App screenshot guide
How to Create App Store Screenshots Without Figma
Use a dedicated screenshot workflow when you want connected Apple and Google Play variants. Choose Figma when open-ended composition and a broader design system matter more.
Capture clean app UI, decide the message for each frame, import the sources into a screenshot generator, style one connected set, review the Apple and Google Play outputs, validate the files, and upload them manually. You do not need Figma for this workflow, but Figma remains a strong option when you need unrestricted vector design or deep team-specific components.
Choose based on the work, not the tool category
Figma is a general interface-design platform. A screenshot generator is a narrower publishing tool. Neither replaces the other in every workflow.
| Need | General design canvas | Connected screenshot workflow |
|---|---|---|
| Open-ended vector composition | Strong fit | Use the available layout controls |
| Existing team component library | Strong fit | Import prepared visual assets where useful |
| Apple and Google variants from one project | Design and maintain the variants | Core workflow |
| Store-dimension validation | Configure and verify separately | Use built-in outputs, then validate |
| Unusual illustration or campaign art | Strong fit | May need outside asset preparation |
1. Prepare clean source captures
Start from the app, not from a marketing canvas. Capture the exact states needed for the story, using realistic test content and the correct theme and locale. Keep a simple inventory such as 01-dashboard-light-en.png and 02-plan-detail-light-en.png.
- Remove personal notifications, emails, payment details, and location history.
- Hide debug menus, touch indicators, layout bounds, and development overlays.
- Use consistent test accounts, time, battery state, and theme across the sequence.
- Capture the full source resolution; do not upscale a small preview.
- Keep both the original capture and the approved marketing output.
2. Build the screenshot story in AppShotSet
- Open the editor and create a project.
- Add source screenshots in the intended narrative order.
- Write one caption for each frame.
- Choose the background, spacing, device presentation, and text hierarchy.
- Review the full set side by side at thumbnail size.
Avoid polishing one poster for too long before the sequence works. The order and relationship between frames should be understandable with minimal decoration.
3. Review Apple and Google Play outputs separately
A connected project does not mean the two stores have identical rules or presentation contexts. Inspect every generated output instead of assuming that a valid Apple composition is automatically the best Google Play composition.
| Element | Shared master decision | Store-specific check |
|---|---|---|
| Source UI | Same approved product state | Crop remains meaningful at the target ratio |
| Caption | Same core promise | Line breaks and safe area remain readable |
| Order | Same narrative logic | Opening assets fit the target listing context |
| Export | Same project version | Dimensions, format, count, and ratio meet current rules |
4. Keep the judgment and publishing steps manual
A specialized tool can connect repeated layout work, but it cannot decide whether a claim is legally supportable, whether test data is safe, or whether a localized caption sounds natural. AppShotSet also does not publish directly to App Store Connect or Play Console.
- Proofread and substantiate marketing claims.
- Review each supported language with a fluent reviewer.
- Check sensitive content and release-specific UI.
- Validate the final exported files.
- Upload, order, and submit assets in each store console.
- Archive the approved PNG files beside the release record.
Figma versus a dedicated screenshot generator
| Factor | Figma-led workflow | AppShotSet-led workflow |
|---|---|---|
| Creative freedom | Broad vector, layout, component, and plugin ecosystem | Focused controls for screenshot-set composition |
| Learning curve | Depends on the team’s existing Figma experience and system | Narrower workflow, still requires content and visual decisions |
| Resizing | Teams define frames, constraints, and variants | Store outputs remain connected to project elements |
| Validation | Handled through templates, plugins, or a separate check | Designed around store outputs; final files still need review |
| Updates | Edit the maintained source frames and components | Replace sources or text in the connected project and re-export |
| Complex custom art | Natural fit | Prepare custom art outside the editor when its controls are insufficient |
There is no universal winner. If your team already has approved Figma components and automation, keeping that workflow may be sensible. If store variants drift apart or routine releases require repeated coordination, a connected project can be easier to govern.
Original connected-output example
Imagine a three-frame medication reminder set. The master story is stable, but each output is inspected independently.
| Frame | Master content | Apple review | Google Play review |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | “Never lose track of a dose” + today view | Text and phone crop fit the chosen iPhone slot | Composition remains safe inside the selected Play ratio |
| 2 | “Set a schedule in seconds” + editor UI | Controls are legible and match current iOS UI | Android UI source replaces iOS where the app differs |
| 3 | “Share the plan with a caregiver” + sharing state | No real health or contact information | Claim and localization reviewed for the target listing |
Pre-upload checklist
- The opening frame has one clear promise.
- Apple and Google outputs were reviewed, not merely generated.
- UI matches the release and target platform.
- No private or debug data appears in any source.
- Claims are current and supportable.
- Dimensions, format, ratio, transparency, and count match current store rules.
- Files use a predictable order and version name.
- The exported PNG files are ready for manual upload and archiving.
Official sources
- Apple: Screenshot specifications
- Apple: Upload app previews and screenshots
- Google Play: Preview asset requirements
Specifications can change. We review these pages monthly and update the visible verification date only after checking the source material.