App store listings are crowded, and people decide quickly. A preview video shows your app in action right on the listing page, often autoplaying silently. Done well, it explains the app's value faster than screenshots. Done badly, it's a confusing montage people scroll past. Here's how to edit one that works.
Know the rules first
Apple's App Store and Google Play each have their own requirements for preview videos: allowed lengths, resolutions, aspect ratios, what footage is permitted and how videos are displayed. Apple, for example, expects previews to show footage captured from the app itself. Google Play uses a YouTube link for its promo video. These rules change, so check the current official guidelines before you start editing, and plan exports for each device size you need.
Show the app immediately
Skip logos and long intros. Open on the most compelling moment in the app: the core action, the satisfying result, the thing that makes your app different. If someone watches only the first few seconds, they should still understand what the app does.
Tell a simple story
- The core action: what users do most in the app.
- The key benefit: what they get from it.
- One or two standout features: what makes it better than alternatives.
- A clean ending: the app looking its best, maybe with your name.
Resist showing every feature. Three clear moments beat ten rushed ones.
Captions and text
Preview videos often autoplay without sound, so short text overlays carry the message. Keep them brief, like a few words per screen, large and readable on a phone. Place them so they don't cover important UI. Where the store allows localised previews, adapt text for your key markets.
Capturing great footage
- Use clean demo accounts with realistic, attractive content.
- Hide status bar clutter like notifications and low battery indicators.
- Move deliberately: slow, clear taps and scrolls.
- Record each scene separately so the edit stays flexible.
- Record at the right resolution for each target device.
Pacing
Fast enough to stay interesting, slow enough to follow. Each scene should hold long enough for a viewer to understand what happened. Use smooth transitions between scenes, and avoid rapid cuts that make the app feel confusing.
Music and sound
Many viewers won't hear it, but those who tap for sound should get something good. Choose licensed music that fits your brand and the app's mood. Subtle UI sounds can add polish.
The first frame and poster image
The store may show a still frame before the video plays. Choose or design it carefully. It acts like an extra screenshot, so it should be clear and attractive on its own.
Versions to test
Where your store tools support listing experiments, test different previews: different opening scenes, different feature focus, with or without text overlays. Even without formal testing, compare install conversion before and after changing your video.
Beyond the store
The footage you capture for previews is valuable elsewhere: social clips, ads, website demos and launch videos. Plan the capture session with those uses in mind. A vertical social cut with a hook and captions can come from the same scenes. See feature launch videos and product demo editing.
Common mistakes
- Long brand intros before any app footage.
- Footage that doesn't match the current version of the app.
- Tiny text that can't be read on a phone.
- Too many features crammed in.
- Ignoring the store's technical requirements, leading to rejection.
Keeping previews current
Apps update often. An outdated preview can confuse users and, in some cases, break store rules. Keep project files organised and scenes modular, so you can swap in new footage when the UI changes without rebuilding everything.
The short version
Check the store rules, open on the app's best moment, tell a three-step story, use short readable text for silent autoplay, capture clean footage and keep the preview up to date. Then test and reuse the footage everywhere else you market the app.
A practical workflow for app previews
- Pick the three to five moments that show your app's core value. Not every feature, just the ones that make someone install.
- Prepare clean demo data so the screens look realistic and uncluttered, with no personal information.
- Record on device at the required resolutions for each store and device size.
- Edit to the store limits, opening with the strongest moment and keeping text overlays short.
- Check the guidelines for each store before submitting, since rules on device frames, footage and text change over time.
- Create localised versions if you serve several markets, translating overlays rather than re-recording where possible.
Testing and iterating
Store listing assets can be tested and improved like ads. Where your store's tools allow listing experiments, try different opening moments or overlay messages and compare install conversion. Even without formal tests, revisit your preview after major releases so it shows the current app, not a version from two years ago. An outdated preview creates a mismatch between what people expect and what they get, which can hurt reviews and retention.
Related guides
Part of our SaaS video editing series. See also editing screen recordings, onboarding videos and social video for SaaS. Look at our work or tell us about your app.