AI Apps & $6B Trends: What’s REALLY Working in 2026

Testing a one-time in-app purchase priced under $5 as a tripwire alongside the subscription paywall, on the idea (borrowed from Hily) that people who pay a little are more likely to pay more later. Suggested ladder given to an audited app: if the user dismisses the subscription paywall, offer a small bundle (e.g. 5 items for $5, a dollar each); if they decline that, offer free credits for watching an ad.

At the end of the dating-app onboarding, instead of a subscription paywall, show a one-time purchase: 'Boost your profile, 10x your profile visits', $3 one time. Rationale: a small first payment makes people more likely to pay more later.

The app already ranked well for a target keyword. Created an App Store custom product page for that keyword on the organic side, so people searching it see a different screenshot set (the screenshot for that feature moved to the front). Steve says custom product pages work for both organic (ASO) and Apple Search Ads.

App grew by running only ASO and Apple Search Ads, without Meta or other paid channels. Steve recommends the same for low-priced apps (e.g. a habit tracker), while avoiding very competitive keywords like 'habit tracker'.

Instead of competing in the saturated US, clients and friends of the host advertised only in Brazil; another client focused only on the Thai market.

For the company's own small products: launch with a free model first; at a certain point work with smaller up-and-coming KOLs (not top ones), or have the founder act as the content creator; list on Product Hunt to gather votes and reviews; add paid ad campaigns once funds or investment are available. Don't rely on one approach.

Ad layout where a creator/KOL talks in one half of the screen (top or bottom) while the other half shows the app in use. Perplexity's top creatives use it (e.g. 'I just deleted ChatGPT and Claude and Gemini and Grok...').

Frame the ad around earning money. Example from Vidia's top creatives: '16-year-old kids making $10,000 a month with AI ad spots and promo clips? ... Open the Vidia AI app, select the effects and photo you want, and tap Generate.'

Among AI apps running web-to-app, most are chat and search-engine apps, and they mostly use Google search campaigns because the product interface fits search. Funnels built with tools like Web2Wave.

Ads land on a web page instead of the store. The page is a questionnaire/quiz (age, weight, etc.); after collecting the answers it generates a personal plan or recipe, and to see more the user is directed to download the app.

Perplexity started paid campaigns in May 2024 and pushed its campaign to a peak in September-October 2025, the same time it made the top 100 AI app list, pairing paid ads with the good news.

Ad targeting by region: United States first, then India and Brazil, chosen for large populations, low CPI and young users who can be educated to pay.

Creator on camera: 'I just deleted ChatGPT and Claude and Gemini and Grok... Four apps, four logins, four subscriptions, and still no clarity. Perplexity reads the entire internet in under a second to give you one answer and with verified sources.' Another top creative is a podcast-style clip debating whether splitting the bill on a first date is a red flag, resolved by 'let me ask Perplexity'.

Ad opens with something bizarre and unexpected to stop the swipe (first-three-seconds rule), then the second half demonstrates the app's usage scenario. Its other top creatives are AI-generated ('Only photos? That's boring...') and a money-making angle. ~80% of its creatives ran on iOS; top regions US, Philippines, UK.

Ads built around a holiday (one for St. Patrick's Day, one for Easter). The Easter ad: a small-business owner who is 'apparently the Easter marketing department' has Canva's AI make the whole Easter campaign. Guest says AI content-creation apps combine especially well with festival themes.