Previews autoplay muted, so on-screen text does the talking. A guide to writing, timing, and styling text overlays that guide the viewer without cluttering your app.
App Store previews autoplay with the sound off, so your text overlays carry the message. Done right, they turn a silent screen recording into a guided tour. Done wrong, they bury your app under captions. Here is how to get it right.
One idea per scene
Each scene should have at most one line of text, stating the benefit of what is happening on screen. If you need two ideas, you need two scenes. Crowding multiple captions into one moment guarantees the viewer reads none of them.
Time it to the action
- Bring the text in just before the action it describes, so the viewer reads, then sees it happen.
- Hold it long enough to read: roughly one second per three or four words.
- Clear it before the next scene so captions never overlap or pile up.
Style for legibility
- High contrast against the screen behind it: add a subtle scrim or shadow if the UI is busy.
- Large type; assume the viewer is watching a small autoplaying thumbnail.
- A consistent font and position across scenes so the eye knows where to look.
- On-brand color, but never at the cost of readability.
Keep text away from the edges
The App Store overlays its own UI around the preview, and different devices crop slightly differently. Keep captions within a safe central band so nothing important gets clipped.
Good overlays feel like subtitles for a film you can already follow: they guide, they do not explain.
– Sabrina Fraser
prevy includes timed text overlays with brand-ready fonts and safe-area guides, so you can write the line, drop it on the timeline, and trust it will read clearly on every device.
Written by
Sabrina Fraser
Product Designer & ASO Specialist
Sabrina designs the frames, motion, and typography that make a 15-second preview feel inevitable. She obsesses over the first three seconds and the last call to action.