App Store and Google Play screenshot rules: what gets rejected

A rejected screenshot can hold up an entire release. Most rejections come from a short list of rules that are easy to miss: a price in a headline, an Android phone in an App Store image, the word "Best". This guide collects those rules from Apple and Google in one place, in plain English.

The sources are Apple's App Review Guidelines (section 2.3, "Accurate Metadata") and Google's preview asset guidelines for Play Console. Both are updated from time to time, so check them before a big launch. Sizes and file formats are covered separately in our screenshot sizes guide.

Rules that apply to both stores

Show the real app

Apple's guideline 2.3.3 says screenshots should show the app in use, "and not merely the title art, login page, or splash screen." Google says to show the actual in-app experience using real captures. In practice, every slide needs a real screen from the current version of your app. A slide that is only a logo, a slogan or a sign-in form is the most common reason for a metadata rejection.

Text overlays are fine. Apple explicitly allows text and image overlays, and headlines above a framed screen are the normal style in both stores. What matters is that the screen underneath is real and matches what people get.

Don't put prices or deals in screenshots

Apple's guideline 2.3.7 says screenshots and previews "should not include prices, terms, or descriptions that are not specific to the metadata type." Google lists "Free", "Discount" and "Sale" among words to avoid. Prices change, and they vary by country and currency. The store already shows the price next to your app, so leave it out of the images.

Keep it suitable for everyone

Apple's guideline 2.3.8 asks for screenshots and previews that fit a 4+ age rating even if the app itself is rated higher. If your game includes violence, for example, choose scenes that don't show gore or a weapon aimed at a character. Google's content policies apply to store graphics in the same way.

App Store rules

No other platforms

Guideline 2.3.10 says not to include "names, icons, or imagery of other mobile platforms or alternative app marketplaces" in your metadata. That means:

• No Android phones or Android system screens in App Store screenshots. If you reuse a set made for Google Play, re-capture it on an iPhone.
• No "Also on Google Play" badges or mentions of other stores.
• No Windows or other operating system logos.

Previews must be screen recordings

For app preview videos, guideline 2.3.4 says previews "may only use video screen captures of the app itself." You can add narration and text overlays, but not live-action footage of people or scenes that aren't the app.

Screens must match the app

Apple reviews screenshots along with each version. If a feature shown in a screenshot was removed, or the design changed a lot, update the screenshots in the same release. If a slide shows something that costs extra, such as a premium feature or an in-app purchase, guideline 2.3.2 asks you to make that clear rather than presenting it as included.

Google Play rules

Wording you can't use

Google's guidelines name specific words and phrases to keep out of screenshots and the feature graphic:

Apple doesn't publish a list like this, but leaving these words out means one set of headlines works in both stores.

Keep text under 20% of the image

Google recommends taglines only where they help, taking up less than 20% of the screenshot, and warns against small or crowded text. A short headline above a framed phone fits easily. A paragraph of text or a list of features on top of the screen doesn't.

No hands, no clutter in the status bar

• No hands or people holding the device, unless your app is used away from the phone (a fitness app used with a watch, for example).
• Clean status bar: hide notifications and the carrier name, and show the battery, Wi-Fi and signal icons at full. Our clean screenshots guide has the exact commands.
• No blur or stretching: Google warns against blurry, distorted, stretched or heavily compressed images, and screenshots in the wrong orientation.

The 2:1 shape limit

Google Play screenshots can't be more than twice as long as they are wide. Many raw phone captures (1080 × 2400, for example) break this rule, so they need to be placed in a 9:16 slide or cropped before upload. Apple has no such limit.

Feature graphic rules

The 1024 × 500 feature graphic has its own guidelines. Google asks you to:

• Keep the logo, app name, slogan and key visuals near the center, because the edges can be cut off in some places it appears.
• Avoid plain white, black or dark gray backgrounds, which blend into the store's own colors.
• Leave out device frames, Google Play or other store badges, and third-party trademarks you don't have permission to use.
• Use the same banned-wording list as screenshots: no "Best", "#1", "Free" and so on.

The feature graphic is also the cover image for your preview video, with a play button placed on top of it, so keep the middle free of fine detail.

Alt text

Play Console lets you add a short description (alt text) to each image for people using screen readers. Google recommends 140 characters or fewer, and not starting with "Image of" or "Photo of". Describe what the screen shows: "Monthly budget screen with spending by category."

Pre-upload checklist

• Every slide shows a real, current screen from the app.
• No prices, "Free", "Sale" or discount wording.
• No "Best", "#1", "Top", "New" or download counts.
• No "Download now" or other calls to action.
• App Store set: no Android devices, badges or other store names.
• Google Play set: text under about 20% of each image, no hands, clean status bar, nothing taller than 2:1.
• Content suitable for a 4+ audience.
• Sizes and formats match the store. See the sizes guide.