Guide

How to upload an App Store preview video

Jul 19, 2026 Add App Store app preview videos the right way: specs, poster frames, ordering with screenshots, and how Helm media management keeps previews ready to ship.

An app preview is a short video that plays on your product page and in search results when Apple shows it. Done well, it demonstrates the product faster than static frames. Done poorly, it is a silent loop nobody watches. This guide covers prep, poster frames, upload order, and how Helm screenshots and previews keep media organized by size and locale.

When a preview is worth it

Ship a preview when:

The product is visual or interactive in a way screenshots undersell
You have a clear 15 to 30 second story
You can keep the first two seconds understandable without sound

Skip or delay when UI is changing weekly, or when you only have a marketing montage with no real product footage. Reviewers and shoppers both notice fake demos.

Specs to respect

Apple’s exact pixel sizes, codecs, and duration limits track device families and change as new displays ship. Before you export:

Confirm the target device size for the version (iPhone, iPad, Mac, and so on)
Match orientation to that slot
Use a supported format and frame rate from Apple’s current media guide
Keep file sizes practical for upload reliability

Do not stretch a phone capture into an iPad slot. Crop and re-export per family, or capture natively on each class of device.

Storyboard the first three seconds

Shoppers decide whether to keep watching almost immediately. Structure:

Hook: the core outcome on screen (not a logo sting)
Proof: one or two key interactions
Close: a calm end card or final state that matches your first screenshot

Captions help when sound is off, which is most of the time. Keep text large and sparse.

Poster frames matter as much as the edit

The poster frame is the still Apple shows before playback. Treat it like a hero screenshot:

Choose a frame that reads at thumbnail size
Avoid mid-transition blur and empty loading states
Align the story with screenshot position one so the page does not feel random

In Helm on Mac, you can set poster frames and tweak timecodes so the first frame sells the story you want.

Upload order with screenshots

Previews and screenshots share the product page narrative. Typical pattern:

Preview in the lead slot when video is your strongest asset
Screenshots that continue the same story in positions that follow
Locale-specific media when UI language differs

If you localize listings, plan preview language and captions per priority market. A Japanese listing with an English-only preview feels unfinished.

Processing and validation

After upload, wait for processing to finish before you submit the version. Preview a playback pass on a real device when you can. Check:

Audio levels (or intentional silence)
Cropping on notches and home indicators
That the binary UI matches what the video shows

Mismatched demos are a review and trust risk.

How Helm helps

Helm groups media by device, accepts preview videos alongside screenshots, and supports poster frame and timecode edits on macOS. Magic upload and bulk organization reduce slot-filling busywork when you already named files by size and locale. Lighter screenshot work is available on iPhone; the fuller preview editor lives on Mac. You can also organize uploads with the Helm CLI when automation is part of your release path.

Pair preview work with the same version you are preparing under releases so media and metadata ship together.

Checklist before submit

Correct size per device family you support
Poster frame chosen on purpose
Captions readable without sound
Locale matches the listing language
Processing complete, playback verified
UI in the video matches the binary under review