The short answer
Don't release it the minute it's approved. Pick a launch day, two or three places to tell people and a way to see which one worked. Release on that day and reply to everyone. Then launch somewhere new each week for a month. Plan for a month of small days, not one big one.
When Squatoll went live on the App Store, I had a link, a dashboard and no idea what to do next.
This is what I'd do now, in order.
Should you release the moment it's approved?
No, if you can help it. App Store Connect lets you release a version manually, or automatically after a date you choose. Use that. It turns "Apple approved it at some hour" into a launch day you picked.
It also buys time for the one free thing Apple offers: featuring nominations. Apple asks for a minimum lead time of 3 weeks.
Already released? That's fine. Your launch day is the day you tell people, not the day the version went live. Nobody else knows the difference.
Where should you launch first?
Two or three places, picked for an iOS app. Not ten.
The Launch Map lists 32 of them, each checked against its own rules. They fall into four groups:
- Launch platforms. Product Hunt takes iOS apps, and its own guide says the URL can be a link to the App Store. A launch competes on the leaderboard for one day, so plan to be around all day to reply.
- Directories for indie iOS apps. An App Store link is usually all you need, and the page stays up after launch week.
- Communities. Subreddits and forums where developers may share what they made, each with its own self-promotion rules.
- Apple-focused press and newsletters. Only when you have a story they can test.
My rule now: one launch platform, one directory, one community, in that order, over the first week.
What should you post?
One post per place, written for that place. A Reddit post written like an X post usually lands badly.
Start with the problem the app solves, in the words of the person who has it. Then say what the app does about it. Then a screenshot or a short screen recording. Features come last, if at all.
And say you made it. People are kinder to "I built this" than to an anonymous announcement.
How do you know what worked?
Make a campaign link for each place before you post. App Store Connect builds them with a provider token and a campaign token, and its analytics then shows page views, downloads and sales for each campaign.
Without them, launch week shows up as one number and you learn nothing from it.
Keep two numbers apart: clicks to your App Store page, and downloads. Launch sites can count the first. Only App Store Connect counts the second.
When should you ask for ratings?
Later than you think. The system shows the rating prompt at most three times per app in a 365-day period. Spend those on people who've just done the thing they came for, not on someone who opened the app ten seconds ago. In SwiftUI, Apple's current way to ask is RequestReviewAction.
What do you do when it goes quiet?
It will. The first spike ends, and that's when it's tempting to stop.
Don't stop. Week two is when the rest of the Launch Map earns its keep:
- List the app on the directories you haven't used yet.
- Post in one community you skipped in week one.
- Rewrite your promotional text. Apple lets you change it any time without a new version.
- Make a custom product page for the place that sent the most interested people, with screenshots that answer what they asked about.
When is it worth launching again?
When the app has changed enough that someone who saw it once would want to see it again. Product Hunt draws the line at 6 months and a significant update, and says new UIs and pricing changes don't count. That's a fair test for anywhere.
What does the month look like?
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| 3 weeks or more before | Set the release to manual, nominate for featuring, make campaign links, write the posts |
| Day 1 | Release, post in your first place, reply to everyone |
| Days 2 to 7 | Your second and third places. Read the campaign data daily. Fix what breaks |
| Days 8 to 14 | Directories you haven't used, and one new community |
| Days 15 to 30 | Pitch a newsletter or press with a real story. Make a custom product page for your best channel. Write down what worked |
Where Launch Indie Apps fits
This month is what Launch Indie Apps was built for. A listing comes with launch posts written for each place (the Launch Kit), the Launch Map for weeks two to four, and Launch Reports at day 7 and day 30 that show which sources sent App Store clicks.
Do this today
Write down the date you'll tell people about your app and the first place you'll tell them. If App Review hasn't approved you yet, set the release to manual before it does.
Common questions
Should I release my iOS app as soon as it's approved?
Not if you can avoid it. App Store Connect lets you release manually or after a date you choose, so you can pick a launch day and nominate the app for featuring first. Apple asks for a minimum lead time of 3 weeks for featuring.
How often can I ask users to rate my app?
The system shows the rating prompt at most three times per app in a 365-day period, so ask after someone has done what they came to do.
Can I launch on Product Hunt again later?
Product Hunt allows a relaunch after 6 months with a significant update. It says new UIs and pricing changes don't count as significant.
Sources
- Select an App Store version release option, Apple Developer (checked October 16, 2026)
- Nominate your app for featuring, Apple Developer (checked October 16, 2026)
- Campaign links, Apple Developer (checked October 16, 2026)
- Ratings and reviews, Apple Human Interface Guidelines (checked October 16, 2026)
- RequestReviewAction, Apple Developer Documentation (checked October 16, 2026)
- Custom product pages on the App Store, Apple Developer (checked October 16, 2026)
- Creating your product page, Apple Developer (checked October 16, 2026)
- Preparing for launch, Product Hunt (checked October 16, 2026)
- Launch Guide, Product Hunt (checked October 16, 2026)
- Can I relaunch my product?, Product Hunt (checked October 16, 2026)
- Where to launch an iOS app, Launch Indie Apps (checked October 16, 2026)
A note from Rashem
This is the list I wish I'd had the morning after Squatoll went live. If that morning is today for you, start with the release setting and one place to post, and tell me how it goes at hello@launchindieapps.com.