The only reliable way to check App Store name availability is to try to reserve the name in App Store Connect by creating a new app record; if the name is already in use, App Store Connect will not let you take it. Searching the App Store can hint at whether a name is used, but it is not authoritative, because Apple enforces uniqueness at the moment you create the app. In practice, two apps cannot have the exact same App Store name, since the name is reserved when the first app record is created. App names are limited to 30 characters, and the subtitle shown beneath the name is also limited to 30 characters.
Short answer
To check availability, create a new app record in App Store Connect and enter the name; Apple tells you immediately if it is taken. Per Apple's add a new app guidance, the app name is reserved when you create the record, so two apps cannot share the exact same name. There is no public name-checker, so reserving is the definitive test. Per Apple's app information reference, the name and the subtitle are each limited to 30 characters. Reserve a name early by creating the record even before the app is ready, and avoid names that infringe a trademark, which can cause a rejection.
How to check app name availability
The definitive check is to attempt the reservation in App Store Connect. Start creating a new app record, enter the name you want, and App Store Connect either accepts it or tells you it is unavailable. Because Apple reserves the name at that moment, this is the only authoritative way to know whether a name is free, and it doubles as the act of claiming it.
Searching the App Store first can be a useful hint but not a definitive answer. Seeing an app with your desired name suggests it is taken, and seeing none suggests it may be free, but the store search does not reliably reflect what App Store Connect will allow, and a name can be reserved without a live app using it yet. So treat a store search as a preliminary look and the App Store Connect reservation as the real test, since only the reservation reflects what Apple will actually let you claim.
Can two apps have the same name?
Not the exact same name. App Store Connect enforces uniqueness on the app name when you create the record, so once one app has reserved a name, another cannot take the identical name. This is why the reservation attempt is the true availability check: if the name were available, Apple would let you claim it, and if it is not, the reservation is refused.
Similar names, however, do coexist. Two apps can have names that are close but not identical, and many apps share common words, so the uniqueness rule applies to the exact name rather than to the general idea. If your preferred name is taken, a small distinct variation may be available, though you should still avoid anything that infringes a trademark or is misleadingly similar to another app, since that can draw a rejection separate from the availability question.
How to reserve a name
You reserve a name by creating the app record for it in App Store Connect, and you can do this before the app itself is finished. Creating the record with your chosen name holds that name for you, which is useful when you have settled on a name early and want to make sure no one else claims it while you build. You do not need a completed build to reserve the name this way, which is helpful when the naming decision comes long before the app is ready to ship.
Reserving early is worth doing when the name matters to you, because names are first-come. Once you create the record, the name is associated with your account, and you can proceed to prepare the rest of the app at your own pace. Just be aware that a reserved name is not held indefinitely if you never use it, which is the next thing to plan around.
Name and subtitle limits
The app name is limited to 30 characters, and it is the primary name shown on your product page and in search. The subtitle, a short line displayed beneath the name, is also limited to 30 characters and is meant to summarize the app concisely. Both are visible to users, so they carry real weight for how your app is presented and found.
Other nearby fields have their own limits worth knowing. The keywords field, which is not shown to users, allows up to 100 characters of comma-separated terms, and promotional text, which you can edit without submitting a new version, allows more room for a short marketing message. Keep the name and subtitle within their 30-character limits and make them accurate, since misleading names or subtitles are a metadata issue that can cause a rejection regardless of availability.
Names can expire
A reserved name is not held forever if you never use it. Apple can reclaim a name that has been reserved but not used within a period, so creating a record to hold a name and then abandoning it does not guarantee the name indefinitely. If keeping a specific name matters, plan to actually use it rather than reserving many names speculatively.
This also means a name that appears taken might become available again if the previous reservation lapsed or the app was removed, though you cannot rely on that timing. The practical takeaway is to reserve the name you intend to use when you are reasonably committed to it, and to move forward with the app, rather than treating reservation as a permanent hold you can leave idle.
Name rules at a glance
The naming and nearby fields have clear limits. The table below summarizes them.
| Field | Limit | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| App name | 30 characters | Unique, reserved when you create the record |
| Subtitle | 30 characters | Shown beneath the name |
| Keywords | 100 characters | Not shown to users, comma-separated |
| Promotional text | A longer short message | Editable without a new version |
Use the table to plan your listing. The name and subtitle are the visible, character-limited fields to get right first, and the name is the one whose availability you confirm by reserving it in App Store Connect.
Checklist
A short sequence secures an available name. The checklist below covers it.
| Check | Action | Done? |
|---|---|---|
| Check availability | Attempt to reserve the name in App Store Connect | [ ] |
| Confirm uniqueness | Verify the exact name is not already taken | [ ] |
| Length | Keep the name and subtitle within 30 characters each | [ ] |
| Trademark | Avoid names that infringe a trademark | [ ] |
| Reserve early | Create the app record to hold the name if it matters | [ ] |
The step that gives a definitive answer is attempting the reservation, since that is the only authoritative availability check. Confirm the exact name is free, keep it within the character limit, avoid trademark issues, and reserve it when you are committed to using it, since everything else follows from that one definitive check.
What to take away
- The only reliable availability check is attempting to reserve the name in App Store Connect, which either accepts it or tells you it is taken.
- Two apps cannot have the exact same App Store name, since the name is reserved when the first app record is created; similar names can coexist.
- Reserve a name early by creating the app record, even before the app is finished, if the name matters to you.
- The app name and the subtitle are each limited to 30 characters, and misleading names can cause a rejection separate from availability.
- App naming is metadata, not security; scan your build with PTKD.com for the security matters the name does not touch.
