How to Make an App Preview Video: A Step-by-Step Guide for iOS

Quick answer: Write a 15 to 30 second script, load demo data and clean up the status bar, then record with xcrun simctl io booted recordVideo --codec=h264 raw.mov or QuickTime with your iPhone connected. Add text overlays in your editor, export H.264 at Apple's accepted resolution (886 × 1920 for current iPhones) at up to 30 fps, then upload in App Store Connect and set the poster frame.

Most weak previews are recorded first and planned later. Write the script before you touch the app. Apple requires a length of 15 to 30 seconds, which in practice means one hook, two or three features and an end card.

Use a shot list like this one for a fictional meal-planning app:

Rules that keep the script tight:

• Lead with the outcome. The first seconds also act as your search result while the video autoplays.
• Write overlays of three to six words, and give each one at least two seconds on screen.
• Assume no sound. Previews autoplay muted, so the text has to tell the story alone.
• Show only real app screens. App Review Guideline 2.3.4 limits previews to screen captures of the app itself.

Clean footage comes from a clean app state. Before you record:

1. Load demo content. Use a demo account with realistic, attractive data and no personal information. A launch argument or debug menu that seeds sample data makes re-recording painless.
2. Fix the status bar. In the Simulator, run xcrun simctl status_bar booted override --time 9:41 --batteryState charged --batteryLevel 100 --cellularBars 4. On a phone, charge it fully. Our clean status bar guide covers Android too.
3. Silence interruptions. Turn on a Focus mode on the device, and disable in-app prompts like rating requests, tooltips and permission dialogs.
4. Turn off debug overlays. Hide FPS counters, debug banners and test labels.
5. Rehearse. Run through the script a few times so the recorded taps are smooth and deliberate.

Pick the capture method that fits your app:

Apple's own preview guidance points to capturing on device with QuickTime Player, and recommends recording at the native UI resolution rather than zooming in. Whatever you use, record each scene as a separate clip with a second of padding at both ends. It makes editing far easier than one long take.

Apple mentions iMovie and Final Cut Pro for editing, and any editor that exports H.264 works. In the edit:

• Trim dead time. Cut loading spinners, keyboard hunting and pauses. Speed up typing if it isn't the point.
• Add text overlays. Keep them legible against the UI and in a consistent position.
• Show taps with hotspots, not hands. Apple allows graphic touch indicators but not footage of people interacting with a device.
• Use simple transitions. Dissolves and fades are safest; avoid effects that imply features you don't have.
• Add a music bed. It gives the file a stereo audio track and helps the few viewers who unmute.
• End on a clear card. App name plus one benefit. If the app needs a login or paid subscription to use, disclose it on screen.

Leave out prices, which vary by region, and seasonal references, which date the video. For the full list of content rules, see our App Store preview video specs and rules.

The most common upload failure is exporting at the device's screen size. App Store Connect accepts specific video resolutions that differ from screenshot sizes:

A recording from a 6.9-inch iPhone simulator is 1320 × 2868. Its aspect ratio is very close to 886 × 1920, so you scale it down and crop only a sliver. iPad is 4:3 and needs footage recorded on an iPad simulator or device.

Export checklist from Apple's specification:

• H.264 in .mov, .m4v or .mp4 (or ProRes 422 HQ in .mov)
• 30 frames per second or lower; screen recordings at 60 fps must be converted
• 15 to 30 seconds long and under 500 MB
• Stereo audio, 256 kbps AAC, 44.1 or 48 kHz

If your editor can't hit the exact size, the free command-line tool ffmpeg can conform the file: ffmpeg -i edit.mov -vf "scale=886:1920:force_original_aspect_ratio=increase,crop=886:1920,fps=30" -c:v libx264 -profile:v high -level 4.0 -pix_fmt yuv420p -b:v 11M -c:a aac -b:a 256k -ar 48000 -ac 2 preview.mp4. It keeps the audio from your edit, so add the music bed first.

1. In App Store Connect, open the app version that's in Prepare for Submission.
2. In the Product Page Information section, drag the video into the well for the right device size.
3. For other localizations, switch language with the pop-up menu at the top right and upload there.
4. Wait for processing, which Apple says can take up to 24 hours.
5. Set the poster frame: open Media Manager, choose View All Sizes, hover over the preview, click Edit Poster Frame, move to the frame you want, click Set Poster Frame, then Done.
6. Submit the version for review along with your screenshots.

The poster frame defaults to the 5-second mark and is what people see when autoplay is off. Pick a frame with clear UI and readable text. Apple notes that poster frames can't be edited after the preview is approved, so changing it later means submitting a new version of the preview.

Apple allows up to three previews per device size and language. If your UI is the same across sizes, upload the highest required resolution and let it scale down to smaller devices.

For other languages, keep the footage and swap the overlays, and record localized UI if your app's interface text is prominent. The screenshot localization guide applies here too: plan for longer German text and right-to-left layouts.

Google Play doesn't take uploaded video files for the listing. You upload the video to YouTube and paste the URL, and Google requires it to be public or unlisted, with ads disabled and no age restriction. Only the first 30 seconds autoplay. Our Google Play promo video guide covers the rest.