App Store Screenshots vs App Previews: Which Drives More Installs?

Apple's App Store supports two media types: static screenshots (up to 10) and app preview videos (up to 3, max 30 seconds each). Most indie devs ship screenshots only. Should you add video?

What the data says

Apple's own publicly-released benchmarks (WWDC 2022, 2023, 2024) put well-produced app preview videos at +25-35% install conversion vs screenshots-only. But 'well-produced' is doing a lot of work in that sentence.

• Top-quartile app previews — directional, paced, captioned: +30-35%
• Generic recordings — phone screen capture with cuts: +5-10%
• Bad videos — slow intro, too long, no captions: -10 to -15% (yes, negative)

When video wins

Apps where the value is motion-driven:

• Editing tools (video, photo, audio) — show the transformation in real time
• Productivity apps where the speed is the value (e.g. "4 taps to log a habit")
• AR / 3D apps — static can't capture the experience
• Games — gameplay loop must be visible
• Anything with delight-driven micro-interactions

When screenshots win

• Information-dense apps (finance, analytics, dashboards) — viewer needs to read
• Apps with strong emotional positioning (mental health, journaling) — words land harder than motion
• Niche tools where the audience already knows what they want — they'll scan, not watch
• Brand-new launches with limited budget — focus on shots, add video v2

How to make a winning preview

1. Hook in 2 seconds — the first frame must show the value, not a logo intro.
2. 15-second target — Apple lets you go to 30, but most viewers bounce by 18.
3. Captions ALWAYS on — most App Store browsing is muted.
4. Vertical 9:19.5 — same as the screenshot canvas. Landscape video is a beginner mistake.
5. End frame = your icon + value prop — the viewer's last impression.

How to budget your effort

First launch: 5-7 great screenshots, no video. Generate them in 3 minutes with ASOshots, ship that day. After 30 days of install data, decide if your app's category warrants a video — if your bounce rate at shot 1 is high (under 8% scroll-through to shot 2), video might fix the engagement. If shot 1 is converting fine, leave video for v2.