Apple App Preview Guidelines Explained in Plain English

Where the rules come from

Apple's app preview requirements are spread across the App Store Review Guidelines and the technical specifications in App Store Connect. Most founders only discover the rules when a video gets rejected — which is the worst possible time to learn them.

The good news is that the rules are not complicated. They are just specific. Once you understand them, it is straightforward to build compliant previews from the start. This post walks through every guideline Apple enforces, in plain English, with notes on how the rule is applied in practice (which is sometimes stricter and sometimes more forgiving than the written rule).

The one-minute summary

• Real in-app footage only. No stock, no staged shots, no competitor content.
• 15–30 seconds. Strict. Outside that range = automatic reject.
• Correct format. .mov or .mp4, H.264 or HEVC, 30fps, matching your app's orientation.
• No misleading claims. Features shown must exist. Prices must match. Outcomes must be real.
• Text overlays must relate to the app, not be unrelated promotional copy.
• First frame must be in-app. No title cards, logos, or black intros as the opening frame.
• Age-appropriate content. Must match your app's age rating.

What Apple actually requires

Real app footage only

Every frame of your preview must show footage captured directly from the app. No stock footage, no lifestyle shots, no product photography, no animation that does not appear in the app itself.

Apple's reviewers check this. If a frame cannot be matched to something a user can actually do inside the app, it can trigger a rejection. The strictest interpretation: if a frame shows a moment the app cannot reproduce on demand — a leaderboard position, a chart state, a notification appearing at a specific time — reviewers may flag it even if the underlying feature is real.

Two common gray areas:

• Staged but real UI states. If you pre-populate test data so the app looks "used" (filled task lists, sample transactions, demo conversations), that is allowed as long as the state is achievable in the real app.
• Motion graphics overlays. Text, arrows, and callouts are fine as long as the underlying footage is in-app. You cannot use motion graphics to fake a UI element.

Duration: 15 to 30 seconds

Your preview must be between 15 and 30 seconds long. Under 15 seconds is rejected. Over 30 seconds is rejected. There is no flexibility here — App Store Connect will not accept a file that falls outside this range.

Note: Apple measures duration to the second. A file that reads 14.9 seconds in your editor may be flagged, and a file that reads 30.1 seconds will be. If you are near the edge, pad with a held end frame or trim a few frames off the head.

File format and technical specs

Apple requires .mov or .mp4 files encoded in H.264 or HEVC (H.265). The accepted dimensions depend on which device size you are targeting:

• 6.9" (iPhone 16 Pro Max): 886 × 1920 px (portrait) or 1920 × 886 px (landscape); 1080 × 1920 / 1920 × 1080 also accepted
• 6.5" (iPhone 15 Plus, 14 Plus, 11 Pro Max, XS Max): 886 × 1920 or 1080 × 1920 (portrait); 1920 × 886 or 1920 × 1080 (landscape)
• 5.5" (iPhone 8 Plus, 7 Plus, etc.): 1080 × 1920 px or 1920 × 1080 px
• iPad 13" / 12.9": 1200 × 1600 or 1600 × 1200
• iPad 11" / 10.5" / 9.7": 1200 × 1600 or 1600 × 1200

Additional technical constraints:

• Frame rate: exactly 30fps (not 24, not 60)
• File size: under 500 MB
• Audio: AAC encoding if present; mono or stereo both accepted
• Color space: Rec. 709 (standard) or P3 (if your app uses wide gamut)

You need to upload the correct size for each device class you want to target. Apple does not auto-resize — though it does auto-scale similar device classes (6.9" and 6.5" can share a master).

No misleading representations

Apple is strict about accuracy. The preview cannot show:

• Features the app does not actually have
• Pricing that does not match the listing
• Outcomes that mislead (e.g., "Lose 10lbs in a week" for a fitness app)
• Ratings or awards the app has not received
• Editorial endorsements or press logos unless the app genuinely has them

This is less about creative polish and more about honesty — Apple wants users to know what they are installing before they install it. Reviewers are particularly alert to fitness, finance, dating, and health apps, where misleading outcomes can cause real harm.

Text overlays are allowed, but must relate to the app

You can add text, graphics, and motion graphics on top of your app footage. These must relate to the app's content and functionality. Specifically:

• Allowed: Feature names, benefit callouts, user outcomes ("Track your streaks"), product category labels, UI annotations
• Not allowed: Promotional pricing ("50% off"), competitor comparisons ("Better than X"), urgency tactics ("Limited time"), unrelated editorial content

Gray area: call-to-action text. "Try it now" is usually fine; "Download now" can trigger scrutiny because the App Store already has a Get button right above the preview. When in doubt, frame the CTA as product context, not promotional command.

The first frame rule

The first frame of the video is used as the poster image — the still that users see before they tap play, and the frame that autoplays in search cards. It must be in-app footage. A logo card, a title slide, a product name, or a black frame as the opening shot will get flagged.

Practical implication: the first frame is also the single most valuable frame in your entire video. Treat it like a magazine cover. It has to read at thumbnail size, with no sound, and communicate what the app is in a heartbeat.

Localization rules

You can upload one preview per localized storefront (US, UK, Japan, Germany, etc.). All localized previews must still follow the same rules — they cannot contain content the base version does not, and they must reflect the real app in that language/region.

If you do not upload a localized version, Apple uses your default preview for that region. That is acceptable but usually underperforms a properly localized cut.

Age rating consistency

Your preview must match your app's age rating. A 4+ rated app cannot show graphic violence in the preview. A 17+ app has more latitude but still cannot show content that violates App Store Review Guidelines on any rating.

What does not get checked — but still matters

Apple does not formally review these, but they can still sink your preview in other ways:

• Audio levels. Apple does not enforce a loudness standard, but previews that are noticeably louder or quieter than average feel amateurish. Mix to roughly -16 LUFS integrated for consistency with typical mobile video.
• Music licensing. Apple does not verify you own the audio, but a DMCA takedown from a rights-holder can pull your listing. Always use properly licensed stock music or original composition.
• Creative quality. Apple approves technically compliant videos even if they are badly paced, ugly, or confusing. Quality is on you.
• Third-party branding. Logos of services your app integrates with (Stripe, Google, Meta) are tolerated when incidental but can trigger rejection if prominent. Keep them small and contextual.

Common rejection patterns — and how to avoid them

• Wrong aspect ratio. Portrait app submitted with landscape preview, or vice versa. Fix: confirm orientation in Info.plist before production.
• Non-app footage. A product photography shot, a hand holding the phone, or a rendered 3D device mockup. Fix: crop to screen-only, or strip the device frame entirely.
• Pricing mismatch. Preview shows "Free" but app has required in-app purchases. Fix: match the App Store description exactly.
• Overpromising outcomes. Language like "guaranteed results" or "lose weight fast" for apps that cannot genuinely deliver. Fix: softer, realistic claims tied to real features.
• First frame is a logo. Fix: trim the intro, start on in-app footage.
• File length 30.2 seconds. Fix: trim a few frames. Use a duration display in your editor set to hundredths of a second.
• Wrong frame rate. 24fps or 60fps exports get rejected. Fix: conform to 30fps on export.

For the full catalog of rejection reasons with fixes, see why Apple rejects app preview videos.

What happens when Apple rejects

App Store Connect returns a rejection message describing the violated guideline. You cannot appeal the technical specs (wrong dimensions is wrong dimensions), but you can respond through the Resolution Center for content interpretation disputes. A second opinion from a different reviewer sometimes overturns borderline calls.

After you fix and resubmit, review typically runs same-day. Multiple rejections do not blacklist your app — Apple will keep reviewing until you ship something compliant — but each rejection costs a review cycle and can delay a launch.

FAQ

Can I use voiceover narration?

Yes. Voiceover is allowed and common. It must not make misleading claims. Localize per storefront if you use it across regions.

Can I show competitor apps?

No. Showing competitor UI or logos is grounds for rejection and can also create legal exposure.

Can I use music with lyrics?

Yes, if properly licensed. Instrumental tracks are more common because lyrics compete with voiceover and on-screen text for attention.

Can I update the preview after the app is live?

Yes, anytime. Preview updates go through review but do not require a new app binary submission. Turnaround is usually same-day.

Does Apple approve previews with AI-generated voiceover?

Yes. Apple does not restrict AI narration as long as the content is accurate and the voice does not impersonate a real person without permission.

Can I show fictional users or testimonials in the preview?

Real testimonials from actual users are allowed with consent. Fictional testimonials presented as real are not — that falls under misleading representation.

The practical takeaway

Building compliant previews is mostly a production discipline. Record from the actual app. Export at the right dimensions and frame rate. Keep the duration between 15 and 30 seconds. Make sure your first frame is in-app footage. Do not show features or promises the app cannot deliver. Keep text overlays app-related.

Most rejections come from one of three things: wrong file specs, non-app footage, or a misleading representation. Avoid those three and you are almost always approved on first submission. The rules are not there to trip you up — they exist to keep the App Store honest. Treat them like guardrails, not obstacles.