What Assets Do You Need for an App Preview Project?

Why assets matter before production starts

A production that starts without the right raw materials stalls. The most common delay in app preview projects is not editing — it is waiting for recordings, clarifications, or missing files that should have been prepared in advance. This guide is the pre-flight checklist every founder should run through before handing a project to a production team (or starting it yourself).

Required vs. optional at a glance

• Required: Screen recordings, app icon, features & messaging brief, target device class
• Strongly recommended: Demo data / sample content, App Store listing link, approved feature flags
• Optional: Figma files, brand guidelines, music preferences, voiceover scripts, localization versions

Required: Screen recordings

Screen recordings are the primary raw material for an Apple App Preview. Apple requires all footage be captured from a real device — not Simulator, not Mac screen capture, not mockup animations. Simulator footage sometimes makes it past review, but the risk of rejection and the subtle visual differences make it not worth the shortcut.

How to record properly:

• Use a physical iPhone running the production build of your app
• Use iOS's built-in screen recording (Control Center → Screen Recording), or connect the device to a Mac and use QuickTime → File → New Movie Recording → select iPhone as source
• Record the main user flows you want to feature — more is better; the editor will pick the best moments
• Record on the largest device size you are targeting — typically iPhone 16 Pro Max (6.9") for current productions, because footage downscales cleanly but upscaling softens
• Make sure the status bar shows clean time, full signal, and full battery — iOS screen recording handles this automatically on modern iOS
• Record in portrait or landscape to match your app's orientation
• Enable "Reduce Motion" if your app has heavy system animations you want to soften

Record more than you think you need. Aim for 3–5 minutes of raw footage across your key user journeys — usually 4–6 distinct screen recording clips. The final video will use 20–25 seconds of the best material, but the editor needs options to cut from.

Specific recording tips by app type

• Apps with onboarding: Record two versions — one starting fresh (for "what new users see") and one after setup (for "what your app looks like in regular use").
• Games: Capture a real gameplay session, not a hand-picked "cinematic" run. The preview will feel more honest and perform better.
• Productivity tools: Record a realistic workflow, start to finish, at natural pace. Speed adjustments happen in edit.
• Content apps (feeds, streaming): Pre-load realistic content so the app does not look empty or use demo placeholders.
• Multi-screen flows: Record each screen separately with clean transitions; do not worry about pacing in the recording.

Required: App icon (high resolution)

The app icon may appear in text overlays, end cards, or animated elements in the preview. Provide the icon as a high-resolution PNG (1024 × 1024 px minimum) without rounded corners — export tools add rounding automatically. If you have a transparent PNG version as well, include it.

Required: Key features & messaging brief

A brief — 5–8 bullet points — of the features and outcomes you most want to highlight. Do not write a full script; just note the user outcomes that matter most. The production team builds the narrative structure around this input.

Also critical:

• Who is your target user? Be specific. "Freelance designers who struggle with client handoffs" beats "creative professionals."
• What problem are they solving? One sentence.
• What is the single strongest benefit of your app? One sentence.
• What is your current App Store listing subtitle and description? This provides tonal context.
• Are there words or phrases you always/never want to use?

Required: Target device class

Which device sizes do you need previews for? Typical choices:

• Launch-ready minimum: 6.9" iPhone (covers most modern iPhones). Single master, clean and fast.
• Full iPhone coverage: 6.9" + 5.5" if you want to cover older Plus-size iPhones explicitly.
• iPhone + iPad: Add iPad if your app supports it. Separate recordings required.

Strongly recommended: Demo data or sample content

An empty app looks unused. Pre-populate your test device with realistic content before recording:

• Task apps: a few realistic tasks, some checked off
• Finance apps: sample transactions across categories
• Messaging apps: a plausible conversation thread
• Fitness apps: historical workouts showing progress
• Creative tools: in-progress projects that demonstrate output

Apple allows pre-populated demo states as long as the states are achievable in the real app. Fake states that cannot be created are a rejection risk.

Strongly recommended: App Store listing link

Send the existing App Store URL (or TestFlight link) so the production team can review the listing context — current screenshots, subtitle, description, competitive category. This influences how the preview is positioned.

Strongly recommended: Approved features flag

Confirm which features in the app are safe to show publicly. Some apps have beta features behind flags, region-locked features, or partner-restricted functionality. Flag these before production so the editor avoids showing them.

Optional: Figma or design files

If you have Figma files for your app's UI, sharing them allows the production team to create animated UI elements that supplement the screen recordings. This is particularly useful for:

• Highlighting specific UI elements with motion (rings, arrows, pulses)
• Creating smooth onboarding sequences where real screen recording would feel sluggish
• Ensuring text overlays use your exact brand fonts and colors
• Mocking up flows that are clunky in the live app but clean in motion

Optional: Brand guidelines

If your app has defined brand colors, typography, or an existing visual identity, share it. Motion design can match your brand rather than default to generic. Most useful items:

• Primary and secondary brand colors (hex codes)
• Brand font files or names if they are Google Fonts
• Logo variations (color, mono, white)
• Any "do not" examples (e.g., colors never used together)

Optional: Music preferences

Preview videos typically include background music. Helpful direction:

• Mood: upbeat / calm / dramatic / playful / minimal
• Genre: electronic / acoustic / cinematic / ambient / lo-fi
• Reference tracks: 1–2 songs that capture the vibe (we source licensable equivalents)
• Anti-references: tracks that do not match

Optional: Voiceover scripts or voice samples

If you want voiceover, indicate whether you want human talent, AI narration, or a team member's voice. For human VO, provide reference voices (accent, gender, tone). For AI, we can use ElevenLabs voices or similar.

Optional: Localization requirements

If you plan to launch in multiple App Store regions, list the languages you need. Localized previews typically require:

• Translated text overlays
• Translated voiceover (if used)
• Localized UI captures (if your app's UI is language-sensitive)

What you do not need to provide

• A script or storyboard
• An edit decision list
• Stock footage or b-roll (we do not use any)
• Final music selection
• Final text overlay copy

The production team handles structure, pacing, text overlays, motion design, music, export, and compliance. Your job is to provide the raw materials — and the clearer those are, the faster the project moves.

FAQ

How long does asset prep usually take?

For a founder with app access and Figma already organized, 1–3 hours. For teams gathering assets from multiple owners, allow 2–4 days.

Can I record on an iPhone I already own?

Yes, as long as it runs the target iOS version and is one of the supported device sizes. The 6.9" iPhone Pro Max is ideal; smaller devices still work for their respective classes.

What if my app is in private TestFlight?

Private TestFlight access is fine for recording. The preview can be produced from TestFlight footage as long as the features shown match what ships publicly.

Do I need professional-quality recordings?

No. Clean screen recordings at native resolution are sufficient. No camera rigs, no external audio, no lighting. iOS built-in recording is the baseline.

Can I provide footage from an old app version?

Only if the current shipping version shows the same UI. If the app has been updated, re-record.

What if I don't have design files or brand guidelines?

That is fine. The production team designs motion to complement your app's existing visual style from the screen recordings alone.

The practical takeaway

Most project delays come from missing or unclear assets. Spend 2 hours getting the required items lined up cleanly, and production moves at full speed. Skip this prep and expect days of back-and-forth that could have been avoided. The best briefs we receive are the shortest — one Google Drive folder with clean recordings, the icon, a 6-bullet brief, and a link to the App Store listing. That is enough.