App Name Checker
See if your app name is taken on the App Store or Google Play — a live store search in 10 countries, free, no sign-up.
Apple requires every App Store app name to be globally unique; Google Play doesn’t, but launching under a name other apps already use buries you in search. This checker runs the same search a real user would, tells you whether the exact name is taken, shows the close matches, and suggests title patterns that keep your brand word while staying unique.
A free name is step one — a ranking name is the goal
The 30-character name field is the strongest keyword slot you own. Once your name clears, AppDrift’s AI metadata generation builds the full listing around it — title, subtitle, keywords, and description, all within character limits — and keyword tracking watches how the name performs from day one.
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How app name availability actually works
The two stores treat names completely differently. On the Apple App Store, the name field must be globally unique — App Store Connect will reject a name another live or reserved app already holds. That uniqueness applies to the full string, which is why “Drift” can be taken while “Drift: Habit Tracker” is free, and why most successful apps use the brand-plus-descriptor pattern. On Google Play, names aren’t exclusive at all: anyone can publish under any title, so the real question is whether you can be found — our guide to app title optimization covers how the name field drives rankings on both stores.
A store search is the right first check because it mirrors what users see, but it has limits: reserved-but-unreleased iOS names don’t appear, and trademarks live in a different database entirely. Treat the checker’s verdict as the discovery answer, App Store Connect as the availability answer, and a trademark search as the legal answer. If your name passes all three, run the rest of your listing through the free App Store rejection checker before you submit.
Picking the descriptor half of the name is keyword research, not wordsmithing: the term after the colon should be something people actually search. Score candidates with the keyword difficulty checker and follow the full process in our app store keyword research guide.
Frequently asked questions
How do I check if an app name is taken?
Type the name into AppDrift's free app name checker, pick App Store or Google Play and a country, and it runs a live store search. If an app's title matches your name exactly, the name is taken in that storefront; if apps start with or contain your name, you'll see them listed as close matches. The definitive check for iOS is still reserving the name in App Store Connect — the store search covers what users can actually find.
Do App Store app names have to be unique?
Yes. Apple enforces globally unique app names — two apps cannot share the exact same name field on the App Store. That's why many apps append a descriptor after a colon or dash ("Name: Habit Tracker"): the full string is what must be unique. Reserving a name in App Store Connect holds it for you before launch.
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 question on Android isn't availability but discoverability: if established apps already use the name, your app will compete with them in search results and users may install the wrong one.
Is this the same as a trademark search?
No. This tool searches what's live on the App Store and Google Play — it does not search trademark registers. A name can be absent from the stores and still be trademarked (or vice versa). Before committing to a name, also search the trademark office in your key markets (USPTO in the US, EUIPO in the EU). Using a name confusingly similar to a known brand risks rejection under Apple's guideline 5.2 and Google Play's impersonation policy.
What makes a good app name for ASO?
The name field is the strongest keyword slot in the store's search algorithm, so the ideal pattern is a short, unique brand word plus a keyword descriptor within the 30-character limit — for example "Drift: Habit Tracker". The brand part makes you findable and ownable; the descriptor part ranks you for a real search term from day one.
Is this app name checker free?
Yes, completely free with no sign-up. It runs a live store search across 10 country storefronts on both the App Store and Google Play. If the name is taken, it also suggests name patterns that keep your brand word while making the full title unique.