What's New from a changelog (2026)
You already have the facts in git. App Store Connect wants benefit-first bullets, under 4000 characters, with no raw ticket IDs unless your users care.
against App Store Connect app information (What's New field). Draft walkthrough: dev.to post #4 in queue.
Quick reference
| Field | Limit / rule |
|---|---|
| App Store What's New | 4000 characters; lead with user-visible changes |
| Google Play release notes | Similar tone; keep facts aligned with iOS |
| Git input | git log v1.2.0..HEAD --oneline — rewrite subjects, drop merge noise |
| Tone | "You can now…" / "Fixed…" — not ticket IDs or refactors |
Before you paste into App Store Connect
- Every bullet describes something a user can see or feel (not "refactored auth module").
- Character count ≤ 4000 (Connect truncates silently in previews).
- Play Store release notes tell the same story (wording can differ slightly).
- Remove internal codenames, commit hashes, and "misc improvements" filler.
- Proofread on a phone — most reviewers read What's New on mobile.
Manual recipe (5 minutes)
- Export commits since your last tag:
git log v1.2.0..HEAD --oneline - Group by user-visible theme (fixes, new feature, performance).
- Rewrite each line as "You can now…" or "Fixed…" — drop merge commits and refactors.
- Paste into App Store Connect → What's New. Keep Play Store "Release notes" in sync (similar length).
Example output shape
• Dark mode follows your system setting • Faster startup on older phones • Fixed crash when signing out offline
Automate the rewrite: ShipCopy takes a raw changelog and drafts What's New, markdown release notes, a launch post, and a meta description. Hybrid routing: on-device when Chrome supports Gemini Nano, cloud fallback via Firebase AI Logic.
Open ShipCopy →
Open ShipCopy →
Related guides: App Store screenshot sizes (6.5" / 2026) · Favicon not updating (cache bust) · Link preview / Twitter card size
On DEV: App Store screenshot sizes · Favicon cache fixes · ShipCopy tool · draft post #4 in shipcopy/posts/