Apple App Store Screenshot Guidelines Explained (2026)
Apple's App Store screenshot guidelines in plain English: what Guideline 2.3 requires, which overlays are allowed and what gets screenshots rejected.
ScreenShipper team · · 8 min read
Quick answer: Apple's screenshot rules sit in App Review Guideline 2.3, Accurate Metadata. Screenshots must show the app in use rather than only a splash or login screen (2.3.3), reflect the current core experience, flag features that cost extra (2.3.2), avoid prices (2.3.7), suit a 4+ audience (2.3.8), use material you have rights to (2.3.9) and leave out other platforms' names and imagery (2.3.10).
Where Apple's Screenshot Rules Come From
Three different Apple sources shape your screenshots, and it helps to keep them apart:
| Source | What it governs | What happens if you ignore it |
|---|---|---|
| App Review Guidelines, section 2.3 | What screenshots may show and claim | Metadata rejection, or worse for misleading marketing |
| Screenshot specifications in App Store Connect Help | Sizes, count, file formats, no alpha | Upload errors before review even starts |
| Apple's product page guidance | Recommendations on content and order | Nothing technical, but a weaker product page |
This article covers the first source: the content rules App Review applies. Sizes, counts and file formats are covered in our App Store screenshot requirements article.
Guideline 2.3 opens with the principle behind everything else: people should know what they're getting, so your description, screenshots and previews must accurately reflect the app's core experience and be kept up to date with new versions.
The Guidelines That Apply to Screenshots
Here is each relevant guideline in plain English, with what it means in practice. Wording is paraphrased; always check the current text on Apple's site.
| Guideline | In short | What it means for your screenshots |
|---|---|---|
| 2.3 | Metadata must reflect the core experience and stay current | Update screenshots when the UI or features change |
| 2.3.1 | No misleading marketing, such as content the app doesn't offer or a false price | Never advertise features, content or prices that aren't real |
| 2.3.2 | Make clear which featured items or subscriptions cost extra | Label premium-only features shown in screenshots |
| 2.3.3 | Show the app in use, not only title art, login or splash screens; overlays are allowed | Each screenshot needs real UI; headlines and frames are fine |
| 2.3.4 | Previews may only use screen captures of the app | Applies to app preview videos, not static screenshots |
| 2.3.7 | No prices, unrelated terms, trademarked terms or popular app names to game the system | Keep prices and competitor names out of screenshots |
| 2.3.8 | Metadata must suit all audiences, as if rated 4+ | No graphic violence or mature imagery, even for 17+ apps |
| 2.3.9 | You need rights to all materials; show fictional account data | License images and fonts; never show a real person's data |
| 2.3.10 | No names, icons or imagery of other mobile platforms or alternative app marketplaces | No Android phones, other store badges or cross-platform logos |
Guideline 2.3.1 deserves special attention: Apple says misleading marketing can lead to removal from the App Store and, for repeated or egregious cases, termination of the developer account. A rejected screenshot is easy to fix; a pattern of misleading ones is not.
What You Can Add on Top of the App UI
Guideline 2.3.3 explicitly allows text and image overlays, and gives examples such as showing an input mechanism like a touch point or Apple Pencil. That is the basis for the marketing screenshots you see on most product pages. In practice, these additions are routinely accepted when the real UI stays clearly visible:
- Headlines and subtitles that describe a benefit the app actually delivers.
- Device frames around the UI. Apple publishes product bezels in its Apple Design Resources.
- Backgrounds, illustrations and shapes that surround the screen without replacing it.
- Zoomed callouts that magnify a real part of the interface.
- Ratings, awards and review quotes, provided they are true and current. Our guide to social proof in App Store screenshots covers how to keep them accurate.
The line you shouldn't cross is replacing the app with marketing. A screenshot that is only a logo on a gradient, only an illustration or only a list of features fails 2.3.3, even if it looks great.
Screenshot Problems That Can Lead to Rejection
These are the patterns most likely to draw a metadata rejection, with the guideline involved and the fix.
| Problem | Guideline | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Only a splash screen, logo or login page | 2.3.3 | Show a screen where the app is doing its job |
| Features, content or UI not in the submitted build | 2.3, 2.3.1 | Capture from the build under review |
| Old UI after a redesign | 2.3 | Re-capture screens after every visible UI change |
| Premium features shown with no hint they cost extra | 2.3.2 | Add a small "Premium" or "Pro" label |
| Prices or discount amounts in the image | 2.3.7 | Describe the value instead of the price |
| Android devices, other stores' badges or platform logos | 2.3.10 | Use Apple device frames and remove other platforms |
| Graphic violence or mature imagery | 2.3.8 | Pick scenes appropriate for a 4+ audience |
| A real person's name, messages or account data | 2.3.9 | Use fictional demo accounts |
| Stock photos, characters or fonts you haven't licensed | 2.3.9 | Use licensed or original assets |
| Lorem ipsum or placeholder content | 2.3 | Fill the app with realistic demo data |
A typical way to run into 2.3.10 is reusing a cross-platform marketing set. Screenshots made for Google Play often include Android hardware, a Play badge or "Available on Android" text, none of which belong on the App Store.
Special Cases: Games, Kids Apps and Paid Features
Games. Guideline 2.3.8 gives a direct example: even if your game includes violence, choose images that don't depict a gruesome death or a gun pointed at a specific character. Action is fine; gore is not.
Kids apps. The terms "For Kids" and "For Children" in app metadata are reserved for the Kids category, so don't put them in screenshot headlines unless your app is in that category.
Subscriptions and in-app purchases. If screenshot three shows an AI feature that only subscribers get, say so on the image. That is what 2.3.2 asks for, and it prevents the one-star reviews that come from surprised users.
Icons and consistency. Guideline 2.3.8 also asks that your app name and icons across sizes be similar, to avoid confusion. Keep screenshot styling consistent with the icon people see in search.
Test variants. Product Page Optimization treatments and Custom Product Pages contain screenshots too, and they are reviewed before they go live, so the same rules apply to every variant you make.
What to Do If Your Screenshots Are Rejected
- Read the message from App Review in App Store Connect. It normally cites the guideline number and often describes which screenshot is the problem.
- Fix every screenshot with the same issue, across all device sizes and localizations, not just the one mentioned.
- Upload the corrected screenshots to the version. A metadata-only rejection typically doesn't require a new build.
- Reply to App Review briefly explaining what you changed, then resubmit.
- If you believe the rejection is a mistake, reply with a clear explanation. Apple also offers an appeal process through the App Review Board.
Our guide to fixing a Guideline 2.3 metadata rejection walks through responses in more detail. To avoid the problem in the first place, follow the accuracy rules in our App Store screenshot best practices and capture from the exact build you submit, as described in how to make App Store screenshots.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I show Apple devices in my App Store screenshots?
Yes. Device frames are widely used and Apple provides product bezels in its design resources. Make sure the device matches the screenshot slot, such as an iPad frame for iPad screenshots.
Can App Store screenshots be mockups instead of real screenshots?
They can be designed marketing images, but each one must contain real UI from your app in use. Mockups of features or screens that don't exist in the submitted build risk rejection under Guideline 2.3.
Can I mention a price or a free trial in my screenshots?
Guideline 2.3.7 says screenshots shouldn't include prices. Describing a benefit is safer, and pricing details belong in your in-app purchase setup and description.
Can I show features that are coming in the next version?
No. Screenshots must reflect the version under review. Add the screenshots when the feature ships, in the same submission.
Are screenshots with illustrations allowed?
Yes, as long as the illustrations decorate or explain real app UI. A screenshot made only of illustration or title art fails Guideline 2.3.3.
Sources
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