Create an effective App Preview.

Plan

Start with one clear message.

Ask what feature or outcome a new user should remember. Focus the first preview on that answer. If you create more previews, make sure each one shows something new.

Tell an in-app story.

1. Show the starting state or task inside the app.
2. Show the key interaction that solves it.
3. Hold on the completed result long enough to understand it.

Use captured app experience, not promotional footage. For AR or visionOS, follow Apple's platform-specific guidance when environmental context is necessary to show the feature accurately.

Prepare and capture

Record a stable, real app experience.

Use a release-quality build and a prepared demo account. The state should be repeatable so you can recapture a scene without rebuilding the story.

Show real usage.

• Record deliberate in-app interactions.
• Scroll slowly and let every action finish.
• Capture at native UI resolution. Do not zoom in to change how the app looks.
• Use a touch hotspot overlay only when it makes an interaction clearer.

Remove distractions before recording.

• Use fictional but believable content.
• Hide notifications, personal information, debug controls, and unfinished UI.
• Do not include permission prompts unless the prompt is essential to the feature you are demonstrating.
• Show only content you have the right to use in every territory where the app is available, and keep every scene appropriate for all ages.

Edit

Keep the edit quiet and easy to follow.

Most scenes work well at two to four seconds, but comprehension decides the timing. Keep a scene on screen for as long as someone needs to understand the UI and read any caption.

Use text sparingly.

A short caption can explain what the screen alone cannot. Do not repeat what is already obvious.

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Avoid prices, dates, or seasonal statements that will age quickly. If a shown feature requires a login, subscription, or in-app purchase, make that clear in the footage or end frame.

Keep motion subtle.

Simple cuts, dissolves, and fades are usually enough. Do not use a transition that implies functionality your app does not provide.

Watch without sound.

App Previews autoplay muted. If a voiceover or sound effect carries meaning, add enough visual context for the preview to work without it.

Validate and deliver

Review the preview as a product promise.

Before export, check that the preview accurately represents the app and sets the right expectation for someone seeing it for the first time.

• Can someone understand the feature in the first few seconds?
• Does every scene communicate something useful?
• Is any interaction repetitive, misleading, or too fast?
• Are captions readable on a small screen and in every supported language?
• Does the preview make sense with the sound off?

Choose the poster frame intentionally.

When video autoplay is disabled, the poster frame represents the preview. Select a clear frame that communicates the app's value without needing motion.