Lazy ASOHow many App Store screenshots do you need, and do they matter?
Updated 14 November 2026
Apple requires at least 1 screenshot and allows up to 10 per device size. In our scan of new apps in the top 25, apps with 3 or 4 screenshots were in the top 3 12% of the time and apps with 9 or more 8%, so the count barely moves position. Screenshots matter for the tap, not for the rank.
Apple's rules
| Rule | Apple says |
|---|---|
| Count | At least one screenshot, up to 10 per device size |
| Format | .jpeg, .jpg or .png, no alpha channels or transparency |
| iPhone | At least one screenshot for iPhone with Dynamic Island (medium display) |
| iPad | If your app supports iPadOS, at least one for the iPad 13-inch display |
| Scaling | If your interface is consistent across devices and localizations, give the highest required resolution and App Store Connect scales it down |
Exact pixel sizes change with new devices, so take them from Apple's screenshot specifications.
Do they affect ranking?
We counted new apps in the top 25 with under 100 ratings.
| Factor | Result |
|---|---|
| Number of screenshots | 3 or 4 screenshots: 12% in the top 3. 9 or more: 8% |
More screenshots did not lift position. The name, the rivals on it and the ratings did. See the full numbers.
What to do with that
- Do not spend weeks on screenshot count. Three or four strong ones are enough to start.
- Put the one idea a stranger needs in the first frame. People decide there.
- Judge screenshots by whether searchers who see your page install, not by whether you rank. To compare sets, use a product page test or a custom product page.
- Use the same simulator frames for every device size if your interface is consistent, as Apple allows.
This is about position. Conversion is a separate question, and we have not published a number for screenshot count there. Put the time into the name first: how to name an iOS app, or run the free name check.