A Guide to Making App Preview Videos
Screenshots alone struggle to convey how an app actually feels to use. That's especially true for games, where controls and pacing matter — a few seconds of video usually sells the experience far better than any number of still images. Apple's App Preview sits at the front of your screenshot carousel and auto-plays a short clip without requiring a tap, which makes it, when done right, the single most influential asset on your store page for driving installs.
15 to 30 Seconds — Shorter Than You'd Think
Apple caps App Preview videos at 15 to 30 seconds. Go outside that range and App Store Connect will reject the upload. Rather than stretching to fill the full 30 seconds, showing one core moment of fun or a single usage flow in 15–20 seconds tends to hold viewers better to the end. Most users judge within the first few seconds rather than watching the whole thing, so put your strongest moment right up front.
Orientation Follows How the App Actually Runs
Video orientation should match the orientation your app actually runs in. A casual game that's portrait-only gets a portrait video; a landscape-only game gets a landscape video. If your app supports both, base the choice on whichever orientation represents the primary way people play — that also tends to sit more naturally with the rest of your store page layout.
Check Required Resolutions at Upload Time
App Store Connect requires specific preview video resolutions per device size group. Apple adjusts these numbers whenever new devices ship, so rather than memorizing specific pixel values, it's safer to follow whatever resolution the upload screen specifies at the time you submit. You can register up to three preview videos per group, so you can upload a few different gameplay moments and compare how they perform.
The First Frame — Your Poster Frame — Doubles as a Screenshot
Apple calls the still frame shown before autoplay kicks in the Poster Frame. Whenever a user misses the autoplay moment or stops scrolling, that still frame effectively functions as your representative screenshot — so don't leave it as whatever frame happened to load first. Choose it deliberately after upload. For a game, pick a frame that reads as exciting at a glance, like a flashy effect or a clear/win moment.
Real App Footage Only
Apple's review guidelines require App Previews to show actual app usage. Compositing in other device frames, adding effects that don't exist in the app, or mixing in live-action footage that overstates what the app actually does are all grounds for rejection. The safest approach is to edit a real screen recording and add only background music and captions on top.
Bottom Line
Because the length limit is so tight, an App Preview lives or dies on planning, not editing polish. Storyboard which three or four moments go in what order within a 15–20 second window before you ever start filming, and you'll save yourself a lot of wasted time in the edit.