Uploading screenshots to App Store Connect
Seven steps, the five errors that block an upload, and the review flags that turn a screenshot into a rejection. Verify anything time-sensitive against App Store Connect itself before you submit.
Reading time: about 7 minutes
- 01
Open the version, not the app record
App Store Connect separates the app record from the version you are preparing. Screenshots live on the version: My Apps, your app, then the version listed under iOS App in the left sidebar. If you cannot find the screenshot section, you are on the app record rather than a version.
- 02
Choose the localisation first
The language dropdown at the top right of the version page sets which localisation you are editing. Every screenshot you drop in belongs to that language only. Switching language before uploading is the difference between a localised gallery and one English set repeated eleven times.
- 03
Upload the 6.9 inch iPhone set
Drop in up to 10 images at 1290 × 2796. App Store Connect scales this set down to the smaller iPhone families automatically, so this single upload covers the whole iPhone lineup unless you deliberately want different artwork per size.
- 04
Upload the iPad set if your binary declares iPad support
Up to 10 images at 2064 × 2752 for the 13 inch iPad Pro family. If your build supports iPad and this section is empty, submission is blocked — this is the most common last-minute release delay.
- 05
Reorder by dragging
Position matters more than count. Search results show the first two or three; the product page crops the first frame at the edge. Drag your strongest benefit frame into position one and your clearest proof frame into position two.
- 06
Repeat for every localisation
Switch the language dropdown and upload that language's folder. If you exported from the generator, each locale is already its own folder in the ZIP, so this is one drag per language rather than a renaming exercise.
- 07
Save, then decide how it ships
Screenshot changes on a version that is already live publish when the next version is approved. To change screenshots on a live listing without shipping a build, edit the current version metadata — Apple allows metadata-only changes, but they still go through review.
Five errors that block the upload
These fire before review, at the moment you drop the file in.
- “The image dimensions are incorrect”
- The file is not exactly the pixel size that slot expects. Even a one-pixel difference is rejected. Re-export at the exact target rather than resizing by hand.
- “Image contains an alpha channel”
- The PNG still carries transparency. Flatten onto a solid background and re-save. This is the single most frequent upload failure.
- “Unsupported colour space”
- The file is CMYK or has an unusual embedded profile. Convert to sRGB before uploading.
- “You must provide screenshots for iPad”
- Your build declares iPad support. Either supply the iPad set or remove iPad from the build's supported devices.
- “Cannot mix portrait and landscape”
- One device family must be all portrait or all landscape. Pick one orientation per family and stay in it.
Six things that get flagged in review
These pass the upload validator and fail a human. Each one costs a full review cycle.
Screenshots that show hardware Apple no longer ships, or a non-Apple device.
Placeholder, lorem, or obviously fake content inside the framed screen.
Prices, offers or claims the app does not actually honour.
Any reference to another platform or store, including an Android device shell.
Screens the reviewer cannot reach in the build — features behind a flag you did not enable for review.
Content that misrepresents the app's functionality or age rating.
The full rules and the technical spec behind them are on screenshot requirements and sizes & safe zones.
Questions
How many screenshots can I upload to App Store Connect?+
Up to 10 per device family, per localisation. Most successful listings use five to seven — the drop-off in attention after the third frame is steep, and a weak eighth screenshot does not help.
Do I need to upload every iPhone size separately?+
No. Uploading the 6.9" set at 1290 × 2796 is enough; App Store Connect derives the smaller families from it. Supply a second set only if you want deliberately different artwork on smaller devices.
Can I change screenshots without submitting a new build?+
Yes. Metadata-only changes to the current version — including screenshots — can be submitted without a new binary, but they still go through App Review before the live listing updates.
When do new screenshots go live?+
When the version they belong to is approved and released. If you edit a version that is still in preparation, nothing changes on the live listing until that version ships.
Why is my upload rejected when the file looks fine?+
Almost always an alpha channel or a dimension that is off by a few pixels — both invisible when you open the file locally. Exporting at the store preset removes both causes, because the file is flattened and rendered at the exact target size.
Arrive with the files already correct
Export with the Apple App Store preset and every file is at the exact slot dimension, flattened, and foldered by language.
Generate the set