App Store Preview Video Requirements, and How to Meet Them

Apple allows up to three previews per device size and language, each 15 to 30 seconds long, up to 500 MB, in H.264 or ProRes 422 (HQ). The numbers below come from Apple’s preview specification page, as of 11 October 2026.

Apple says to prepare the file at the accepted resolution, not the device resolution. A 12 Mbps stream for 30 seconds is about 45 MB, roughly a ninth of the cap, so a correctly encoded preview rarely hits the 500 MB limit. A recording that exceeds it was exported at a much higher bitrate than Apple’s target, which is when a re-encode helps.

Screenshots must be JPEG or PNG with no alpha channel, 1 to 10 per device size. At least one iPhone screenshot at the Dynamic Island (medium display) size is required. From Apple’s screenshot specifications, as of 11 October 2026:

If your interface is consistent across sizes, Apple says you only need the highest required resolution, and App Store Connect scales it down. The page states no file size rule for screenshots. The only hard format rule beyond pixels is no transparency, so a PNG exported with an alpha channel does not meet the rule, while a JPG carries no alpha channel.

Google Play takes up to 8 screenshots per device type, JPEG or 24-bit PNG without alpha, between 320 and 3840 px, and publishing needs at least two. The longest side cannot be more than twice the shortest. From Google’s preview asset page, as of 11 October 2026:

Google Play has no uploaded-video limit to meet because the preview is a YouTube link. The practical limit is the YouTube side, covered in our video delivery page.

For an app preview file size problem, re-encode to H.264 MP4 at quality High and keep the resolution Apple asks for. Smol sets quality and resolution, not a bitrate or an output size, so always check the result against the table above.

Quality is a Compress setting, not a Convert one: converting to JPG ignores it. Use the Compress operation with JPG as the output. In our benchmark of 24 small (768 × 512) photos, Smol made PNGs 69.2% smaller at quality 75. A flat UI screenshot behaves differently from a photograph, so measure your own files.

Export everything at the exact store size first, then drop the whole folder into Smol. Mixed batches work, so screenshots and the preview recording go in together.

1. 1

   Record and export at the store size

   Capture the simulator or device at an accepted resolution from the table, 30 fps or less, 15 to 30 seconds.

2. 2

   Drag the folder into Smol

   Originals stay untouched by default. Smol writes a copy with a _compressed suffix.

3. 3

   Set video to MP4, H.264, quality High

   H.265 is the default, so change it. See H.265 vs H.264 for what changes.

4. 4

   Set images to JPG and raise the resize limit

   Set the maximum dimension to at least the long edge, or turn resizing off, so Smol does not shrink your exact-size screenshots.

5. 5

   Run it and read the sizes

   Check each output: the preview within 500 MB and every screenshot at the pixel size you need.

6. 6

   Upload to App Store Connect and Play Console

   Apple can take up to 24 hours to process a preview, so upload early before a release.

The Finder Quick Action runs the same settings from a right-click, and the screen recording guide covers the recording step in more detail. Presets live on one Mac, so a team recreates the settings on each.

An app preview rejected for content breaks a rule about what it shows, not how big it is. Apple’s App Review Guidelines say previews may only use video screen captures of the app itself, and screenshots should show the app in use, not just title art, a login page or a splash screen.

File problems are a separate bucket: a wrong pixel size, a frame rate above 30 fps, a duration outside 15 to 30 seconds, or an alpha channel in a screenshot. Compare the file to the specification tables above. Smol can change codec and resolution; it cannot fix content, duration or frame rate, so re-record for those.

Start with the free tools, including sips for exact resizes. Read how to compress a video on a Mac and the image compressor comparison for tested alternatives. If your game ships many assets, see game asset optimization.

Smol is not the right choice in these cases.

• You need an exact bitrate, High Profile Level 4.0 or a fixed frame rate. Use a video encoder with those controls.
• The preview is the wrong length or shows the wrong content. Re-record it.
• You need pixel-identical PNG screenshots. Smol has no lossless mode; use ImageOptim.
• You need to produce exact device sizes from one master. Smol’s fit mode scales inside a box and one job makes one size.
• Your builds run on Linux CI. Use an image library, or the Smol API.