One update, both stores, no rewriting
Shipping a mobile update means writing release notes twice — once for the App Store and once for Google Play, each with different length limits and conventions. This builder takes a single set of features and fixes and produces a properly formatted note for each store, with live character counts so you never get rejected for overflowing the field.
How it works
You enter the app name, version, and tone, write a short What’s New headline, and list new features and bug fixes one per line. The builder constructs two outputs from the same input. The iOS version uses a tone-matched intro, bullet-pointed features, a separate bug-fixes section, and a polite rating nudge, fitting the App Store’s generous 4000-character field. The Android version is compact and plain — leading with the version number — to fit Google Play’s 500-character limit, and the tool warns you when you exceed it. Each store gets a copy button so you paste the right text into the right console.
Tips and example
- Lead with the single change users care about most, for example
Faster exports and a fresh dark mode, not a laundry list. - Keep Google Play notes tight; if the counter goes red, cut the least important fix line.
- Match tone to category —
professionalfor a banking app,playfulfor a game. - Reuse the same notes as your in-app “What’s New” screen so messaging stays consistent.
Why store-specific formatting matters
The App Store and Google Play handle release notes very differently in the review pipeline and in the UI presented to users.
iOS App Store shows “What’s New” prominently on the app’s product page and in the updates tab, where it is visible before the user taps to install. Apple’s review team reads your notes and can reject updates that contain promotional language, pricing, or calls to rate the app phrased as demands. The 4000-character allowance is generous — but exceeding it causes a hard rejection at submission time, not a warning. A polite, soft rating nudge (“Love this app? We’d appreciate a quick rating”) is allowed; “Please rate us 5 stars” is not.
Google Play surfaces “What’s new” on the store listing and inside the app’s page in the Play Store. The 500-character limit is strict — not a soft suggestion — and the plain-text field renders without Markdown, bullet characters, or formatting tags. Breaking the character limit causes the upload to fail via the Play Console or the bundletool upload API.
Character count comparison
| Store | Character limit | Formatting | Review scrutiny |
|---|---|---|---|
| iOS App Store | 4,000 | Plain text, minimal formatting | Moderate |
| Google Play | 500 | Plain text only | Low |
What belongs in release notes vs. what does not
Include: new features the user will notice, fixed bugs that were causing visible problems, performance improvements that affect everyday use.
Leave out: internal refactors, build-system changes, code cleanup, dependency updates (unless they resolve a security issue users care about), and vague filler like “various improvements.” Users skim release notes looking for one reason to update now — make it easy to find.