How to make App Store screenshots

Last checked against the stores' own documentation on 27 October 2026.

1. Plan the set

• Pick the 5 to 8 things your app does best, one per screenshot. The first few matter most: they're what people see in search results before they open your page.
• Write one short headline for each: a benefit, not a feature list. "Plan your day in a minute" beats "Calendar with drag and drop".
• Choose one look for the whole set: the same fonts, colours and device style, so the gallery reads as one story.

2. Capture your app

• iOS Simulator: File › Save Screen (⌘S) saves a PNG at the device's full resolution. Use the largest iPhone, and the 13-inch iPad if your app supports it.
• A clean status bar on iOS: before capturing, run xcrun simctl status_bar booted override --time 9:41 --batteryState charged --batteryLevel 100.
• Android: use the emulator's screenshot button, or on a connected device run adb exec-out screencap -p > screen.png.
• Fill the app with realistic, friendly sample data. Empty lists and test names make a good app look unfinished.

3. Design each screenshot

• Put the capture in a device frame, with the headline above or below it.
• Keep text large: people see your screenshots small, on a phone, while scrolling.
• Use a background that sets your app apart. One that runs across the whole set makes the gallery read as a single picture.

4. Export at the stores' sizes

• App Store: iPhone at 1320 × 2868, iPad at 2064 × 2752 if your app runs on iPad, and iPhone Duo and Apple Watch if you support them. See App Store screenshot sizes.
• Google Play: at least four phone screenshots at 1080 × 1920 (9:16) to be eligible for promotion. See Google Play screenshot requirements.
• Both stores reject transparency: export opaque PNG or JPEG.

5. Upload

• App Store Connect: open your app's version page and drag each set into Previews and Screenshots, under its display size. App Store Connect scales your largest set down for smaller devices.
• Play Console: open your app's main store listing and add the screenshots under the phone, tablet and other device sections.

Doing it in Screenlyy

1. Open the editor and pick a template.
2. Drop, paste or upload a capture onto each device.
3. Edit the headline, layout, device angle and background of each screenshot. Screenlyy draws a clean 9:41 status bar over your capture if you want one.
4. Export: every device's set, at the exact store sizes, in one zip with a folder per device.

Sources

• Apple: Screenshot specifications (App Store Connect Help)
• Google: Add preview assets to showcase your app (Play Console Help)