The Appstore Lockdown – what you can expect
Every year there seems to be some confusion about the two things that occur during The Lockdown. Today we’re going to clarify those differentiations so you can rest at ease knowing what’s what.
1. iTunes App Store Freeze: This is when Apple ‘locks down’ the front-end App Store display on December 25th, which pauses the rank of all apps for almost 48 hours.
2. iTunes Connect Holiday Shutdown: Apple is also restricing access to iTunes Connect and putting any new apps or updates on hold during this ‘Power Week’. Apple has also indicated the shutdown will run from December 21st, to Friday, December 29th.
So what does this mean for you?
For iTunes Connect, it just means that Apple won’t accept new app submissions after the 21st (if an app is submitted after the 21st, it won’t be live until after the 29th). It also means, you’ll be unable to make any updates or pricing adjustments to existing apps during this time.
Seeing as all the charts will be frozen/locked in place, from a marketing stand point if you’re planning a short-term paid campaign, you’ll want to ensure that you drive your rank up as much as possible prior to the freeze. If the charts don’t get locked down, you’ll have to plan to spend more to maintain that position for an extra day or two.
Kevin is an Online and Mobile Marketing Strategist who has worked with companies of all sizes over the last 6 years. You can follow Kevin on any of the social platforms below.
