Shipshot guide

How to Update App Store Screenshots Without Rebuilding the Whole Set

When an app update changes only part of the product, treat the existing screenshot set as a working source. Identify what changed, replace affected screens and copy together, then repeat the target and locale review before manually exporting the complete file set.

Inventory the release changes first

Start with the submitted build and the current screenshot project, not with a blank canvas. Mark changed product screens, captions, feature claims, pricing or plan language, device frames, and locales. A short inventory prevents an old frame from continuing to describe a removed or renamed flow.

  1. List the product states that changed in the release.
  2. Search every caption for names, numbers, plans, and feature claims affected by the change.
  3. Mark each screenshot as unchanged, copy-only, screen-only, or requiring a new composition.

Keep one editable source of truth

Do not begin with flattened exports. Keep the screens, captions, and layout editable so a small product change remains a small editing task. Shipshot offers 223 template sets, 1,784 pages, and 146 built-in app screens as editable starting points; replace sample material with your own product UI and keep the project as the source for the next release.

  1. Open the existing project and duplicate it as the next release version.
  2. Replace affected source screens and caption layers without flattening the rest of the sequence.
  3. Leave unchanged frames intact until the full review shows they still describe the submitted build.

Replace stale proof, not just stale words

A caption and the product screen it describes form one piece of evidence. If a navigation path, result, plan, or feature changes, update the source screen and its caption together. Then look for secondary stale details such as old account names, prices, labels, or interface controls in frames you did not initially mark.

  1. Read each changed caption while looking only at the product UI beneath it.
  2. Replace any screen that no longer proves the message, even if its surrounding layout is reusable.
  3. Scan unchanged frames for details that the release changed indirectly.

Repeat target and locale checks

An app update does not remove the need to check output targets. Review the Apple or Google dimensions, format, and transparency rules that apply to the release, then inspect every localized version for expanded text and reading direction. A source edit is not a finished store file until each selected target has been previewed.

  1. Preview every selected Apple and Google target after the source edit.
  2. Open each locale that belongs in the release and check for old source-language copy.
  3. Confirm the changed frame still has the intended crop, hierarchy, and product legibility at listing size.

Export after a release pass

Shipshot always offers a ZIP for you to upload yourself. After the final review, export the complete set and keep the files organized by target and locale. On Pro and Scale you can also push that saved ZIP into a listing version with keys you supply.

  1. Run the review checklist against the complete set, not only the frames you edited.
  2. Confirm filenames and folders make the target and locale clear.
  3. Export the reviewed files and complete the store upload yourself.

Review checklist

✓ The release changes have been mapped to affected screens and captions.✓ The editable project remains the source for the next update.✓ Changed claims are supported by current product UI.✓ Every selected target and locale has been previewed after the edit.✓ The final files are exported for a manual store handoff.

Questions to ask before handoff

Can I reuse a screenshot when the feature did not change?

You can keep it in the editable set when it still accurately reflects the submitted app and contains no temporary or stale material. Review it with the rest of the release before exporting.

Do I need to rebuild every target after a small edit?

You do not need to redesign every target. Keep the shared source editable, then preview every selected target so the changed screen and caption still fit each output.

Does Shipshot upload the update to Apple or Google?

No. Shipshot exports the reviewed files. The customer uploads those files to the stores and completes the release handoff.

What should I recheck even when only one screen changed?

Recheck the changed screen and caption, stale details in unchanged frames, every selected target, every required locale, file dimensions, format, transparency, and the final file organization.

Share this guide