---
name: ios-whats-new-release-notes
description: >-
  Write consumer-friendly App Store Connect "What's New in This Version" copy
  in every required store locale. Use when the user asks for What's New text,
  iOS release notes, App Store Connect copy, or help filling localised release
  fields. Prefer this skill over engineering changelogs for store paste.
---

# What's New release notes (App Store Connect)

Write **consumer-friendly** App Store Connect "What's New in This Version" copy for an iOS app. Output is ready to paste into App Store Connect or for a browser agent to fill when the console is open.

## When to use

- User asks for "What's New", iOS release notes, or version notes for a ship
- User is on App Store Connect localization dropdown
- User wants notes translated into store locales, not engineering changelog language

## Suggested layers

| Layer | Role |
|-------|------|
| Change source | Git log, PR, or ship summary |
| English draft | Canonical U.S. English (or your primary store language) |
| Locale table | Exact App Store Connect header strings for your app |
| Output file | `version-notes-{version}.md` (or equivalent) for paste / Chrome fill |

## Workflow

1. **Gather the real changes** — read `git log`, a PR description, or ask the user. Separate user-visible benefits from internal work.
2. **Draft English (U.S.) first** — 2–4 short sentences or 2–3 bullets. Benefit-led, plain language.
3. **Human quality gate (recommended):** light English review before localisation. The English is the product of the quality gate; everything else is a fan-out.
4. **Localize every required locale** — maintain a locale table with **exact** App Store Connect header strings for your app.
5. Write `version-notes-{version}.md` (or your chosen artifact name) using the output template below.
6. **Offer Chrome fill** — if the user wants automation, output locales in fill order and use exact ASC labels.

## Voice and rules

**Do:**

- Lead with what users feel or get ("Faster load", "Now in your language", "Smoother browsing")
- Keep each locale short when possible (ASC allows 4000 characters; target roughly ≤350 for readability)
- Use natural, idiomatic phrasing per language — not word-for-word calques from English
- If a single market uses a different public brand name, use that name in **that locale only**

**Do not:**

- Use engineering terms: iOS (as jargon), localization, locale, L10n, bundle, cache, API, feed, catalogue, strings, UI, dSYM, CocoaPods, refactor
- List internal market counts or ISO codes as the story
- Name programming languages or file types
- Copy identical text for regional Spanish/Portuguese pairs when a natural regional tweak is easy

## Turning technical changes into user copy

| Technical change | Consumer-friendly angle |
|------------------|-------------------------|
| Added languages / markets | "The app is now available in more languages, including …" |
| Region-specific content | "More picks tailored to your region" |
| Locale resolution / mapping | Omit — users do not see this |
| Playback / caching | "Content loads faster and plays more reliably" |
| Crash fix on navigation | "Fixed a crash when switching between sections" |

If a release is **only** localisation, focus on languages and regional content — not implementation.

## Output template

```markdown
# What's New in This Version - {version}

Copy each block into the matching App Store Connect field.

---

**English (U.S.)**
\`\`\`
{copy}
\`\`\`

**English (U.K.)**
\`\`\`
{copy}
\`\`\`

…repeat for every required locale…
```

- Header labels must match App Store Connect **exactly** (including punctuation and parentheses).
- One fenced block per locale — easy copy-paste and Chrome targeting.

## Locale list

Do not hardcode another app's ASC set. Maintain a table in **your** repo:

- **Core** locales always present for this app
- **Extended** locales only when enabled in App Store Connect for the version

## Chrome fill

When the user wants notes entered in App Store Connect via browser:

1. Confirm they are on **App Store Connect → Apps → [App] → iOS App → Version → What's New**.
2. Work top to bottom through the localization dropdown using your locale table.
3. For each locale: select → focus What's New → paste fenced content (no fences) → save before switching.
4. Use a browser automation MCP only if available and ASC is open; otherwise deliver the markdown file for manual paste.

## Quality check

- [ ] English reads like an App Store listing, not a commit message
- [ ] No banned engineering terms in any locale
- [ ] Market-specific brand names only where required
- [ ] Every required locale present with matching header spelling
- [ ] No locale exceeds 4000 characters
- [ ] Notes file written for the version

## Optional second pass

For languages you cannot read, a **second model** can surface translation queries only. It does not replace the English gate or your Accept before paste into ASC.

## Pairing

When the same version ships on Google Play, run the Android Play release-notes skill for Play XML, then reuse the approved English benefit story for iOS What's New (rewritten for ASC voice and locale headers).