Many people believe that you can launch your iOS game any time. All you need to do is have it ready and tested, and submit it to the App Store. But that’s not completely true if you want your app to take off. You shouldn’t overlook a significant marketing aspect of releasing a new game – determining the best time to release it.
Studies show that the best day of the week to release an app varies from category to category and there’s no general advice for all types of apps. This happens because different app categories attract different types of users. For example, business users typically go to the App Store during the week, whereas people looking for entertainment apps prefer the weekend.
Apple’s general guidelines suggest that the best day of the week to submit an app is Thursday because that’s when App Store’s featured list is updated. However, this is not true for all types of apps. Research done by SensorTower shows that game downloads and revenues are at their peak during the weekend. Downloads start rising on Friday, Saturday gets the most downloads and Sunday is slightly behind Saturday. This means that launching a game in time for the weekend gives you the best chances of getting the most downloads. The weekend is also the best time of the week to promote your game because that’s when your target audience is actively looking.
In addition to choosing the day of the week to launch your game, don’t forget that time of day also matters. The best time to launch depends on your target countries – if you’re launching for the USA, EST should be your reference time. And if you’re launching for Europe, Greenwich time is best for planning your release.
