Shipshot guide

A First-Time App Launch Screenshot Checklist

For a first release, the screenshot project and the submitted build should be reviewed as one package. Confirm the product states first, then check content, targets, locales, and exported files before handing the images to the store workflow yourself.

Match every frame to the submitted build

Open the build you intend to submit and compare it with every product screen in the set. Apple says screenshots should accurately reflect the app's core experience and stay up to date with new versions. Remove screens for unfinished, hidden, or unavailable features.

  1. Use the same build state that will accompany the listing submission.
  2. Verify each screen, label, plan, and feature claim against that build.
  3. Replace a frame when the visible UI no longer proves its caption.

Remove temporary and personal material

Apple's metadata guidance says submissions should be final and temporary content should be scrubbed. It also advises using fictional account information instead of data from a real person. Check screenshots for sample labels, personal names, messages, email addresses, unfinished URLs, and borrowed assets.

  1. Replace placeholder text and empty or setup states where they are not the product story.
  2. Use fictional account details in visible sample content.
  3. Confirm that logos, photography, icons, and other materials are cleared for use.

Review the story and purchase context

Read the captions in order and make sure they explain the product without overclaiming. If a screenshot features an item that requires an additional purchase, Apple's guidance says to make that clear. Keep references suitable for the required audience and remove mentions of other mobile platforms or alternative marketplaces.

  1. Give each frame one clear job in the sequence.
  2. Add purchase context wherever a featured item is not included with the initial download.
  3. Check imagery and copy for cross-platform or audience problems.

Check targets, formats, and locales

Apple accepts one to 10 screenshots per set in JPEG, JPG, or PNG, and images cannot include alpha channels or transparencies. Google Play accepts JPEG or 24-bit PNG with no alpha, dimensions from 320 to 3840 pixels, and a longest side no more than twice the shortest. If the release is localized, review each language's copy and layout yourself.

  1. List each Apple and Google target that belongs in the first release.
  2. Check dimensions, orientation, format, count, and transparency for every set.
  3. Read every localized caption in context before export.

Hand off the reviewed files

Keep the final files organized by target and locale. ZIP download is on every plan so you can complete the store upload yourself. On Pro and Scale you can also push that saved ZIP into App Store Connect or Play Console listings with keys you supply.

  1. Open the exported files rather than trusting the editor preview alone.
  2. Use filenames and folders that make target and locale clear.
  3. Upload the reviewed files yourself as part of the store submission.

Review checklist

✓ Every screenshot matches the build being submitted.✓ Temporary, personal, unfinished, and unlicensed material is removed.✓ The sequence and purchase context are clear.✓ Each target, locale, count, format, and transparency rule is checked.✓ The reviewed exports are organized for a manual store handoff.

Questions to ask before handoff

Can I use screenshots from an earlier prototype?

Only when they still accurately reflect the submitted app and contain no temporary or stale material. Compare them with the release build before using them.

Does a clean screenshot set guarantee a first launch will pass review?

No. It addresses screenshot and metadata checks covered here; review the complete submission requirements for the relevant store.

Who uploads the screenshot files?

Shipshot exports the reviewed files. The customer uploads them to Apple or Google and completes the store handoff.

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