Can You Add Text Overlays to an Apple App Preview?

The short answer

Yes. Apple explicitly permits text overlays, graphics, and motion graphics in app preview videos. They are one of the most effective tools for communicating value in a format where many users will be watching on mute.

The rules around overlays are about honesty and relevance, not about prohibiting text. Understanding where the line is means you can use overlays confidently.

What Apple allows

Apple's guidelines permit text and graphics that:

• Relate directly to the app's content and functionality
• Name or describe features that are actually visible in the footage
• Highlight user outcomes that the app can deliver
• Use motion graphics consistent with the app's visual style

In practice, this means short benefit-focused headlines, feature callouts, and animated text elements are all fair game — as long as they are honest and connected to what the app does.

What to avoid

Unverifiable claims. Text like "Best productivity app of 2026" or "#1 rated" without evidence in the App Store listing is the kind of claim that can attract a rejection for misleading content. Keep claims specific and provable.

Covering key UI elements. Text overlays that permanently obscure the app interface can give reviewers the impression you are hiding something — or that the app's UI is not strong enough to stand on its own. Overlays should frame and highlight the footage, not bury it.

Pricing or terms not reflected in the listing. If your overlay mentions a price or subscription term, it needs to match what is actually in the App Store listing exactly.

Best practices for text overlays

Keep headlines short

A preview plays at small size in search results. Text needs to be large enough to read at that size, which means fewer words per overlay. Aim for five words or fewer per headline. If you cannot say it in five words, simplify the message, not the font size.

Time overlays to the footage

Text should appear when the relevant footage is on screen, not before or after. An overlay that names a feature should appear as that feature is being demonstrated — this creates a tight visual link between the text and the action, which reinforces both.

Use contrast

Dark app UIs benefit from light text; light UIs from dark text or a semi-transparent backing. Text that blends into the footage background is effectively invisible to a user watching at small size.

Limit simultaneous text

One headline at a time is almost always the right approach. Two competing text elements split the user's attention; one focused headline drives it.

Overlays and localization

One underappreciated advantage of text overlays over voiceover: they are significantly easier to localize. Swapping overlay text for a different language version requires re-exporting the video with updated text — no re-recording, no new audio session. If you plan to target multiple markets, text-forward overlays reduce your localization cost substantially.

Per-language cost comparison for a typical 30-second preview:

• Voiceover localization: €150–400 per language (recording + edit)
• Text overlay localization: €40–120 per language (translation + re-export)
• AI voiceover localization: €30–80 per language (if you already have a subscription)

Typography that works in App Store previews

Type choices matter more in preview videos than in typical marketing video because the playback sizes are small and the viewing time is short. A few practical rules:

• Pick a sans-serif with strong character weight. At thumbnail size, thin serifs vanish. Look for something with high x-height and solid stroke weight — Inter, Satoshi, Archivo, Geist.
• Minimum size: 32px at the final output resolution. Below that, text does not render reliably in autoplay cards.
• High contrast only. White on dark or black on light. Avoid mid-tone overlays that blend into the UI behind them.
• One display weight, one body weight, max. Mixing three or four weights reads as busy at small size.
• Avoid italics for primary overlays. Italics lose readability faster than upright forms at small sizes.

Animation patterns that work

Text overlays benefit from restrained motion. The goal is to draw the eye without distracting from the app footage. Patterns that tend to work:

• Simple fade + slide. 200–300ms ease-out from below the final position. Feels natural without being showy.
• Masked reveal (left-to-right). Good for short headlines where the word reveal itself feels like pacing.
• Character stagger. Each character fades in over 150–250ms total. Looks premium for brand-led previews.
• Scale-in (from 0.95 to 1). Subtle pop that signals emphasis without feeling bouncy.

Patterns that usually hurt:

• Bounce / elastic easing. Feels app-store-generic and dates quickly.
• Typewriter effect. Too slow for a 30-second video. Viewers have scrolled before it finishes.
• 3D or dimensional text. Adds visual clutter without added meaning.
• Stroke-on letters. Reads as old motion-graphics template at small size.

FAQ

Can I use handwriting-style text overlays?

You can, but readability at small size usually suffers. Fine for accent words; not for primary benefit headlines.

Is there a max number of overlays in a preview?

No hard limit. In practice, 4–6 overlays across 30 seconds is the sweet spot. More than that feels cluttered.

Can overlays mention pricing?

Only if they match the listing exactly. "Free to try" when the app has a mandatory paywall trips rejection.

Can overlays be animated characters or icons (not just text)?

Yes. Motion graphics — icons, illustrations, brand elements — are allowed as long as they relate to the app and do not cover critical UI.

Can I use emoji in overlays?

Yes. Emoji render fine in App Store previews. Use them sparingly — one or two per preview — or they turn into noise.