Tracking changes with App Update Timeline

The App Update Timeline is your go-to tool for tracking and analyzing app version updates—whether you're monitoring your own release schedule or keeping tabs on competitors. In a landscape where timing and iteration can be key differentiators, this tool provides the historical context and visual clarity needed to optimize your update strategy.

Knowing how often a competitor updates—whether it’s every 2 weeks or every month—can help shape your own cadence. Apps in high-competition categories often release more frequently, either to stay relevant, fix issues, or respond to user feedback.

You can also detect strategic behaviors. For instance:

• Frequent minor updates may signal active A/B testing.

• Sudden large updates might precede major product announcements or seasonal campaigns.

• Gaps in the update history could indicate low development activity or a product pivot.

When paired with other ASO tools, such as Creative Monitoring or Keyword Tracking, the App Update Timeline becomes a powerful asset for holistic market analysis.

Let’s walk through how you can use it to your advantage.

How to use App Update Timeline

At the top of the page, search for the app you want to analyze. Once selected, it’ll show up in the view, along with its metadata and country settings. You’ll see the platform, category, version rating, and other basics.

Next, head to the upper right corner and choose your timeframe. Let’s say you're looking at Q1 2025 through May—set the range from January 1 to May 29, 2025.

Now the timeline view will populate with dots, each representing an app update during that period. Each row is an app, and each green dot marks a release day.

On the right-hand side, “All update types” is selected by default. Click the filter to choose from 11 specific update types (icon, screenshots, version release, price change, and more). 

Now, take a look at the grid below. You’ll see each day in your chosen range appears as a row; apps are listed in columns. A green lightning icon marks any day an update occurred. Hover over a dot to see a quick summary of what changed, perfect for spotting seasonal tweaks or aggressive burst activity. 

For example, on March 27, if you hover over the icon, you’ll see that an update was released with a version or size change.

Scroll down to the Updates section. Here, every update is listed with:

• The exact date

• Whether it involved a version change, a size change, or something else

• The app’s version number

This view makes it super easy to see how often your competitors are updating and what kind of changes they’re making.

Click any entry to open a side-by-side before-and-after pop-up, showing exactly what was modified, whether it’s a minor metadata tweak or a full creative overhaul.

Before you go...

And if you need help or want to dive deeper into any part of this tool, just hit us up on live chat—we’re here to walk through it with you.