How to Prepare App Store Screenshots for Review

Show the app in use

Apple says screenshots should show the app in use, not merely title art, a login page, or a splash screen. A text or image overlay may explain an interaction, but it should support a real product screen rather than replace it.

1. Choose a stable screen that demonstrates the feature the caption names.
2. Remove loading, empty, or setup states unless that state is the product experience you need to explain.
3. Keep overlays short and make sure the underlying interface remains visible.

Keep every claim accurate

Apple's metadata rule includes screenshots and previews: they should accurately reflect the app's core experience and stay up to date with new versions. Check that every caption still matches a feature a customer and App Review can find in the submitted app.

1. Read each caption beside the product screen it describes.
2. Remove claims about features that are hidden, dormant, undocumented, or no longer in the submitted build.
3. Describe significant new features and product changes specifically in App Store Connect's Notes for Review.

Remove temporary, personal, and borrowed material

Apple says submissions should be final and that placeholder text, empty websites, and other temporary content should be scrubbed. You are responsible for the rights to materials in screenshots, and Apple advises using fictional account information instead of data from a real person.

1. Replace lorem ipsum, sample accounts, and unfinished labels before export.
2. Use fictional names, messages, profiles, and account details in visible product states.
3. Confirm that photography, logos, icons, and other supplied materials are cleared for use.

Check audience and platform context

Apple says screenshots and previews should follow a 4+ age rating even when the app has a higher rating. Its metadata guidance also says not to include names, icons, or imagery of other mobile platforms or alternative app marketplaces. If a screenshot features an in-app purchase, make clear whether the featured item requires an additional purchase.

1. Review images and copy for material that would not fit a 4+ audience.
2. Remove references to other mobile platforms, alternative stores, or irrelevant services.
3. Add clear purchase context wherever a featured item is not included with the initial download.

Verify the export before handoff

For App Store Connect, Apple accepts one to 10 screenshots per set in JPEG, JPG, or PNG. Apple also says images cannot include alpha channels or transparencies. Check the accepted display dimensions before upload; when a smaller display's own screenshots are not provided, Apple documents scaled fallbacks from a larger display class.

1. Count the final images in each localization and device set.
2. Open exported files and check that transparency has not been preserved.
3. Review the exact dimensions and orientation for each target before you hand the files off.

Review checklist

Questions to ask before handoff