To check an app name, search the App Store and Google Play in each target country, then confirm the proposed name in App Store Connect and investigate relevant trademark rights. The free app name checker lets you choose a store and one of ten countries per check. A public-search result is a discovery check, not a reservation or legal clearance.
Each check answers a different question: what people can find, what the store will accept, and whether you have the right to use the name. Complete all three before investing in the final branding.
Why "Is This Name Taken?" Has Three Different Answers
An app name lives in three separate systems, and each can block you independently:
- Store search (discovery): what users can find today. If another app already owns the name in search results, people may confuse it with yours even when the store accepts the title.
- App Store Connect (availability, iOS only): Apple's uniqueness rule is enforced here, and it covers reserved names too — names held by apps that haven't shipped yet and are invisible to store search.
- Trademark registers (legal): a name absent from both stores can still be someone's registered mark. Apple's guideline 5.2 and Google Play's impersonation policy both reject apps that ride a known brand's name.
Step 1: Search the Stores
Start with the discovery layer, to spot names already associated with another product. Type the name into the free app name checker, pick the store and country, and read the verdict:
- Exact match: a returned app uses that title. Investigate the conflict and check availability in the relevant store console.
- Close matches: returned titles contain similar wording. This can create confusion even if a console accepts the proposed name.
- Clear: no matching title was returned by the check. Continue with the console and rights checks; unpublished iOS names may already be reserved.
Check your top two or three markets, not just the US: names collide differently per storefront, and a name that's clear in English markets can be taken in Japan or Brazil.
Step 2: Confirm the Name in App Store Connect
Apple checks name availability in App Store Connect for each localization. Public store search cannot reveal all reserved or unpublished names. Use the exact name and localization in the app-record flow for the authoritative availability check. Apple app-record guidance.
- Check the exact proposed name. A brand-plus-descriptor title is a different string, but adding a descriptor does not resolve trademark rights or guarantee acceptance.
- Console acceptance has a limited scope. Creating an app record checks the proposed name; it does not grant rights to another company's brand.
Google Play can contain duplicate or similar public titles. That does not remove its impersonation and intellectual-property requirements or the risk of confusing users. Google impersonation policy.
Step 3: Clear the Trademark Layer
Check trademark databases for the markets you plan to serve, including similar wording and related goods or services. Registry searches alone may miss relevant rights; for a name central to your business, obtain a qualified clearance review. The USPTO explains the broader clearance process.
What to Do When the Name Is Taken
If a name conflicts with another product, consider a distinct alternative. A descriptor can clarify an original brand, but should not be used to disguise a confusingly similar name. These are illustrative naming patterns to check, not guaranteed available names:
- Name: Keyword — "Drift: Habit Tracker" (an illustrative brand-plus-purpose pattern)
- Name — Category — "Drift — Daily Routines"
- Modifier + Name — "Get Drift", "Drift HQ", "Drift Go"
Choose a descriptor that accurately explains the app and uses language your audience understands. Apple identifies the title among its relevance inputs, but publishes no universal field-weight formula. Use the title guide to compare readable options.
After the Checks, Draft the Listing
Once you have checked discovery, console availability and rights, draft the remaining listing around the app's actual purpose. AppDrift's metadata generator can prepare drafts within field limits. Its rejection checker flags potential issues; it cannot reserve a name, provide trademark clearance or guarantee review approval.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I check if an app name is taken for free?
Use AppDrift's free app name checker. It runs a live App Store or Google Play search for the name in any of 10 countries, reports exact and close title matches, and requires no sign-up. For iOS the authoritative confirmation is reserving the name in App Store Connect.
Do App Store app names have to be unique?
Apple checks name availability for the relevant localization in App Store Connect. Public search alone cannot confirm availability, and acceptance does not establish trademark clearance.
Can two apps have the same name on Google Play?
Yes. Google Play does not enforce unique app titles, so multiple apps can share a name. The practical concern on Android is discoverability: if established apps already use the name, your app competes with them in search and users may install the wrong one.
Does checking the store also check trademarks?
No. A store search shows what's live on the App Store and Google Play; trademarks live in separate registers. A name can be absent from the stores and still be trademarked. Search the USPTO (US) and EUIPO (EU) before committing — a name confusingly similar to a known brand risks rejection under Apple's guideline 5.2 or Google Play's impersonation policy.
What if my app name is taken?
Consider a distinct brand or descriptor, then repeat the store-console and rights checks. Adding a keyword to a conflicting name does not guarantee availability or remove confusion.
