App Naming
Apps with names under 20 characters get ~40% more installs in 2026.
8-point naming checklist
Before committing:
- Brandable, not descriptive — "Vectra" beats "BestPhotoEditorApp"
- Memorable + spellable on first hearing — no unusual spellings, numbers, hyphens
- One or two syllables ideal
.comor.appdomain available — query 8 registrars at once via Namechk- USPTO clear in your filing class — Class 9 (downloadable software), Class 42 (SaaS) — pre-search at tmsearch.uspto.gov
- App Store name not taken — search App Store + Google Play
- No Apple-protected terms — "Apple," "iPhone," "iPad," "Apple Watch," "Mac," "App Store," "Siri," "Vision Pro," "AirPods", "Genius"
- Bundle ID reverse-DNS —
com.example.appname
2026 naming patterns that worked
Pattern A — "[Noun] AI" (Cal AI, Photo AI, HeadshotPro, Rizz AI, Plant AI)
Telegraphs "AI tool that does [obvious thing]." Apple algorithm indexes "AI" as high-volume keyword.
Pattern B — "[Verb]Fast / [Verb]Pro" (Marc Lou: ShipFast, LogoFast, CodeFast)
Short verbs + quality modifier. Each tool = separate domain so it ranks independently.
Pattern C — Single invented word (Linear, Notion, Bezel, Halide, Mela)
No built-in keywords, all brand. Long game — best with existing audience.
Default for indie without audience
Pattern A or B. Skip pattern C until you have distribution.
Free tools workflow (10 min)
- Namechk — domain + 50 social handles in one query
- Instant Domain Search — 8 registrars + pricing
- USPTO TESS — exact match + phonetic similarity in Class 9 + 42
- TMView — 70+ national/EU trademark offices
- App Store + Play Store search — direct in-store
When to pay trademark attorney
- Phonetic/visual collision with existing mark
- Filing 2+ classes
- Office Action received (~50% of applications get one; 44% of pro-se applicants fail to overcome it)
- Cost: $2,000-$3,500 flat fee or $300-$600/hr
Reference
references/04-discovery-listing.md


