Apple's screenshot spec page lists 29 distinct portrait resolutions for iPhone and iPad, or 60 entries once you count landscape. That's our count of Apple's App Store Connect Help page on September 25, 2026. For most apps, two of those sizes matter. The rest is scaling.
The trouble sits around those two numbers. iOS sets get bounced by Google Play, and teams pour design hours into frames six to ten, which few visitors see. Here's every current spec for both stores, the traps behind most rejections, and seven practices graded by their evidence: the spec companion to the full conversion playbook.
Key Takeaways
- App Store: 1–10 portrait screenshots at 1320×2868 (6.9-inch iPhone), plus 2064×2752 for iPad. Apple scales both down (Apple, 2026).
- Google Play: 2–8 per device type at 1080×1920. Your iOS export fails Play's 2:1 cap.
- Storemaven (2021, 500M sessions): 60% of visitors never scroll past the First Impression. Design frames one to three as the ad.
Specs last verified against Apple and Google documentation on September 25, 2026.
What screenshot sizes does the App Store require in 2026?
In 2026, Apple lets you upload one to 10 App Store screenshots per device size in .jpeg, .jpg or .png. The images can't include alpha channels or transparency (Apple, App Store Connect Help: Screenshot specifications, 2026). For iPhone, make the 6.9-inch set: 1320×2868, 1290×2796 or 1260×2736 portrait, or the landscape equivalents. Apple scales it to every smaller iPhone.
So why do some guides still call 6.5-inch "required"? Apple attaches the requirement to the 6.5-inch row with a condition: "Required if app runs on iPhone and screenshots for 6.9" display aren't provided." Upload a 6.9-inch set and you've met it. Apple's advice is to "provide only the highest resolution screenshots required" when your UI is the same across sizes (Apple, Upload app previews and screenshots, 2026).
Design at 1320×2868, the largest accepted 6.9-inch size, so nothing gets upscaled. 1290×2796 still works; it's just smaller. Note the shape: every 6.9-inch size is about 2.17:1, which matters on Google Play. Then preview your frames in a real search card before you export all ten.
| Display | Example devices | Accepted portrait sizes | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6.9" | iPhone 18 Pro Max, Air, 17 Pro Max | 1320×2868, 1290×2796, 1260×2736 | Design here |
| 6.5" | iPhone 14 Plus, 11, XR | 1284×2778, 1242×2688 | Required only without 6.9" |
| 6.3" | iPhone 18 Pro, 17 Pro, 17 | 1206×2622, 1179×2556 | Optional; scaled from 6.5" |
| 6.1" | iPhone 17e, 16e, 14 | 1170×2532, 1125×2436, 1080×2340 | Optional; scaled from 6.5" |
| 5.5" | iPhone 8 Plus, 7 Plus | 1242×2208 | Optional; scaled from 6.1" |
| 4.7" | iPhone SE (2nd, 3rd gen), 8 | 750×1334 | Optional; scaled from 5.5" |
Legacy 4-inch and 3.5-inch rows also exist.
On September 25, 2026, we parsed Apple's spec page: 60 accepted iPhone and iPad resolutions. Removing landscape twins and one duplicate (2048×2732 sits under both 13-inch and 12.9-inch iPad) leaves 29 portrait sizes, two of them for iPhone Duo. We mapped every "scaled screenshots" note into the chain below.
Apple's screenshot scaling chain
What sizes do iPad, Mac, Apple TV, Vision Pro and Apple Watch need?
If your app runs on iPad, Apple requires a 13-inch set at 2064×2752 or 2048×2732 portrait, or the landscape versions (Apple, Screenshot specifications, 2026). Vision Pro takes 3840×2160, and Apple Watch must use the same size in every localization. Spatial apps have extra rules, covered in Vision Pro screenshots and previews.
| Platform | Accepted sizes | Requirement |
|---|---|---|
| iPad 13" | 2064×2752 or 2048×2732 portrait (or landscape) | Required if the app runs on iPad; scales to all smaller iPads |
| Mac | Four 16:10 sizes, 1280×800 to 2880×1800 | Required for Mac apps |
| Apple TV | 1920×1080 or 3840×2160 | Required for Apple TV apps |
| Apple Vision Pro | 3840×2160 | Required for Vision Pro apps |
| Apple Watch | One per family, e.g. 416×496 (Series 12, 11, 10) | Required for Watch apps; same size in every localization |
| iPhone Duo | 1398×2034 outer, 2007×2853 inner | Upload "later this year" |
| iOS 27 creative assets | Header 3840×1646; search asset 3840×2560 | Optional; "Coming this fall" |
The last two rows aren't shippable yet. As of September 25, 2026, Apple still says iPhone Duo upload support "will be available later this year" (see iPhone Duo's two-screen listing). Its What's New page marks iOS 27 creative assets "Coming this fall" (Apple, What's new in App Store, 2026). Once live, a search results asset takes over your screenshot row in search. We measured both canvases in the product page header and search asset specs.
What are the App Store app preview video specs?
In 2026, Apple accepts up to three app previews per device size and language, each 15 to 30 seconds long. Each file can be up to 500MB, at up to 30 frames per second (Apple, App preview specifications, 2026). Every iPhone from 6.1 to 6.9 inches takes 886×1920 portrait or 1920×886 landscape.
| Spec | App Store requirement |
|---|---|
| Length | 15–30 seconds |
| Count | Up to 3 per device size and language |
| File size | 500MB max |
| Frame rate | Up to 30 fps |
| Formats | H.264 (.mov, .m4v, .mp4; 10–12 Mbps) or ProRes 422 HQ (.mov) |
| iPhone 6.1"–6.9" | 886×1920 portrait or 1920×886 landscape |
| iPad | 1200×1600; 900×1200 for 9.7" |
| Mac, TV, Vision Pro | Landscape only: 1920×1080, or 3840×2160 on Vision Pro |
| Poster frame | Defaults to the 5-second mark |
| Processing | Up to 24 hours |
Behaviour matters more than the codec. Previews "autoplay with muted audio," with the poster frame shown when they don't (Apple, Creating your product page). They "always precede screenshots," even if you rearrange them (Apple, Upload app previews and screenshots). And a locale without its own preview gets "the app preview from the next best available language." Guideline 2.3.4 limits previews to "video screen captures of the app itself" (Apple, App Review Guidelines).
How common are previews? In September 2026, MobileAction sampled 1,200 US custom product pages from 719 apps, in the month to August 27, 2026. Only 16% carried an app preview, from 32% in Games to 9% in Shopping (MobileAction, From impression to in-app experience, 2026). That's custom product pages, not default ones, so treat it as directional.
Custom product pages with an app preview, by category
The hub covers when a preview video helps or hurts by category, and the glossary explains what an app preview is. The point here is narrower: a preview takes slot one, so it has to earn it.
What screenshot sizes does Google Play require?
In 2026, Google Play needs at least two screenshots across device types to publish, and allows up to eight per device type (Google, Play Console Help: Add preview assets to showcase your app, 2026). Files must be JPEG or 24-bit PNG with no alpha, 320 to 3,840 px per side, and the long side can't be more than twice the short side. For phones, 1080×1920 (9:16) is the safe default.
Featuring sets a higher bar. For Play's large-format recommendation rows, apps need at least four screenshots at 1080px minimum, in 9:16 or 16:9. Games need three.
| Asset | Count | Size and format |
|---|---|---|
| Phone screenshots | 2 to publish; up to 8; 4+ for featuring | 320–3,840 px, long side ≤2× short; 1080×1920 recommended |
| Tablet, Chromebook | 4 minimum | 1,080–7,680 px; 16:9 or 9:16 |
| Wear OS | 1 minimum | 1:1, at least 384×384; no device frames |
| Android TV | 1 minimum, plus banner | Banner 1280×720 |
| Android Automotive OS | 2 portrait + 2 landscape | 800×1280 and 1024×768 |
| Android XR | 4–8 | 8:5, up to 8 MB; 3840×2400 recommended |
| Feature graphic | 1 (required) | 1024×500, JPEG or 24-bit PNG |
| App icon | 1 | 512×512, 32-bit PNG, up to 1024KB |
Every current 6.9-inch and 6.5-inch iPhone size is about 2.17:1 (2868 ÷ 1320). Play won't accept a screenshot whose long side is more than twice the short side, so an iOS export fails as it stands. A 20:9 Android capture fails too: 1080×2400 is 2.22:1. Build a separate 9:16 Play set at 1080×1920 and re-lay the captions.
What about the Play preview video?
Play takes one preview video as a YouTube URL: public or unlisted, ads off, not age-restricted, embeddable. It appears before your screenshots, with a play button over your feature graphic, and "may autoplay inline with muted audio up to 30 seconds." Google wants core features within the first 10 seconds and at least 80% real in-app footage (Google, 2026). The copy around it is covered in optimizing the rest of your Play listing.
How many screenshots should you upload?
Fill enough slots to tell the story, but put most of the design effort into the first three. In March 2018, SplitMetrics analysed 1,800 A/B tests. Only 15% of visitors scrolled through all five landscape screenshots, and just 11% through all five portrait ones (SplitMetrics, Apple Changes Screenshots Limits Allowing up to 10 Images, 2018).
That data is old and came from SplitMetrics' test pages, not the live store. It's still the largest public scroll-depth sample we know of, and Storemaven's 2021 data points the same way.
Frames four and up serve explorers who are already leaning toward an install. Give them depth: secondary features, integrations, proof. Apple suggests a Dark Mode frame if you support it (Apple, Creating your product page). The screenshot checks in our ASO audit checklist score the whole set.
Side by side, the two stores' screenshot rules look like this. For ranking and metadata, see how the two stores differ beyond specs.
| App Store | Google Play | |
|---|---|---|
| Max screenshots | 10 per device size and localization | 8 per device type |
| Video | Up to 3 native uploads, 15–30 s | One YouTube URL; first 30 s may autoplay |
| Banned text | Prices (Guideline 2.3.7) | Rankings, awards, testimonials, prices, CTAs |
| Updating | New app version after approval | Store listing change, reviewed apart from releases |
Which screenshot practices actually lift conversion? 7 practices, graded by evidence
Two practices have both store rules and large-sample data behind them: treat the first three frames as your search ad, and decide on the preview deliberately. Storemaven's 2021 analysis of more than 500 million sessions shows why. In it, 60% of visitors didn't scroll past the First Impression, and 50% of installers decided on it alone (Storemaven, App Store Statistics Revealed, December 2021, archived copy).
The other five range from store rules to contested claims. Grades: Rule (store requirement), Strong (large-sample data), Mixed (studies disagree), Case-level (single cases) or Contested.
1. Treat the first three portrait frames as your search ad
Evidence: Rule + Strong (2021 data)
Apple is explicit: "Depending on the orientation of your screenshots, the first one to three images will appear in search results when no app preview is available" (Apple, Creating your product page). Citing 2022 App Store data, Apple Ads says almost 65% of downloads happen directly after a search (Apple Ads, Ads on the App Store). Put your strongest benefit in frame one and make frames one to three read as one ad.
How many visitors get past the First Impression
2. Write captions as conversion copy; treat indexing as a bonus
Evidence: Contested
In June 2025, Appfigures reported that Apple had begun reading screenshot caption text as keyword metadata (Appfigures, 2025). ConsultMyApp then tested 64 caption phrases across 8 apps: 36 didn't rank, 27 were explained by existing metadata and 1 was a possible anomaly (ConsultMyApp, June 16, 2025). Apple hasn't confirmed anything. Write captions for people, and see the caption-indexing evidence for the full debate.
3. Choose orientation by how the app is used
Evidence: Rule + Mixed
Slot count is a rule: portrait shows up to three frames in search, landscape one (Apple; SplitMetrics, 2018). Conversion evidence conflicts. SplitMetrics' 2018 dataset found landscape converted better among full scrollers, about 18% versus 13%. Yet in an undated case study from Angry Birds 2's 2015 launch, Rovio's orientation test favoured portrait at 99.7% confidence (SplitMetrics, Rovio case study). Default to portrait unless the app is landscape-native, and test it.
Portrait vs landscape: scroll depth and install rate
4. Decide on the preview deliberately, because it takes slot one
Evidence: Rule + Strong (2021 data)
Storemaven's 2021 data found that 98% of App Store users watch videos on mute, and every 5 seconds, 10% of video watchers drop off. Put the payoff in the first seconds, caption it for silent viewing, and pick a poster frame that works as a still. With only 16% of sampled custom product pages using one (MobileAction), a good preview still stands out. Test it against no video.
5. One message per frame, legible at thumbnail size
Evidence: Rule on Google Play; practitioner consensus elsewhere
Google says taglines "should not take up more than 20% of the image," warns against small text, and asks you to "prioritize UI in the first three screenshots as much as possible" (Google, 2026). Apple's version: focus each screenshot "on a main benefit or feature." That's one benefit, one short caption and one UI moment per frame. Can a stranger read it at search-card size in two seconds?
6. Show the real app, not title art
Evidence: Rule, with case-level support
Guideline 2.3.3 says screenshots "should show the app in use, and not merely the title art, login page, or splash screen." Google asks for captured footage, no fingers on the device, and a clean status bar. In an undated SplitMetrics case study, OLBG's biggest gain came from moving its two newest, most popular features into the first three screenshots. A later test that stripped headline text from frame one won by 45%, and the series reached a 61% conversion increase (SplitMetrics, OLBG case study).
7. Use social proof only where the store allows it
Evidence: Rule on what's allowed; no public lift data
Google Play bars screenshot content suggesting "Google Play performance, ranking, accolades or awards, user testimonials, or price and promotional information," plus calls to action like "Download now." Apple's Guideline 2.3.7 keeps prices out of screenshots and previews, and its iOS 27 creative-asset rules ban Apple recognitions such as Editor's Choice. A real, verifiable rating or press quote is generally fair game on iOS. We know of no public lift data, so test it.
| Practice | Evidence grade | What to do Monday |
|---|---|---|
| First three frames = search ad | Rule + Strong (2021) | Rebuild frame one around your top benefit |
| Captions as copy | Contested | Write for people; mirror metadata keywords |
| Orientation | Rule + Mixed | Default to portrait |
| Preview video | Rule + Strong (2021) | Test against no video |
| One message per frame | Rule (Play) | One benefit, one short caption per frame |
| Real app, not title art | Rule + Case-level | Replace splash and login frames |
| Social proof | Rule (Play ban); no lift data | Keep it off Play; test it on iOS |
Then localize the text layer for your top markets (see localizing screenshots market by market), and test the first frame before anything else, since Apple runs one product page test at a time. Our screenshot and creative testing runs that loop for you.
What gets screenshots rejected, or quietly wasted?
Most failures are mechanical: alpha channels, off-list sizes, iOS sets pushed to Play past the 2:1 cap, and splash screens as frames. The rest is banned text such as prices, "#1" or "Download now" (Apple, App Review Guidelines; Google, 2026). Each one costs a resubmission or a wasted slot.
| Cause | Store | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Transparency or alpha channel | Both | Export flattened PNG or JPEG |
| Size not on Apple's list | App Store | Export exactly 1320×2868 |
| iOS export on Play (2.17:1) | Google Play | Re-lay out at 1080×1920 |
| Splash, login or title art (2.3.3) | App Store | Show the app in use |
| Fingers on the device | Google Play; App Store previews (2.3.4) | Use clean screen captures |
| Carrier name or notifications in status bar | Google Play | Full battery and signal; no carrier |
| Prices, "#1", "Best", "Download now" | Both (prices on Apple, all on Play) | Remove them |
| Other platforms' devices or store badges (2.3.10) | Both | Remove them |
One timing trap: once Apple approves a version, "you must create a new version to update the screenshots" (Apple, Upload app previews and screenshots). Apple's Asset Library will let you submit screenshots independently of an app submission, but as of September 25, 2026 it's still "Coming this fall." On Play, screenshots are a store listing change, reviewed apart from app releases (Google, Control when app changes are reviewed and published).
Frequently asked questions
What size should App Store screenshots be in 2026?
Use 1320×2868 portrait for the 6.9-inch iPhone; Apple also accepts 1290×2796 and 1260×2736. If the app runs on iPad, add a 13-inch set at 2064×2752. Apple scales both down to smaller devices, so most apps need only these two (Apple, 2026).
Do I need to upload 6.5-inch screenshots?
Only if you skip the 6.9-inch set. Apple marks the 6.5-inch row "Required if app runs on iPhone and screenshots for 6.9" display aren't provided." Upload 6.9-inch screenshots and Apple scales them to 6.5-inch and smaller displays. Add a separate 6.5-inch set only if that screen renders your app differently (Apple, 2026).
How many screenshots can I upload?
The App Store allows 1 to 10 per device size and localization. Google Play needs at least 2 across device types to publish and allows up to 8 per device type. For Play's large-format recommendations, apps need 4 or more at 1080px and games need 3 (Apple; Google, 2026).
What is the Google Play screenshot size?
For phones, 1080×1920 (9:16) is the safe default. Google accepts 320 to 3,840 px per side, but the long side can't be more than twice the short side, and files must be JPEG or 24-bit PNG without alpha. That 2:1 cap is why a 1320×2868 iOS export fails (Google, 2026).
How long can an app preview video be?
On the App Store, 15 to 30 seconds, with up to three per device size and language and a 500MB cap. Google Play takes a single YouTube link instead; it can run longer, but only the first 30 seconds autoplay. On both stores, video plays before screenshots (Apple; Google, 2026).
Does Apple read the text in screenshot captions for search?
It's unconfirmed. Appfigures reported caption indexing in June 2025, but ConsultMyApp's test of 64 caption phrases across 8 apps found 36 didn't rank, 27 were explained by existing metadata and only 1 was a possible anomaly. Apple hasn't commented. Write captions for people first (ConsultMyApp, 2025).
The bottom line
Specs are easy; the first three frames are the job:
- iOS: one 1320×2868 portrait set, plus 2064×2752 for iPad; Apple scales the rest.
- Google Play: a separate 9:16 set at 1080×1920, four or more frames for featuring.
- Previews: 15–30 seconds on iOS, one YouTube link on Play. Both play first.
- Attention: 60% of visitors never pass the First Impression (Storemaven, 2021).
Drop your first three frames into the free Store Page Preview to see them in a search card. Want us to rebuild and test the set? Book a free 30-minute call, or start with the fixed-price ASO audit.
