App store copy has several jobs at once: search relevance, conversion, policy compliance and product clarity. The tightest fields, especially app names and short descriptions, force hard decisions. Count them before design review, localisation and release submission.
Use the privacy-first character counter while you edit. Your text stays in the browser, and the limit bars give a quick check before you paste copy into a publishing tool.
The fields teams forget
Apple app names are commonly planned around 30 characters. Google Play titles are commonly planned around 50 characters. Those fields are short enough that every separator, brand suffix and descriptive phrase competes for space. A name that works on a website may not fit either store.
Short descriptions matter because they appear close to the install decision. Google Play gives a short-description field around 80 characters. Apple has subtitle and promotional text fields with their own limits. Treat these as conversion copy, not spare metadata.
Long descriptions allow more room, but the opening still matters. The first visible lines should say who the app is for, what it does and why it is different. Store visitors do not read a full description before deciding whether the page feels relevant.
Write names with a hierarchy
Start with the brand or product name, then add the clearest category phrase if there is room. "Ledgerly: Invoice Tracker" is stronger than "Ledgerly: The Simple and Friendly Tool for Managing Invoices". The short version gives search and meaning without looking crowded.
Avoid decorative punctuation in app names. Pipes, bullets and repeated separators use characters while making the field harder to scan. If a phrase does not improve search relevance or user understanding, move it into the subtitle, short description or screenshots.
Localisation changes length. A tidy 28-character English name can become much longer in German, French or Spanish. Count translated store fields before release freeze, not after the build is ready.
Descriptions need proof early
A weak short description says "The easy way to manage your work". A stronger one says "Plan shifts, approve swaps and message your team". The stronger line names three actions and gives the store visitor a mental picture of the product.
For long descriptions, put proof above the fold: number of templates, supported integrations, offline mode, privacy model, pricing boundary or target user. Do not open with a brand story unless the brand itself is the reason people install.
Use character counting to compare variants. A 78-character Google Play short description has no room for a second idea. If the line tries to serve beginners, admins and finance teams at once, split the promise or choose the primary audience.
Submission workflow
Create a store-copy table with field, limit, draft, count and owner. Include app name, subtitle, promotional text, short description and long description. This small table prevents release-day editing in the store console.
Check the exact store guidance before major releases because policies and field rules change. The limits in this guide are working numbers for planning, not a substitute for final platform review.
For sensitive launch copy, use a local browser counter while drafting. Unannounced features, pricing changes and competitor positioning should not be pasted into random tools when a client-side counter is enough.
Compare the same app in both stores
Take a simple task-management app. An Apple name might be "Northstar Tasks" with the subtitle "Plan work with your team". The Google Play title might be "Northstar Tasks: Team Planner" because the title field has more room. The long description can then explain assignments, reminders and reporting without forcing every keyword into the name.
This split is healthier than trying to make one exact phrase fit both stores. Apple and Google expose fields differently, and users scan them in different contexts. Count each field inside its own store plan. A phrase that is useful in the Google title may belong in the Apple subtitle instead.
When screenshots include text, count those strings too. Store artwork often carries claims, feature names and calls to action. If the screenshot copy repeats the title exactly, you may be wasting the most visible space on the page.
Localisation and release timing
App store copy often changes close to release because product scope, pricing or screenshots change. Leave time for counting after those edits. A late feature name can push a subtitle over its limit, and a translated description can overflow fields that were comfortable in English.
Ask translators to preserve meaning and field limits, not word-for-word structure. Give them the character limit in the brief and the reason for the field. "Short description, 80 characters, appears near install button" is more useful than a spreadsheet cell with no context.
Before submission, paste each final string into the counter, then into the store console. Record the accepted version. That record matters when the next release needs a small update under pressure.
A final store-copy checklist
Before release, check that the app name fits, the subtitle or short description adds new information, the opening of the long description names the user problem, and screenshots do not repeat the same line of copy. Count every visible string, including promotional text that may only appear for a short period.
Keep the approved counts with the release notes. Store copy is often revisited months later by a different person, and the old numbers explain why a phrase was chosen. They also show which fields have room for a seasonal message, new feature or pricing update without a full rewrite or rushed store-console edit later.