Publishing app screenshots to the Apple App store - ios

When publishing my app to the Apple app store, can I add screenshot designs for the iPhone 6.5-inch size and iPhone 5.5-inch size designed using the same iPhone 11 mockup? But the screenshot design images are in the separate proper size.
(6.5 inch size - 1242 x 2688)
(5.5 inch size - 1242 x 2208)
Is that ok with app store guidelines or any other rules?

According to Apple's policy for showing the content responsive to the device , you should add different screenshot for different dimensions, here you can find the dimensions , there are also other things you need to keep in mind:
The Screen shots should not include any lorem ipsum texts
They should not violate any person's policy (sharing someone's picture with info etc.)
It should not include word free
there are also other rules but these are main ones.
for more info you can also go through :
https://developer.apple.com/app-store/marketing/guidelines/
https://developer.apple.com/app-store/review/guidelines/

"App Store screenshots should accurately communicate your app’s value and functionality. Use text and overlay images to highlight your app’s user experience, not obscure it. Make sure app UI and product images match the corresponding device type in App Store Connect. This helps users understand your app and makes for a positive App Store experience."
Link: https://developer.apple.com/app-store/review/
You can make a judgment call based on this.

If you have only one iPhone to make screenshots, you can use the simulator to make the screenshots for any supported device. It will be in resolution of the device.
Use screenshot command from simulator menus.

Related

Dimensions of App Store Connect Screenshots

I have uploaded screenshots for my app based on what Apple have said in their screenshot specifications.
I am worried as when I upload them to App Store Connect, they shrink and appear blurry, but when I click on them to view them, they are very high resolution.
When putting app icons into Xcode a similar thing happens: they look awful, but on the real devices they look great.
Will the screenshots look alright? (The dimensions they provide are still not what they will show as unless the user views them full screen.)
Don't worry, the screenshots will look alright. Screenshot sizes are equal to device screen sizes, so even in full screen everything will look good. When I uploaded icons and screenshots to App Store Connect they also were blurred, but on App Store they were alright.

Using rescaled iPhone screenshots as iPad screenshots in universal app for itunes connect

Can't directly take screenshots from an iPad simulator/device. Thus, resorting to rescaling crisp iPhone screenshots into iPad screenshots. The results are minor width stretching.
1242x2208 (iPhone 5.5") is rescaled into 2048x2732 (iPad 12.9") using 'nearest neighbor (preserve hard edges)' in photoshop resampling.
Currently I don't mind because the specific iPhone screenshots were very hard to capture & I need them the way they are; replicating them through the simulator/device would be impossible, especially for the iPad.
Will apple have issues with this during review process & reject the app?
Or it doesn't matter?
I can't speak exactly to the original question about the App Store but I've found that they allow some significant variation with screenshots (although obviously the pixel dimensions do have to meet requirements) such as adding marketing text and images around a partial screenshot. You could maybe go that route if you can grab part of an iPad image.
Is your screen resolution too low on your Macbook or external monitor to take simulator shots of an iPad? If so, perhaps you can find a 4K/5K monitor to use temporarily (maybe even at a computer store by being nice to someone :) ). Maybe landscape screenshots would work instead?
Anyways two ways you could grab them (with the Scale set to Pixel Accurate) are:
⌘-Shift-4, press space bar with the mouse over the simulator window, and then click, or
In the Simulator app, File/New Screenshot (⌘-s)
Hope that helps!
So I risked it & attached re-scaled iPhone screenshots as iPad screenshots into iTunes Connect. The app passed the app review process with no problems & is now released into the App Store.
Just to clarify, as Mark Thormann has already pointed out, variation is allowed BUT "pixel dimensions do have to meet requirements"!

iTunes connect - You must upload a valid screenshot

While trying to add Review Information for my In-App-Product I upload a screenshot (successfully) that is 1280x800, no alpha.
I then go to click "save", and it gives me an error message such as:
You must upload a valid screenshot
Your Screenshot must be a valid size. Learn more
No further information is given. As far as I can tell my screenshot is valid.
I've tried both Firefox and Safari.
I would like to add to the accepted answer because regurgitating the documentation does little to resolve actual problems.
After taking a screen shot of the app on my device for in app purchase review and it still didn't work, I did some investigating.
After you attempt to upload a screen shot and see the error to upload a valid size, you can open the browser inspector to see the error details. The image MUST be one of these dimensions:
accepted resolutions found in console error
Something else I didn't realize is when taking screen shots with command-shift-4 on macbooks, when you hold it down for the drag you can see the actual dimensions of the screen shot you are taking, but for some reason it saves it as DOUBLE the size. I ended up taking a screen shot where the cross hairs of the screen shot say 320 x 480 resulting in a saved png of 640x960. It has to be one of the pre set sizes in order for image upload to accept it.
After banging my head on a wall for a couple hours I figured this out, so I hope this helps others .
Upload screenshots of 1242×2208 resolution (iPhone 6 Plus).
If your app is the same across device sizes and localizations, you can
use the highest resolution screenshot for each device type; this set
will scale appropriately for other device sizes when viewed on the App
Store in each localization available in iTunes Connect. For example,
if your app supports only the iPhone, you can provide 5.5-inch display
screenshots and you do not need separate screenshots for the 4.7-inch,
4.0-inch and 3.5-inch displays.
See Screenshot Properties section here for details
Screen shots of the simulator taken via Command + Shift + 4 or screenshots taken using a real device (even latest iPhone 11) are not accepted by App Store Connect.
Instead, use your Simulator in the latest & biggest device mode (currently iPhone 11 Pro Max) and use simulator's menu:
File > New Screen shot
Or just press Command + S.
It saves the screen shot file to the desktop. It will be accepted by App Store Connect.
PS: Just for the sake of more info, this question is related to this one: iTunes Connect Screenshots Sizes for all iOS (iPhone/iPad/Apple Watch) devices
screenshot of the in-app purchase as it appears on the device. This screenshot is used for Apple’s review only and is not displayed on the App Store.
Screenshots requirements are outlined below:
iOS requires at least 640 x 920 pixels.
tvOS requires 1920 x1080 pixels.
macOS requires 1280 x 800 pixels.
After you upload an app review image, you can replace it, but you can’t remove it. You can’t update the screenshot while you in-app purchase is in review.
You are uploading screenshot of wrong size. It must be of at least 640 x 960 or any other size that inherits the iPhone screen size in 2x or 3x dimension.
It better you upload screenshot of your iPhone.
Apple Doc Reference
Run this app into iPhone 8 simulator.
Then take a screenshot using the simulator.
This is how my screenshott upload worked.

How to use the new "Simplified Screenshot Submission Process" in iTunes Connect?

According to this article you can submit a single screenshot size and have iTunes connect generate screenshots for all other screen sized.
I tried uploading a single set of screenshots under the "Submit for review" screen" but unfortunately I was unable to make it work..
What am I missing?
Itunesconnect doesn't generate screenshot for other size rather it uses one size screenshot for all iphones and one size for all ipads that "you" upload.
What you need to do is
Go to itunesconnect and click on "Media Manager" for your app
Lets say you are making a iphone only app then upload screenshots for size 5.5
Make sure the check marks next to "4.7", "4.0", "3.5" tabs are checked.
This means that once your app is approved then on App Store will use your 5.5 screenshots and display them as previews.
Similarly if you are making an iPad app then
Upload iPad Pro "12.9" display screenshots
Make sure the box next to iPad "9.7" is checked
That's it you are done!
Well I made Screenshots for 5.5 inch and iPad Pro, and it scales down to the other devices. Instead of you having to make screenshots for 4 different sizes you only need to make 1 for iPhone and 1 for iPad.
Once you upload for the 2 sizes ; You need to go into your "Media Manage" in itunes connect, and tick "Use 5.5inch display" for all the empty screenshot sizes. or you'll get some annoying errors.
It really does make life easier :)
Yes, but you must provide top resolution Screenshot in order to be able to scale-down.
So be ready to submit iPhone 5.5 and iPad Pro 12.9, then yes, you can use these two for all devices.
Apple information is kind of misleading.

New iTunes Connect Screenshot Process - Issue Uploading Primary Device Screenshots

Just wondering if anyone else is having this issue. I'm unable to drag and drop screenshots (which as 100% the right size) into the new iTunes Connect media uploaded - whether it's on the main app page or in the Media Manager.
It just says that it's already using the 5.5-inch shots (of which there are none) and won't give me the ability to upload.
Interestingly, if I uncheck one of the smaller sizes I can drag screenshots to those just fine.
Screenshot of the issue:-
When I update the version of my App, also encountered the same situation. After trying various methods, the solution is found.
upload a screenshot of the non-primary language,
change the primary language,
modify the non-primary language screenshot,
change back the primary language.
Yeah Succeed!!!
There seems to be a bug in iTunes Connect that causes the 5.5 inch iPhone (and 12.9 inch iPad) screenshot upload to act identically to the smaller sizes in that it's disabled unless you choose to use a separate screenshot for that size. Except that the checkbox that allows you to do that is hidden in the largest device size in the group (iPhone/iPad). The bug seems to affect some combinations of localizations.
Right now you can play around with the languages as suggested in Bo Lin's answer, file a bug report to Apple, try to enable the screenshot upload if you're skilled at Angular.js (and I'm not sure if it's actually even possible), or just wait.
You only have to upload 5.5 screen sizes and 12.9 sizes screen shots
(Portrait)
5.5 screenshot size : 1242 × 2208
12.9 screenshot size : 2048 × 2732

Resources