An app preview is useful when seeing the app in motion makes it easier to understand. A route being planned, a photo being edited or a game being played can tell a visitor more than a still image.
Start with one task and show it early. Keep the story understandable with the sound off, then check the export against the store's requirements. This guide walks through recording, editing, localization and testing alongside your screenshot gallery.
What is an app preview video?
An app preview shows how the product works within its store listing. Apple uses uploaded app previews; Google Play uses a linked YouTube video. They have different asset requirements, so plan separate exports when needed.
Apple asks for footage captured on a device and allows up to three previews per supported language. Previews can autoplay with sound muted. Follow its app preview guidance for footage, graphics and disclosures.
Google recommends showing the core experience early and making at least 80% of the video representative of actual use. Its preview asset guide covers presentation and content requirements.
Decide what the video will explain
Before recording, name the question a visitor should be able to answer afterward. For example: “How do I scan a receipt and export the total?” That gives you a useful sequence to film.
If a screenshot already explains the task clearly, video may add little. Include the decision in your listing review and choose the work that addresses the clearest problem first.
App preview specifications
Apple App Store
| Setting | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Length | 15–30 seconds |
| Maximum file size | 500 MB |
| Video codec | H.264 or ProRes 422 HQ |
| Maximum frame rate | 30 frames per second |
| Example accepted iPhone preview size | 886 × 1920 portrait, or 1920 × 886 landscape, for the listed 6.9-inch display group |
| Example accepted 13-inch iPad preview size | 1200 × 1600 portrait, or 1600 × 1200 landscape |
Use Apple's full specification table for the target display. It lists device resolution and accepted preview resolution separately. They are not always the same. Apple also documents scaled fallbacks for some display groups, so “every video must match native screen pixels” is misleading advice.
Google Play
Link a public or unlisted YouTube video that allows embedding and has no age restriction. Disable ads; a copyrighted soundtrack can still attract monetization claims, so check the uploaded video. Choose portrait or landscape to match the app experience.
Google Play may autoplay up to the first 30 seconds, depending on the device, settings and surface. Use a clear feature graphic for the stopped state. These requirements come from the Play Console preview guide; a 30-second-to-two-minute range is not a universal upload rule.
Create the preview step by step
1. Write the message
Choose one main task and the few screens needed to show it. Read recent reviews or support questions if they help you understand which part needs explaining. Avoid listing features simply because they were difficult to build.
For a receipt app, a useful message might be: “Capture a receipt, check the details and export it.” Each part corresponds to something you can show on screen.
2. Sketch the sequence
Plan the shots before opening a screen recorder. Here is an example for a 30-second preview; adjust the timing to your task.
- First five seconds: show the starting action and make the purpose clear.
- Next ten seconds: demonstrate the main interaction.
- Next ten seconds: show the result and any essential follow-up.
- Final five seconds: leave a clear final screen and relevant access information.
Read the plan without the visuals. If it describes several unrelated jobs, choose one for this video and save the others for later.
3. Record the current app
Use a clean test account with suitable sample data. Close unrelated notifications and prepare the app so the recording starts at the right screen. Keep a copy of the raw footage.
For Apple previews, capture the real device experience. Apple describes recording an attached device through QuickTime Player in its capture guide. Avoid invented interface screens or transitions that suggest features the app does not have.
Record clearly at the device's native resolution, then export to an accepted preview size. Watch the exported file to catch blurred text, awkward crops or missing details.
4. Add readable captions
Play the draft with the sound off. Add a short caption where the action needs context, and leave it visible long enough to read comfortably. The interface itself may explain some steps without an overlay.
Use a large, high-contrast typeface. Keep captions away from controls that the viewer needs to see. Try “Export your receipts” instead of a broad phrase such as “Powerful financial intelligence.”
Keep text in separate editable layers so translations are easier to review. Include captions for spoken information, and disclose login, subscription or purchase requirements where relevant to the features shown.
5. Edit for a clear pace
Remove idle moments that do not help explain the task. Give important actions enough time to register, and avoid so many fast cuts that the viewer loses their place. If you speed up a long process, make the edit clear rather than suggesting it completes instantly.
Simple cuts, fades or dissolves are usually enough. Use music only when you have the necessary rights and it suits the product. Narration can add detail, but the basic story should still work silently.
Choose a poster frame from the footage that explains something on its own. Apple's default is the five-second mark, and you can select another frame. Inspect it beside your store screenshots before uploading.
6. Export the final files
For an Apple H.264 preview, the current reference specifies a 10–12 Mbps target bitrate, progressive video up to High Profile Level 4.0, and no more than 30 fps. Audio uses stereo AAC at 256 kbps and 44.1 or 48 kHz. Check the full export settings if using ProRes or another device group.
For Google Play, upload the final video to YouTube and confirm its visibility, embedding and ad settings before adding the link in Play Console. Open the uploaded version and check it again; the local file alone does not confirm how it will play.
7. Review it on a phone
Watch the whole preview at a normal viewing size, first muted and then with sound. Check captions, interface detail, pacing and the poster frame. Ask someone unfamiliar with the app to describe the task they saw.
If the app supports multiple devices or languages, review the relevant version of each. A wider tablet interface or longer translated caption may need a different edit.
Submit the finished assets through the store's review process and inspect the public listing after approval. AppDrift's store publishing tools cover supported listing work; verify asset support before assuming a workflow uploads video. The Apple setup guide explains connecting the account.
8. Test a specific alternative
Choose a question you can answer with a comparison. Does starting with the result make the workflow clearer? Does the video help compared with the existing gallery?
Apple's Product Page Optimization supports creative treatments including previews. Use the options available for your app, record the audience and check the result's uncertainty. For Google Play, confirm which assets the current Store Listing Experiments setup lets you vary.
A week of traffic may be enough to spot a problem but still too little to identify a better version. Let the evidence determine the conclusion. Keep a record of other campaigns and listing changes that could affect a before-and-after comparison.
Will a preview increase downloads?
It depends on what the video adds. Motion can explain an interaction well, but a long or confusing preview can get in the way. Apple's experiment examples include a case where the original page without video performed better.
Use the same standard for every app category: identify what needs explaining, create a focused version and test it when traffic allows. Keep your description and metadata accurate alongside the artwork.
Common mistakes to catch
- A long logo introduction: get to the app before asking the visitor to wait.
- Too many features: give one task a clear beginning and result.
- Essential information only in narration: check the complete video on mute.
- Incorrect export size: compare the final file with the accepted preview dimensions.
- Rushed captions: allow time for reading, including longer translations.
- Outdated footage: replace captures when a release changes the interface or workflow.
For another language, review the captions, footage and audio together. Pair the video with screenshots for the same locale so visitors see a consistent explanation.
Choose an editor that fits the work
Start with an editor you know if it can produce the required files. Apple names QuickTime Player for capture and iMovie or Final Cut Pro for editing. More elaborate software is useful only when you need its controls.
Keep the project, raw footage, caption text and final exports together. A simple folder for each app version and language makes the next update easier.
You can prepare the companion gallery in the AppDrift screenshot editor and manage related listing work in the platform. If you are still choosing a screenshot tool, use the comparison guide to check the workflow you need.
Frequently asked questions
Will adding an app preview improve conversion?
Not necessarily. A video can explain motion, but it can also underperform a static gallery. Use a relevant native experiment rather than expecting a fixed percentage improvement.
How long should an Apple app preview be?
Apple app previews must follow the current 15–30-second requirement and the separate preview specifications. Show the actual task early and make the opening understandable without sound.
