App preview video specs: Apple and Google Play, explained

July 21, 2026 · 7 min read

"Store preview video" sounds like one deliverable. It is not. Apple accepts a device-specific video file with strict dimensions, duration, codec, and frame-rate rules. Google Play accepts a YouTube URL with a different publishing checklist.

The short version

Apple app preview specifications

Apple accepts H.264 and ProRes 422 HQ. A preview must be 15-30 seconds, no larger than 500MB, progressive, and no faster than 30 frames per second. H.264 can use .mov, .m4v, or .mp4. ProRes 422 HQ uses .mov.

Current 6.9-inch, 6.5-inch, 6.3-inch, and 6.1-inch iPhone slots accept 886 × 1920 portrait or 1920 × 886 landscape. Older devices and iPads have different accepted resolutions, so do not assume one iPhone file covers every platform. Use Apple's app preview specification matrix for the exact target.

You can deliver up to three previews per supported device size and language. Previews appear before screenshots, and you choose a poster frame. Apple says processing can take up to 24 hours, so leave room before review. The current upload flow is in Apple's App Store Connect guide.

Google Play preview video requirements

Google does not take the file directly. Add one YouTube video URL to the preview video field. Use the video URL itself, not a channel, playlist, timecode, or other URL parameters.

• Set it to public or unlisted.
• Turn off monetization and ads.
• Do not use an age-restricted video.
• Allow the video to be embedded.
• Use footage and music you have the right to publish.

The video appears before screenshots and plays through the button over your feature graphic. It may autoplay inline and muted for up to 30 seconds. Google recommends showing the real experience early, adding captions, and avoiding black bars. Read the current Google Play preview asset rules.

A 30-second structure that earns its time

1. 0-3 seconds: Show the result and name the benefit. The opening must work with audio muted.
2. 3-10 seconds: Show the first meaningful action in the real interface.
3. 10-22 seconds: Connect two or three steps into a complete task.
4. 22-27 seconds: Show the finished state again, now with context.
5. 27-30 seconds: Land on the strongest product or brand frame.

Common reasons a preview fails

• A screenshot dimension is mistaken for an accepted preview-video dimension.
• The Apple file is outside the 15-30 second window.
• The Google video is private, monetized, age-restricted, or not embeddable.
• A long logo animation spends the only seconds a visitor may watch.
• Text looks readable on a monitor but becomes tiny on a phone.
• The video promises screens or behavior the downloaded app does not contain.

Export checklist

• Confirm store, device family, orientation, and locale before rendering.
• Use real app screens and remove personal data, notifications, and test accounts.
• Watch once with sound off and once at actual phone size.
• Read every frame of copy, including the poster frame.
• Export Apple's exact accepted resolution and codec.
• Upload Google's version with ads off and embedding enabled.

Storeboard turns a finished screenshot set into a paced preview clip and renders the store-specific output without asking you to learn a new video editor.