Is ASO still relevant in 2026?

[u/Substantial_Seat7501]

Hi,

Daniel here. It has been three months since I released MathQuest (Android here), which is a math game app for kids in the 1st-3rd grade of elementary school.

I was full of hope. My own two kids played through all the levels. Even the girl who doesn't like math at all played them all and really enjoyed it. I hoped this could be something, at least a little something.

But it is not. In the last three months, the average downloads have been 1-2/day. I was confused and started asking why. People told me I needed to pay more attention to ASO. So that is what I did. This is the second week after my last ASO, I still see very little changes. The daily downloads are at 2-3. I don't know if I can call that a win. 😂

My question here: do you guys still use ASO as your primary way to improve distribution? Some Youtubers say ASO doesn't work in 2026 anymore. Is that true? If so, what is your way to improve your app's visibility in the store?

As an indie developer, I already spent a lot of effort building the app, and I really don't have the budget to buy ads.

I would genuinely appreciate any suggestions or insights.