App preview video specs: length, codec, audio and the 886 × 1920 surprise

An app preview is a short video with a strict export recipe: 15 to 30 seconds, three at most per set, H.264 around 10-12 Mbps, 30 fps, 500 MB. The catch is the pixel size, which is not the size of the phone that recorded it.

Published: 2 September 2026 · Last reviewed: 1 November 2026

The export recipe, in one table

If you only need to turn a screen recording into something App Store Connect will accept, this is the list. Each row has to hold, and the iPhone portrait values are shown here.

When a recording bounces, the culprit is nearly always one of three things. It was captured at 60 fps. It still has the phone's own resolution. Or it is shorter than 15 seconds, which Apple does not accept.

Why the size looks wrong

A 6.9-inch iPhone screenshot goes up at 1320 × 2868. The video for that same device goes up at 886 × 1920 (portrait) or 1920 × 886 (landscape), and that pair also covers the 6.5-inch and 6.3-inch classes. A native-resolution recording uploaded untouched is therefore refused. Capture at whatever resolution is cleanest, then export down to the size Apple lists.

Sizes for every device

These come from Apple's page as read on 1 November 2026 and agree with the App previews tab of the screenshot size calculator. The still images of the same listing are covered in app store screenshot resolution.

Codecs in detail

Apple lists exactly two: H.264 and ProRes 422 (HQ only). HEVC (H.265) is not among them, so do not pick it in your export dialog.

• H.264 is the everyday choice. Aim for 10 to 12 Mbps, progressive scan, High Profile up to Level 4.0, 30 fps at most, in a .mov, .m4v or .mp4 container.
• ProRes 422 HQ runs at a variable bitrate near 220 Mbps, with no external references, 30 fps at most, and only as .mov.

The 30 fps figure is a cap. Taking a 60 fps capture down by throwing away every second frame tends to make scrolling stutter, so use a proper frame-rate conversion or record at 30 in the first place.

Sound

When there is audio, it should be stereo AAC at 256 kbps, sampled at 44.1 or 48 kHz. You can supply it as one track of two channels (left, then right) or as two mono tracks (again left, then right). Check that every track is enabled: a track that is present but muted passes a local playback test and still fails at upload. ProRes files also take PCM at 16, 24 or 32 bits.

The poster frame

If you do not choose one, the still that stands in for your video in the store is the frame at the 5-second mark. For a preview that opens with a logo sting, that is frequently the logo half faded. Pick the frame yourself, and choose the one you would put in a screenshot.

What the video should do

The spec sheet is the easy part. People usually watch these with the sound off, scrolling a list, before they have decided to care. Fifteen seconds is the minimum and is usually enough: show what the app does once, and skip the title card.

Show only what the shipped build can do. A preview of a feature that is not in the app is the plainest case of a listing that misleads, and misleading listings account for many of the rejections.

Where this comes from

All figures are from Apple's App Preview specifications in the App Store Connect help. They were read on 31 August 2026 and compared again on 1 November 2026 with no differences found. Apple does edit the page, so recheck before a release with a deadline.