A clear, screenshot-free walkthrough of uploading an App Store preview video in App Store Connect, including poster frames, localization slots, and the errors to avoid.
Once your preview is exported at the right resolution, getting it live is straightforward, but App Store Connect has a few quirks worth knowing before you start. Here is the full flow.
Before you upload
- Confirm your video is at the exact required resolution for the device size (e.g. 1320 × 2868 for 6.9-inch).
- Confirm it is 15–30 seconds and under 500 MB.
- Have your screenshots ready for the same device size: they live in the same media slot.
The upload steps
- In App Store Connect, open your app, then go to the Distribution / App Store tab and select the version you are preparing.
- Scroll to the App Previews and Screenshots section and choose the device size you are uploading for (start with 6.9-inch).
- Drag your preview video into the first media slot. Previews always appear before screenshots on the product page.
- Wait for processing: App Store Connect transcodes the file, which can take a few minutes.
- Once processed, click the preview to choose the poster frame: the still shown before playback.
- Add your screenshots after the preview in the same slot.
- Repeat for any additional device sizes you support, or rely on Apple scaling your largest size down.
Localization slots
App Store Connect lets you upload different previews per localization. If you have translated metadata for key markets, a localized preview (even just localized text overlays) can lift conversion meaningfully in those regions. You do not need to localize every market at once: start with your biggest non-English audiences.
Common upload errors
- “Incorrect dimensions”: the file is not at the exact required resolution. Re-export; do not let App Store Connect scale.
- Stuck on processing: usually a transient transcode issue; remove and re-upload.
- Rejected in review for showing a device frame: export full-bleed, without a phone frame baked into the video.
- Rejected for content: previews must show only your app, no pricing, other platforms, or external comparisons.
Export clean from prevy at the right size, and the upload itself is the easy part: most of the friction comes from files that were never quite to spec in the first place.
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.