App Store Screenshot Checklist: 30 Checks Before You Upload
Use this app store screenshot checklist before you upload: sizes, count, order, captions, localization, alpha, status bar and accuracy, plus Google Play.
ScreenShipper team · · 6 min read
TL;DR: Before you upload, confirm you have the required sizes (iPhone 6.3″, plus iPad 13″ if your app runs on iPad), 1 to 10 flattened JPEG or PNG files per size without alpha, a first three that tell your story, short readable captions, a clean status bar, real and current UI, and translations that fit in every language. Shipping on Android too? Check Google Play's 2:1 ratio rule.
How to Use This Checklist
Run through the six tables below once per release, ideally with the exported files open in front of you rather than the design file. Each row has a clear pass condition, so you can tick it off or fix it on the spot. If you're still designing, start with our step-by-step screenshot guide and come back here before uploading.
Two habits make the review faster:
- Look at the exports at thumbnail size on a phone, the way shoppers see them in search results.
- Check one localization end to end before you scan the others; most mistakes repeat across languages.
1. Sizes and File Format
| # | Check | Pass when |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | iPhone 6.3″ set | Every localization has 1206 × 2622 or 1179 × 2556 screenshots (or the landscape versions). This size is required for every iPhone app. |
| 2 | Largest iPhone size decided | You provide 6.9″ (1320 × 2868, 1290 × 2796 or 1260 × 2736), or you provide 6.5″, which App Store Connect then scales for the largest phones. |
| 3 | iPad 13″ set | If your app runs on iPad, you have 13″ screenshots of your real iPad layout. Smaller iPads are scaled from it. |
| 4 | Other platforms | Mac (16:10), Apple Watch, Apple TV or Vision Pro sets are ready if you ship there. iPhone Duo screenshots become required from April 2027 for apps built with the iOS 27.1 SDK or later. |
| 5 | Count | 1 to 10 screenshots per device size and localization. |
| 6 | Format | .jpeg, .jpg or .png only. |
| 7 | No alpha channel | Files are flattened RGB with no transparency. See our alpha channel guide. |
| 8 | Exact dimensions | Every file passes the free screenshot size checker, which also flags alpha channels. |
Full size lists live in our App Store size guide, with pages for iPhone, iPad and iPhone Duo. For the rules behind these rows, read App Store screenshot requirements.
2. Order and Story
| # | Check | Pass when |
|---|---|---|
| 9 | First three screenshots | They make sense on their own, since search results usually show only the first three portrait screenshots (or the first landscape one). |
| 10 | Screenshot 1 | It states your core benefit and shows the screen that delivers it. |
| 11 | One message per screen | Each screenshot has one idea, one headline and one supporting screen. |
| 12 | Social proof | Ratings, awards or press quotes are real, current and attributable. |
| 13 | Orientation | The set is all portrait, or landscape on purpose (games, video, maps). |
Our screenshot best practices explain how to order a set so the story builds from screen to screen.
3. Captions and Visual Design
| # | Check | Pass when |
|---|---|---|
| 14 | Readable at thumbnail size | Headlines are short (around 3 to 6 words) and large enough to read in search results. |
| 15 | Contrast | Text stands out clearly from the background on every screen. |
| 16 | Consistency | Fonts, colors, device frames and spacing match across the whole set. |
| 17 | Brand match | Background colors fit your app icon, so the listing looks like one product. |
| 18 | Key UI visible | Captions, badges and frames don't cover the part of the screen that proves the headline. |
4. Localization
| # | Check | Pass when |
|---|---|---|
| 19 | A set per localization | Every localization you sell in has its own screenshots, or you've confirmed in Media Manager which media it shows. |
| 20 | No overflow | No headline is cut off, squeezed or wrapped awkwardly in any language. |
| 21 | Right-to-left | Arabic and Hebrew sets are right-aligned with mirrored layouts. |
| 22 | Scripts and formats | Fonts render every script, and prices, dates and units are localized, ideally on localized app UI. |
ScreenShipper's language help page shows how missing-translation and overflow warnings work in the editor.
5. Accuracy and Compliance
| # | Check | Pass when |
|---|---|---|
| 23 | App in use | Screens show the app working, not just a splash screen, title art or login page (guideline 2.3.3). |
| 24 | Current build | Every screen matches the version you're submitting. Remove features that changed or were cut. |
| 25 | No other platforms | No Android devices, other store badges or other platforms' names appear (guideline 2.3.10). |
| 26 | Honest claims | Every claim, number or ranking in a caption is true and can be backed up. |
| 27 | Clean details | Status bar shows 9:41 with full signal and battery, data is fictional, and no debug UI or test content is visible. |
Apple's screenshot guidelines explain what App Review rejects and why.
6. Google Play Extras
| # | Check | Pass when |
|---|---|---|
| 28 | Count and format | 2 to 8 screenshots per device type, JPEG or 24-bit PNG without alpha, 320 to 3840 px per side, up to 8 MB each. |
| 29 | Ratio and resolution | The long side is at most twice the short side; for featured and recommended placements, at least 4 screenshots (3 for games) are 1080 px or more on the short side. |
| 30 | Feature graphic and tablets | A 1024 × 500 feature graphic is uploaded, and tablet screenshots are ready if you support large screens. |
Details are in our Google Play screenshot requirements and the Google Play size guide, including the feature graphic page.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many screenshots should I upload to the App Store?
Apple accepts 1 to 10 per device size and localization. Use as many as you have distinct, useful messages for, and put the strongest three first, because they're the ones most people see.
Do I need screenshots for every iPhone size?
No. The 6.3″ set is required for every iPhone app; 6.9″ is optional, and smaller sizes are scaled. If you skip 6.9″, provide 6.5″ instead.
What's the most common reason screenshots fail to upload?
Wrong pixel dimensions for the slot and PNG files with an alpha channel. Both are easy to catch with a size checker before you open App Store Connect.
Can I reuse my App Store screenshots on Google Play?
You can reuse the design and copy, but export Google Play's sizes separately, respect the 2:1 ratio rule and swap iPhone frames for Android or frameless layouts.
Should I check screenshots on a real phone before uploading?
Yes. Open the exports on a phone and view them small, the way they appear in search. Text that looks fine on a desktop monitor is often too small on a phone.
Sources
From raw captures to store-ready screenshots
Drop your simulator or emulator captures into a template and export every store size, or frame a single screen with the free mockup generator.