App Preview Videos: When to Use Them and How to Make Them Convert

Apple lets you add up to three App Preview videos per device size. When a user views your product page, the first video autoplays — silently — before your screenshots appear. That autoplay is a double-edged sword: a polished, benefit-first video is one of the most powerful conversion tools in the App Store. A rushed or confusing video actively hurts your install rate.

This guide covers when to use a preview video versus screenshots only, what the specifications require, and how to structure a video that converts.

What is an App Preview video?

App Preview videos are short video clips (15–30 seconds) that demonstrate your app's actual experience. They are displayed before your screenshots on your product page and appear as the first visual in App Store search results for the primary device size.

Key behaviors to understand:

• Autoplay is silent by default. Users tap to unmute. Any message your video delivers must work without sound — use titles, captions, and on-screen text.
• The first 3 seconds decide. If the video does not immediately communicate value, most users stop watching and move to the screenshots.
• Apple requires actual app footage. You cannot use animated mockups, stock footage, or marketing graphics. The video must show the app in use on a real device.

Technical specifications

• Duration: 15–30 seconds.
• Format: H.264 or HEVC video, AAC or no audio track.
• Resolution: native device resolution (1320 × 2868 px for 6.9" iPhone portrait; 2868 × 1320 px for landscape).
• Frame rate: 30 fps standard; up to 60 fps accepted.
• Maximum file size: 500 MB per video file.
• Number of videos: up to 3 per device size.

Portrait orientation (the phone held upright) is standard for most app types. Landscape makes sense for games and apps that run primarily in landscape mode.

When video helps conversion

Preview videos have the highest ROI for:

• Games — gameplay footage communicates the experience far better than any screenshot can. A 20-second gameplay clip showing satisfying mechanics, art style, and progression typically outperforms screenshots significantly.
• Motion-heavy apps — photo/video editors, animation tools, fitness apps — anything where the interactivity is the product benefit.
• Complex workflows — productivity apps where the value is not obvious from a static screenshot. Seeing someone actually use the app builds credibility.

When screenshots win

Not every app benefits from a preview video. Screenshots often outperform video for:

• Utility apps — a weather app, a unit converter, a timer. The benefit is obvious from a well-designed screenshot. An awkward 30-second video of someone checking the weather adds nothing.
• Apps where the first screenshot is the strongest hook — if your value proposition is immediately clear and visually compelling, a video that takes 10 seconds to get to the point may delay the "I want this" moment.
• Situations where production quality is limited — a shaky screen recording with jarring cuts actively signals lower product quality. If your video is not polished, do not ship it.

A great screenshot loads instantly and communicates in zero seconds. A video requires attention across time. If you cannot hold that attention for 15 seconds, screenshots will outperform you.

— ASO practitioner heuristic

How to structure a converting preview video

1. 1Seconds 0–3: The hook. Show the most visually impressive or immediately useful moment first. Do not open with a logo or loading screen.
2. 2Seconds 3–20: The demonstration. Show the core use case in action. Avoid menus and settings — show the thing people actually come to your app to do.
3. 3Seconds 20–30: The close. Reinforce the key benefit with a short text caption. Something simple — "Your budget, in one tap" — not a feature list.

Google Play promo videos

Google Play supports a promo video linked from YouTube — not a hosted video file. You add a YouTube URL to your listing, and Google embeds it as a play button on your store listing page. Unlike App Store previews, Google Play promo videos do not autoplay.

The practical difference: Google Play promo videos are less likely to hurt you (no autoplay means users opt in) but also less likely to provide the same conversion lift as a polished App Store preview at the top of search results.

Screenshots and video: the combined strategy

When your video is strong, lead with it — but make sure the screenshots that follow reinforce and expand on the story it told. The two assets should work together, not repeat each other.

When you are not sure, run an A/B test via Product Page Optimization: test your current screenshot-only set against a version with a preview video in slot one. Let actual conversion data decide which approach works for your specific app and audience.