The App Store shows a Simplified Chinese page as the main one in China and also reads it in Singapore and the US (Apple help, Oct 16, 2026). In China 57 of the 100 top-grossing apps are games, and half the names are 7 characters or shorter (Top Grossing, Oct 16, 2026). To sell in China, some apps need an ICP number, and games need an NPPA approval number.
Where a Simplified Chinese page shows
According to Apple's App Store localizations page (Oct 16, 2026), Simplified Chinese is the default language of one App Store storefront out of 175, China, and an additional language in 2 more (Singapore and United States).
Within China, Apple pairs the Chinese localization with English (U.K.). In AppTweak and Phiture's tests with made-up words, both localizations fed the country's search, while words from different localizations did not join into one query (AppTweak, Nov 21, 2025).
In the US, Simplified Chinese is one of 9 additional languages. According to tests by AppTweak and Phiture, words from such a localization reach US search (AppTweak, Nov 21, 2025), so a Chinese page also works for Chinese-speaking buyers in the US.
Who earns most on the App Store in China
On China's Top Grossing chart on Oct 16, 2026, the top places belong to 王者荣耀, 抖音 and 微信, and ChatGPT and YouTube are not in the top 100. 57 of 100 are games, 3 of them in the top ten. 89 list Chinese among their languages, and the other 11 list only English or nothing, though their names are Chinese.
Chinese names are short. Half of the 100 are 7 characters or shorter, and none reaches 28, such as “抖音” and “微信”. 98 names contain Chinese characters and only 2 are Latin-only. 20 separate the brand and a description with a dash or a colon, as in “QQ音乐 - 听我想听”.
| Rank | App | Category |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 王者荣耀 | Games |
| 2 | 抖音 | Entertainment |
| 3 | 微信 | Social Networking |
| 4 | 腾讯视频-沈腾携《现在就出发4》爆笑回归 | Entertainment |
| 5 | QQ音乐 - 听我想听 | Music |
| 6 | 剪映 - 抖音官方AI创作神器 | Photo & Video |
| 7 | 支付宝-你的AI生活伙伴 | Lifestyle |
| 8 | 三角洲行动 | Games |
| 9 | 和平精英 | Games |
| 10 | 爱奇艺-《伟大的长征》全景史诗 | Entertainment |
Source: chart Top Grossing, China mainland, Oct 16, 2026; languages iTunes Lookup.
What people search for on the App Store in China
We typed 9 common small-app topics into App Store search in China and saved 10 suggestions for each (Oct 16, 2026). Queries are short, a median of 4 characters. 免费 (free) appears in 7 of 90, 软件 or app in 7, and only 2 contain a space.
| Typed | Top App Store suggestions |
|---|---|
| 照片 photo | 照片, 照片处理工具, 照片拼图, 照片恢复, 照片压缩 |
| 视频 video | 视频聊天, 视频剪辑, 视频播放器, 视频交友, 视频转音频 |
| 翻译 translation | 翻译软件, 翻译, 翻译软件实时对话, 翻译器, 翻译-拍照翻译 |
| 睡眠 sleep | 睡眠监测, 睡眠监测免费, 睡眠记录, 睡眠小乖, 睡眠软件 |
| 减肥 weight loss | 减肥打卡, 减肥软件, 减肥打卡记录, 减肥食谱, 减肥日记 |
| 记账 expense log | 记账软件, 记账, 记账本, 记账本 天天记账, 记账软件免费 |
| 扫描 scanning | 扫描全能王, 扫描全能王免费版, 扫描王, 扫描, 扫描王免费 |
| 英语 English | 英语趣配音, 英语天天练, 英语流利说, 英语单词, 英语宝 |
| 健身 fitness | 健身, 健身记录, 健身计划, 健身打卡, 健身饮食 |
Source: App Store search suggestions, China mainland, Oct 16, 2026.
App Store search in China reads Latin input as pinyin. For “ai” it suggested 爱奇艺, 爱山东 and other names with the character 爱, read as ai, and none of the ten is about AI. In Japan, Korea and Taiwan the same two letters bring “aiチャット”, “ai채팅” and “ai聊天” (App Store suggestions, Oct 16, 2026).
App Store prices in yuan
China prices in yuan. $0.99 costs ¥8, $4.99 costs ¥38 and $9.99 costs ¥68 (App Store Connect, Oct 16, 2026). Little is withheld here, so ¥38 brings you ¥32.01, 84% of the price, close to the 85% in the US. In Singapore, where Simplified Chinese is an additional language, $4.99 costs S$6.98.
| Countries | $0.99 | $4.99 | $9.99 |
|---|---|---|---|
| China mainland | ¥8 you get ¥6.74 | ¥38 you get ¥32.01 | ¥68 you get ¥57.28 |
| Singapore | S$0.98 you get S$0.76 | S$6.98 you get S$5.44 | S$14.98 you get S$11.68 |
| United States | $0.99 you get $0.84 | $4.99 you get $4.24 | $9.99 you get $8.49 |
Source: App Store Connect, price points equal to $0.99, $4.99 and $9.99 in the US, Oct 16, 2026. Proceeds are for the Apple Small Business Program, 15% commission.
Proceeds are the price minus taxes and Apple's commission (App Store Connect Help). They are shown here for the Apple Small Business Program at 15%, and are lower at the standard 30%.
How to write the page in Simplified Chinese
- Name up to 30 characters, subtitle the same (App Store Connect Help). Half the top-grossing names in China are 7 characters or shorter, so the 30-character limit rarely gets in the way.
- Keywords, per Apple's help, up to 100 bytes, no names of other apps (Apple). In practice App Store Connect counts characters. For our app on sale it accepted Japanese keywords of 99 characters, 259 bytes in UTF-8 (checked Oct 16, 2026). A Chinese character takes the same three bytes in UTF-8 as a Japanese one.
- Keep “免费” out of the name and subtitle, since guideline 2.3.7 of the App Review Guidelines rules out pricing information in metadata.
- Apple has separate requirements for China. Some apps need an ICP Filing Number from China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, and the App Information page must match what was filed. Apple checks it against the Simplified Chinese localization, or the primary language if there is none (App Store Connect Help).
- Games for China need an NPPA approval number, apps with books and magazines need an internet publishing permit, and news apps a CAC permit (App Store Connect Help).
Where to start with a page for China
- Before translating, check whether your app needs an ICP number or an NPPA permit. According to Apple, Chinese law requires them from some apps to be available on the App Store in China.
- Keep the name short. The leaders' median is 7 characters, and 20 of 100 use a brand plus a description after a dash.
- Check words in Chinese characters. App Store search in China turns Latin input into pinyin.
- Do not repeat words across the Chinese and English localizations. Both reach search in China, but phrases are not built across localizations (AppTweak).
Appto builds a language plan by country, so Simplified Chinese for China and Traditional Chinese for Taiwan and Hong Kong are planned separately. Appto writes both pages against Apple's limits and asks for your yes before writing to App Store Connect.
Questions
How much is a $4.99 purchase on the App Store in China?
¥38 on Oct 16, 2026 (App Store Connect). You receive ¥32.01, 84% of the price, more than in Taiwan (79%) or Japan (77%) and slightly less than in the US (85%).
Which countries see a Simplified Chinese page?
It is the default only in China. Apple lists it as an additional language in Singapore and the US (Oct 16, 2026).
Do I need an ICP number for the App Store in China?
Some apps do. Apple says China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology requires an ICP Filing Number for some apps, and games need an NPPA approval number (App Store Connect Help).
How long should a Chinese app name be?
Half of the 100 top-grossing apps in China fit in 7 characters, and none uses 28 or more (Top Grossing, Oct 16, 2026).
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