Overview
- .app is an abbreviation of "application" and functions as a generic top-level domain (gTLD) intended for applications, developers, publishers and related services.
- The string is also used as a filename extension in several operating systems and application bundle formats (GEM; NeXTSTEP/OPENSTEP/GNUstep/macOS/iOS/iPadOS; HarmonyOS app packages).
History
- .app was delegated to the DNS Root Zone on 02 July 2015 as part of ICANN's New gTLD Program.
- Registry: Charleston Road Registry Inc. (a Google entity) is listed as the registry operator.
- Contention for the string was resolved via an ICANN "auction of last resort" held in February 2015. Google won the auction with a bid of $25,001,000.
- The auction proceeds were directed into an ICANN fund for designated purposes.
Usage and Audience
- Target audience: app developers, publishers and companies offering application-related services.
- Some applicants (for example, Dot App Inc. / MacPaw) proposed restricting registrations to app developers and publishers, indicating a developer-focused use case among interested parties.
- The .app branding aligns with technology and software markets and is commonly chosen for app landing pages, distribution sites and developer portfolios.
Registration Rules
- The .app zone enforces mandatory HTTPS for all sites by inclusion on the HSTS preload list; websites in the zone must serve over TLS/HTTPS to function in browsers honoring the list.
- The contention set for the string required competing applicants to withdraw after the ICANN auction resolved ownership of the gTLD.
SEO and Brand Impact
- Security-first policy: making HTTPS mandatory for the entire .app zone (HSTS preload) prioritizes user security and may increase trust for visitors to .app sites.
- Google’s role as registry operator and the high-profile auction result have affected perception and visibility of the TLD within the tech and app communities.
- The GAC issued Early Warnings during the application process raising competition concerns about exclusive access to a broadly used generic string.
Notable Cases or Examples
- Google (Charleston Road Registry Inc.) won the ICANN auction for .app in February 2015 with a winning bid of $25,001,000.
- .app is the first gTLD to require HTTPS for all domains in the zone via HSTS preload; the entire .app zone has been added to the HSTS Preload List.
- Multiple organizations applied for .app during ICANN's new gTLD program, including Google, Amazon, Radix, Donuts, Top Level Domain Holdings and others; several applicants withdrew prior to the auction.
Operator
Charleston Road Registry Inc.
Whois
% IANA WHOIS server
% for more information on IANA, visit http://www.iana.org
% This query returned 1 object
domain: APP
organisation: Charleston Road Registry Inc.
address: 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway
address: Mountain View CA 94043
address: United States of America (the)
contact: administrative
name: TLD Admin
organisation: Google Inc.
address: 111 8th Avenue
address: New York NY 10011
address: United States of America (the)
phone: +1 404 978 8419
fax-no: +1 650 492 5631
e-mail: iana-contact@google.com
contact: technical
name: TLD Engineering
organisation: Google Inc
address: 76 Ninth Avenue, 4th Floor
address: New York NY 10011
address: United States of America (the)
phone: +1 404 978 8419
fax-no: +1 650 492 5631
e-mail: crr-tech@google.com
nserver: NS-TLD1.CHARLESTONROADREGISTRY.COM 2001:4860:4802:32:0:0:0:69 216.239.32.105
nserver: NS-TLD2.CHARLESTONROADREGISTRY.COM 2001:4860:4802:34:0:0:0:69 216.239.34.105
nserver: NS-TLD3.CHARLESTONROADREGISTRY.COM 2001:4860:4802:36:0:0:0:69 216.239.36.105
nserver: NS-TLD4.CHARLESTONROADREGISTRY.COM 2001:4860:4802:38:0:0:0:69 216.239.38.105
nserver: NS-TLD5.CHARLESTONROADREGISTRY.COM 2001:4860:4805:0:0:0:0:69 216.239.60.105
ds-rdata: 23684 8 2 3a5cc8a31e02c94aba6461912fabb7e9f5e34957bb6114a55a864d96aec31836
whois:
status: ACTIVE
remarks: Registration information: https://www.registry.google
created: 2015-06-25
changed: 2025-04-11
source: IANA
Registrars
