Bundle IDs explained: what to reserve before launch
The identifier you pick in Xcode and the Play Console is permanent once you publish. Choose it on purpose.
Every app has a unique identifier behind its display name. On iOS it is the bundle ID; on Android it is the application ID, usually called the package name. They look like reversed domains: com.yourcompany.yourapp.
Why they matter more than they look
- They must be unique. If a published app already uses an ID, you cannot.
- They are effectively permanent. Google Play does not let you change the application ID after publishing, and an iOS bundle ID cannot change after the first App Store release.
- Changing one later means shipping a new app and losing your ratings, reviews and installs.
The patterns people use
The three most common shapes are com.yourname.app, app.yourname and com.yourname. Renameproof checks all three on both stores: on iOS through Apple’s lookup API, and on Android by checking whether a Google Play listing exists for the ID.
A simple plan
- Pick the name and check it.
- Register the domain you will use in the ID, so the reversed-domain pattern is genuinely yours.
- Create the app record in App Store Connect and the Play Console early, even before you have a build.
Check your own name
Domains, both app stores, bundle IDs and every live site using the name, in under a minute.
Check a name