App store screenshots that convert: sizes, order, copy
Current App Store and Google Play screenshot sizes, the order that sells an app in the first frames, and how to write copy that still reads at thumbnail size.
Founder & Creative Director
Key takeaways
- Apple wants one set at the largest iPhone size, plus 13-inch iPad if you support it, and scales the rest down.
- Google Play takes two to eight screenshots per device type within a 2:1 ratio, so tall iPhone frames don’t fit as-is.
- The first three screenshots do most of the selling: one real screen and one benefit in each.
Why the first frames matter most
On the App Store, search results show an app’s icon, name and its first few screenshots (up to three portrait frames) before anyone taps through. On Google Play, the screenshots sit near the top of the store listing. Either way, they are the first real look at the product, and most visitors only ever see the first few.
That makes screenshots marketing, not documentation. Each one has a single job: show a real screen and give one reason to install. Getting the app store screenshot sizes right is the easy part; the order and the copy are where listings win or lose.
App Store screenshot sizes
App Store Connect accepts up to ten screenshots per device size and localization, as JPEG or PNG files. You no longer need a set for every iPhone: upload at the largest display size and Apple scales those screenshots down for smaller devices. The same applies to iPad.
| Display | Portrait size (pixels) | When it is needed |
|---|---|---|
| iPhone 6.9-inch | 1320×2868 or 1290×2796 | Required for iPhone apps, unless you provide the 6.5-inch set instead |
| iPhone 6.5-inch | 1284×2778 or 1242×2688 | Accepted in place of the 6.9-inch set |
| iPad 13-inch | 2064×2752 or 2048×2732 | Required if the app runs on iPad |
Details that trip people up
- Landscape screenshots use the same sizes turned sideways. Pick one orientation and keep it for the whole set.
- Apple’s list also includes older sizes, such as the 5.5-inch 1242×2208. Check the screenshot specifications in App Store Connect before you export, because Apple revises the list as new devices ship.
- Screenshots are set per localization, so a translated listing can carry translated headlines.
- App previews, short videos of 15 to 30 seconds with up to three per device size, appear before the screenshots and play muted, so they have to make sense without sound.
Google Play screenshot sizes
Google Play frames its rules as limits rather than exact sizes:
- Two to eight screenshots per device type: phone, 7-inch tablet, 10-inch tablet, and Chromebook or other form factors if you support them
- JPEG or 24-bit PNG with no transparency, up to 8 MB each
- Each side between 320 and 3840 pixels, with the long side no more than twice the short side
- To be eligible for some of Play’s promotional placements, at least four screenshots at a minimum of 1080 pixels, in 9:16 portrait (1080×1920) or 16:9 landscape (1920×1080)
- A 1024×500 feature graphic, which is required, and a 512×512 app icon
Why one export won’t serve both stores
The 2:1 limit is the catch. Current iPhone screenshots are about 2.17 times taller than they are wide (2796 ÷ 1290), so a 6.9-inch set is too tall to upload to Google Play unchanged. A 9:16 layout such as 1080×1920 or 1242×2208 fits within Play’s limit.
The practical answer is the one we used for Lucrum CRM’s store screenshots: lay the set out again for each size instead of scaling one design. Lucrum’s fifteen screenshots ran to six at 1290×2796 and six at 1242×2208 for phones, and three at 2048×2732 for iPad.
The order that sells
Think of the set as a short story read left to right, where most readers stop after the first few frames. A reliable order:
- Frame 1, the promise: the biggest reason to install, on the screen that delivers it. Not a logo, not a login screen.
- Frame 2, the core feature: what people will do most often in the app.
- Frame 3, the differentiator: the thing competitors in the same search results don’t have.
- Frames 4–6, the support: secondary features, integrations and platforms such as iPad or a web dashboard.
- Final frames, the reassurance: security, support, or genuine ratings and awards if you have them.
Match the order to the search
If people find you through different searches, one order won’t suit them all. Apple’s custom product pages and Google Play’s custom store listings let you show a different screenshot set to different audiences, for example one that leads with expense tracking for one campaign and with lead management for another.
Writing screenshot copy
Screenshot headlines are read at thumbnail size, mid-scroll, next to competitors. The rules follow from that:
- One benefit per frame, in a few words. Lucrum’s headlines (“Tailored Data Dashboard”, “Never Miss Any Leads Through Automation”, “Increase Efficiency With Our Expense Platform”) each name one outcome.
- Lead with the outcome, not the feature name. “Never miss a lead” beats “Lead management module”.
- Keep the headline in the same position on every frame, so the eye knows where to read.
- Set the type large enough to read when the whole screenshot is shown at thumbnail size in search results.
- Show the real interface. Apple’s App Review Guidelines ask for screenshots that show the app in use, not merely title art, a login page or a splash screen.
- Translate the headlines for each localization instead of leaving English copy on a translated listing.
- Avoid claims you can’t back up, such as “#1” with no source.
Design details that survive the thumbnail
Good screenshots look like one designed set, not a folder of exports:
- High contrast between the headline and its background; pale gray text disappears at small sizes.
- One background system across the set. Lucrum’s frames use white grounds with pink, purple and blue accents, so the row reads as one product.
- Varied composition. Lucrum’s devices are tilted and layered differently in each frame, so a scrolling row never repeats itself.
- Crop into the interface when the detail matters. A full screen shrunk inside a device frame can be too small to read.
- Real, plausible data in every screen, never placeholder text or empty states.
Test, then iterate
Both stores let you test. Apple’s product page optimization runs alternative screenshot sets against your original, and Google Play’s store listing experiments do the same. Test one variable at a time (the first frame’s headline is usually the place to start) and let each test run long enough to reach a clear result.
If you want help with the set, our app store screenshots work covers both stores, and our UI/UX and app design service designs the product screens themselves, at true device sizes, so the screenshots show the real thing. For the handoff side of that work, see designing screens a developer can actually build.
Frequently asked questions
How many app store screenshots should I upload?
Apple allows up to ten per device size and Google Play up to eight per device type. Use as many as you have genuine features for, but put the most effort into the first three, because that is what most people see.
What size are iPhone App Store screenshots?
For the 6.9-inch display slot, 1320×2868 or 1290×2796 pixels in portrait. Apple scales that set down for smaller iPhones. Check App Store Connect’s current specifications before exporting, as the list changes with new devices.
Do I need separate iPad screenshots?
Yes, if your app runs on iPad: the 13-inch set (2064×2752 or 2048×2732) is required. Lucrum’s set included three 2048×2732 iPad frames alongside the phone screenshots.
Can I use the same screenshots on Google Play and the App Store?
Rarely as-is. Tall iPhone screenshots exceed Google Play’s 2:1 ratio limit, so lay the set out again at a 9:16 size such as 1080×1920 for Play.
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