buy multiple seats and invite others, with Apple handling
the invitation flow. Volume Purchasing makes subscriptions available to enterprise
and education buyers through Apple School Manager and Apple Business, with seat 
management handled through existing device and identity workflows. Apple says Volume
Purchasing subscriptions are coming this fall, while Group Purchase options are 
coming later this year.

### **Monthly subscriptions with a 12-month commitment**

Apple has added monthly subscriptions with a 12-month commitment. Users pay monthly,
but commit to a 12-month term, with visibility into completed and remaining payments
in their Apple Account and renewal reminders from Apple. Apple says this is available
now on iOS 26.4, iPadOS 26.4, macOS Tahoe 26.4, tvOS 26.4, and visionOS 26.4 or 
later, except in the United States and Singapore.

 

## **iOS 27 and iPadOS 27**

iOS 27 is a stability and performance release. Apple focused on CPU scheduling and
resource management rather than feature additions. Swiping between Home Screen pages
and importing images in Photos are specifically called out as faster. Apple is maintaining
compatibility with all iPhones running iOS 26.

Apple Intelligence is integrated across iOS 27, with on-device models coordinating
with Private Cloud Compute. A semantic index from Spotlight provides the system 
with personal context, and App Intents allow it to act within apps.

iPadOS 27 brings a rebuilt Spotlight indexing backend, file transfers in Files reportedly
up to five times faster, and Apple Intelligence running on Google’s Gemini models.
Image Playground can generate realistic images using photos from your library, and
Shortcuts can now be created from natural-language prompts.

Parental Controls got an update: Screen Time has a redesigned interface, easier 
child account setup, more granular controls for app and website access, and new 
Time Allowances. Communication Safety now covers gore as well as nudity. Worth checking
if your app targets younger audiences or families, since those controls affect what’s
accessible.

## ⌊wwdc26⌉⌊wwdc26⌉

## **macOS 27 “Golden Gate”**

Intel support is dropped. macOS 27 requires Apple Silicon. Rosetta 2 remains for
running Intel-compiled apps but will be removed in macOS 28. If you have a Mac app
still supporting Intel, that’s a one- to two-year runway before the translation 
layer goes away.

Siri is now accessible via Spotlight. Typed prompts in Spotlight route to the AI-
driven Siri, which handles personal data queries and follow-up questions. The same
App Intents logic applies on Mac: apps with integrations can be surfaced there too.

macOS 27 is otherwise a quality-of-life update, with Liquid Glass refinements, performance
improvements, and Apple Intelligence integration, without a major redesign.

 

## **watchOS 27 and visionOS 27**

watchOS 27 is primarily a maintenance release focused on bug fixes and performance.
Better heart-rate tracking algorithms are expected. The Modular Ultra watch face
is expected to be available on non-Ultra Watch models. AI features introduced in
watchOS 26, like Workout Buddy and live translation, are expected to expand when
paired with an iPhone. visionOS 27 adds a 3D Siri widget you can place in your visionOS
environment and activate by looking at it, no wake word needed. Panoramic photos
can be turned into immersive 3D surroundings. Spatial Reframing lets users adjust
spatial photos with AI filling in missing areas. Accessibility updates include eye-
tracking control for powered wheelchairs and AI-generated subtitles.

 

## **What to Act on First**

Start thinking about Creative Assets before iOS 27 ships. The header is a new placement
that can carry different content from your screenshots. If your screenshots do double
duty as branding, this lets you separate those jobs. Worth getting design involved
early since these are net-new assets, not repurposed ones.

Check your CPPs if you’re running web-to-app. Deep-linking from CPPs means you can
now make the post-install experience more consistent with your campaign creative.
If there’s a gap between what your ads promise and what users see first when they
open the app, that’s worth closing.

Plan around independent asset submission. The ability to refresh store creative 
without an app release changes when and how often you can run updates. Seasonal 
windows, Apple Ads coordination, quick PPO follow-ups: all of these are easier when
creative and engineering releases are decoupled.

Add header testing to your PPO queue. The header is now testable. If you run regular
PPO tests, this is a new variable to fold in.

If you have SiriKit code, start mapping the App Intents migration. It’s not urgent
today, but Apple has started the deprecation clock, and documentation is now available.

 

## **FAQ**

#### Do Creative Assets replace screenshots?

No. Screenshots and app previews stay as they are. Creative Assets are additional:
a separate type for the header and search results that doesn’t need to match your
screenshots.

#### When will Creative Assets be available?

Developer betas of iOS 27 and iPadOS 27 are live now. The public rollout is expected
with the iOS 27 release this fall. Early betas can be unstable, so production use
should wait for the stable release.

#### Can Creative Assets be used on CPPs?

Yes. They work with Custom Product Pages and PPO, so you can use them across both
custom and default product pages.

#### Can I use Creative Assets in Apple Ads?

Yes. You can select specific Creative Assets for Search ads and Today Tab placements.
Apple’s guide on [designing ads with Creative Assets](https://ads.apple.com/app-store/h/help/design-your-own-ads-with-creative-assets)
covers the setup.

#### Can I test the header in PPO now?

With the iOS 27 update to PPO, yes. The header is now an available test element 
alongside screenshots, app previews, and the icon.

#### Do I need to submit a new app version to update Creative Assets?

No. You submit assets to the Asset Library for App Review independently of an app
update, and update the listing once they’re approved.

#### What’s in the Asset Library?

Screenshots, app previews, Creative Assets, marketing media, and videos, organized
across platforms, sizes, and placements. Assets can be reused across CPPs and In-
App Events without re-uploading.

#### What is App Intents and why does SiriKit deprecation matter for growth teams?

App Intents is the framework that lets Siri AI, Spotlight, and Shortcuts call into
functions of your app. Apple deprecated SiriKit at WWDC26, making App Intents the
only path for Siri AI to interact with third-party apps going forward. If your app
has SiriKit integrations, they’ll still work for now but will need to be migrated
within a few years.

#### Does this apply to iPad too?

The Creative Assets and Asset Library changes apply to iOS 27 and iPadOS 27. Apple
Intelligence and App Intents apply across iOS, iPadOS, and macOS 27.

#### Does macOS 27 support Intel Macs?

No. macOS 27 requires Apple Silicon. Rosetta 2 stays for Intel app compatibility
in macOS 27 but will be removed in macOS 28.

#### Is Siri AI available in the EU?

No. Siri AI will not be available in the EU at launch  due to the EU Digital Markets
Act

Table of Contents

 * [Creative Assets: Header](https://phiture.com/blog/wwdc26-updates/#creative_assets_header)
 * [The Asset Library](https://phiture.com/blog/wwdc26-updates/#the_asset_library)
 * [Personalized Collections](https://phiture.com/blog/wwdc26-updates/#personalized_collections)
 * [Placements: What Changed Where](https://phiture.com/blog/wwdc26-updates/#placements_what_changed_where)
 * [Workflow Implications](https://phiture.com/blog/wwdc26-updates/#workflow_implications)
 * [Apple Intelligence and Siri](https://phiture.com/blog/wwdc26-updates/#apple_intelligence_and_siri)
 * [7.  Apple In-App Purchase and StoreKit Updates](https://phiture.com/blog/wwdc26-updates/#7_apple_in-app_purchase_and_storekit_updates)
 * [iOS 27 and iPadOS 27](https://phiture.com/blog/wwdc26-updates/#ios_27_and_ipados_27)
 * [macOS 27 “Golden Gate”](https://phiture.com/blog/wwdc26-updates/#macos_27_%e2%80%9cgolden_gate%e2%80%9d)
 * [watchOS 27 and visionOS 27](https://phiture.com/blog/wwdc26-updates/#watchos_27_and_visionos_27)
 * [What to Act on First](https://phiture.com/blog/wwdc26-updates/#what_to_act_on_first)
 * [FAQ](https://phiture.com/blog/wwdc26-updates/#faq)