Apple introduced App Store Short Links a few days ago, giving developers a way to promote their apps with easy to remember App Store URLs.

Provide a simple way for users to find your apps with easy-to-remember App Store Short Links. Using an AppStore.com URL that includes your app or company name, you can create links to a single app or all of your apps. These links are accessible worldwide and will automatically direct users to their country's respective App Store or Mac App Store.

As noted by CNET, the feature made its public debut during a Super Bowl commercial for the upcoming movie Star Trek: Into Darkness.

shortlinks
At the end of the commercial, there is a promotion for the film's companion app, directing viewers to AppStore.com/StarTrekApp. This link takes users to the app page in the App Store, functioning in the same way as the traditional itunes.apple.com link.

According to Apple's Developer notes, the vanity URLs will be assigned to apps when they are submitted to the iTunes App Store or the Mac App Store.

As Apple points out, the shortened links are ideal for developers who want to share an app in a print ad, a TV or radio spot, an app trailer, or on a billboard.

The simple domain names can be directed towards individual apps or all of the apps a company produces. In demand names that result in naming conflicts will result in a search page, so Apple is encouraging developers to create unique names for apps to prevent future problems.

Top Rated Comments

SockRolid Avatar
146 months ago
Apple: We couldn't trademark "App Store," but we got the DOMAIN!

Amazon: Dang. Is AppStoreWannabe.com available?
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Nightarchaon Avatar
146 months ago
just annoying to me, click on link, wait 20seconds, get told you cant access the site out side the USA,

and again apple, this is why the USA is the only market your number one in and all the others your losing out to Android.

Apples view of the world seems to follow the USAs sporting view of the world, i.e the world series, is USA only, not the actual, you know, WORLD. :rolleyes:
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
bbeagle Avatar
146 months ago

Apples view of the world seems to follow the USAs sporting view of the world, i.e the world series, is USA only, not the actual, you know, WORLD. :rolleyes:
We in the United States know there is another country besides the United States, therefore we include the other country in the world, Canada, in the 'World Series'.

Sheesh! And you thought the United States didn't have a world view. :D

By the way, the Baltimore Ravens won the 'World Championship' in football last night. Take that, Manchester United, Barcelona, Real Madrid, etc. etc. who didn't even make the championship game.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
The Phazer Avatar
146 months ago
Works in Canada...

Doesn't work in the UK.

Studio's fault of course, but bad business development work with Apple to partner with US only spots to show off the new feature. Which is not surprising after the failures to work well with others that were Passbook and Lightning.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
wonderspark Avatar
146 months ago
I hope I can follow that link to get the app for my Android phone. :p
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
lolkthxbai Avatar
146 months ago
I guess this is why Apple wanted to trademark "App Store" and prevent Amazon from using it. Maybe if they used this AppStore.com site before the case start, they may have that part of the lawsuit.
You know, I was thinking the same. Could this be used as a point to fight the trademark suit?
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iOS 18 Siri Integrated Feature

iOS 18 Will Add These New Features to Your iPhone

Friday April 12, 2024 11:11 am PDT by
iOS 18 is expected to be the "biggest" update in the iPhone's history. Below, we recap rumored features and changes for the iPhone. iOS 18 is rumored to include new generative AI features for Siri and many apps, and Apple plans to add RCS support to the Messages app for an improved texting experience between iPhones and Android devices. The update is also expected to introduce a more...
iGBA Feature

Game Boy Emulator for iPhone Now Available in App Store Following Rule Change [Removed]

Sunday April 14, 2024 8:06 am PDT by
A week after Apple updated its App Review Guidelines to permit retro game console emulators, a Game Boy emulator for the iPhone called iGBA has appeared in the App Store worldwide. The emulator is already one of the top free apps on the App Store charts. It was not entirely clear if Apple would allow emulators to work with all and any games, but iGBA is able to load any Game Boy ROMs that...
top stories 13apr2024

Top Stories: M4 Mac Roadmap Leaked, New iPads in Second Week of May, and More

Saturday April 13, 2024 6:00 am PDT by
Apple's hardware roadmap was in the news this week, with things hopefully firming up for a launch of updated iPad Pro and iPad Air models next month while we look ahead to the other iPad models and a full lineup of M4-based Macs arriving starting later this year. We also heard some fresh rumors about iOS 18, due to be unveiled at WWDC in a couple of months, while we took a look at how things ...
new best buy blue

Best Buy Opens Up Sitewide Sale With Record Low Prices on M3 MacBook Air, iPad, and Much More

Saturday April 13, 2024 7:41 am PDT by
Best Buy this weekend has a big sale on Apple MacBooks and iPads, including new all-time low prices on the M3 MacBook Air, alongside the best prices we've ever seen on MacBook Pro, iPad, and more. Some of these deals require a My Best Buy Plus or My Best Buy Total membership, which start at $49.99/year. In addition to exclusive access to select discounts, you'll get free 2-day shipping, an...
iGBA Feature

Apple Removes Game Boy Emulator iGBA From App Store Due to Spam and Copyright Violations

Sunday April 14, 2024 9:22 pm PDT by
Apple today said it removed Game Boy emulator iGBA from the App Store for violating the company's App Review Guidelines related to spam (section 4.3) and copyright (section 5.2), but it did not provide any specific details. iGBA was a copycat version of developer Riley Testut's open-source GBA4iOS app. The emulator rose to the top of the App Store charts following its release this weekend,...
iOS 18 Siri Integrated Feature

Apple's First AI Features in iOS 18 Reportedly Won't Use Cloud Servers

Sunday April 14, 2024 9:52 am PDT by
Apple's first set of new AI features planned for iOS 18 will not rely on cloud servers at all, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. "As the world awaits Apple's big AI unveiling on June 10, it looks like the initial wave of features will work entirely on device," said Gurman, in the Q&A section of his Power On newsletter today. "That means there's no cloud processing component to the...