I wanted to bring attention to an important issue that I’ve encountered since the merging of the stores, which I believe might be affecting more than just my app. After releasing an update to my app with the new metadata, I noticed a sharp decline in searchability—users can now only find my app by searching the exact name, whereas previously relevant keywords worked well in the search.
I've been in communication with Meta's Developer Support team, who have acknowledged the issue and are working on it internally. However, I felt it was important to raise this in the community because this may be affecting other developers, particularly those who rely on searchability for discoverability and revenue.
Here’s the situation:
Only exact-name searches return my app in search results, despite all keywords being properly entered and compliant with guidelines.
This issue arose immediately following the 5th August launch of the Meta Horizon Store.
Meta is aware of the problem but has not provided a concrete timeline for resolution or clear interim solutions.
If any of you are experiencing similar challenges, I think it’s crucial that we start a discussion. Discoverability is vital for every developer on the platform, and if this is a broader issue, we may need a more transparent approach from Meta, such as flagging it as a known issue.
In the meantime, if you’ve encountered this issue and found any effective workarounds (such as changes to app metadata, or modifications to Early Access settings), I’d be grateful to hear your thoughts.
Thanks for reading, and I look forward to hearing your thoughts and experiences.
I worked with tech support for the last 30 days or so, and got exactly nowhere with my questions and comments regarding searching for apps on the store.
However, I did some extensive testing on a Meta Quest headset and the Meta Horizon Mobile App, and here is what works, and what doesn't work, as of today:
Meta Quest Headset
Search apps using filters
Sort by price
Filter by genre
Show apps under $9.99
This search works and my app appears in the listing!
Meta Horizon Mobile App (iPhone, iPad, etc.)
Search apps using filters
Sort by price
Filter by genre
Show apps under $9.99
This filtered search returns exactly 1 app: Jungle Zoo Ocean…
Search apps using filters
Sort by price
Show apps under $9.99
This filtered search returns a small subset of available apps (my app does not appear)
Search apps using keywords
This search does not return apps with the specified keywords
Search apps using keywords
This search does not work, and apps do not appear using keywords (many developers on the meta forum are reporting this also)
Meta Horizon Mobile App Summary
Many apps are not discoverable using filters or keywords while using the Meta Horizon App on mobile devices.
