The exact sizes you need in 2026
Apple has quietly made this much easier than it used to be. In 2026, you only need to upload screenshots for the largest display in each device family — the 6.9-inch iPhone and the 13-inch iPad — and App Store Connect automatically scales those down to fill every smaller and older device listing. That's a big change from the days of preparing four or five iPhone sizes.
For the 6.9-inch iPhone, the primary size is 1320 × 2868 pixels (the iPhone 17 Pro Max resolution). Apple also accepts 1290 × 2796 and 1260 × 2736 in portrait for this same class. Upload one set at the largest size, and you're covered across the whole iPhone range. I'll walk through the exact requirements, the rejection traps, and how to produce these cleanly so your submission sails through the first time. I remember maintaining five separate iPhone sizes a few years ago, so this consolidation genuinely saves an afternoon of tedious exporting each release.
For the 6.9-inch iPhone, the primary size is 1320 × 2868 pixels (the iPhone 17 Pro Max resolution). Apple also accepts 1290 × 2796 and 1260 × 2736 in portrait for this same class. Upload one set at the largest size, and you're covered across the whole iPhone range. I'll walk through the exact requirements, the rejection traps, and how to produce these cleanly so your submission sails through the first time. I remember maintaining five separate iPhone sizes a few years ago, so this consolidation genuinely saves an afternoon of tedious exporting each release.
Why Apple validates the pixels exactly
Here's the thing that trips up almost every developer at least once: App Store Connect checks your screenshot dimensions to the exact pixel, and it is completely unforgiving. An image that's 1319 × 2868, or 1242 × 2689, or 'roughly the right size' after some sloppy export, gets rejected with a 'wrong dimensions' error. There's no rounding and no 'close enough'.
The fix is simply to match one of the accepted sizes exactly. If you're seeing that error, the culprit is almost always an export that added or dropped a pixel, or a screenshot taken on a device whose native resolution doesn't match Apple's expected values. Pull your asset into any editor, check the pixel dimensions, and correct them to precisely 1320 × 2868. The moment the numbers match, the error clears — it really is that literal.
The fix is simply to match one of the accepted sizes exactly. If you're seeing that error, the culprit is almost always an export that added or dropped a pixel, or a screenshot taken on a device whose native resolution doesn't match Apple's expected values. Pull your asset into any editor, check the pixel dimensions, and correct them to precisely 1320 × 2868. The moment the numbers match, the error clears — it really is that literal.
The one-size-per-family rule explained
This 2026 simplification is worth understanding fully because it saves real time. Apple now requires only the largest device in each family. For iPhone, that's the 6.9-inch class; for iPad, the 13-inch class. You upload your best, highest-resolution source screenshots at those sizes, and Apple's system downscales them to populate the listing on a 6.5-inch iPhone, an older iPhone, a smaller iPad, and so on.
That means you no longer maintain separate 5.5-inch, 6.1-inch, and 6.5-inch sets — a genuine relief for indie developers. Just design once at the top size and let Apple handle the rest. The only caveat is to design your screenshots so they still read well when scaled down, which mostly means not cramming tiny text that becomes illegible on a smaller device. Design for the big canvas, but sanity-check how it looks shrunk.
That means you no longer maintain separate 5.5-inch, 6.1-inch, and 6.5-inch sets — a genuine relief for indie developers. Just design once at the top size and let Apple handle the rest. The only caveat is to design your screenshots so they still read well when scaled down, which mostly means not cramming tiny text that becomes illegible on a smaller device. Design for the big canvas, but sanity-check how it looks shrunk.
File format and technical requirements
Beyond dimensions, Apple has a few format rules that also cause silent rejections. Your screenshots must be PNG or JPEG, in the RGB color space, with no alpha channel (no transparency). A PNG exported with an alpha channel is a common, sneaky reason an otherwise perfect screenshot gets bounced, so flatten transparency before you export.
Color space matters too — a file saved in CMYK or an odd profile can be rejected or render with shifted colors. Stick to standard sRGB. Keep each file under Apple's size limit, which is generous but real. These technical details are boring, but they're exactly the kind of thing that turns a five-minute upload into an afternoon of confusion. Get the format right up front and you remove a whole category of frustrating errors. When in doubt, the official Apple screenshot specifications list every accepted value.
Color space matters too — a file saved in CMYK or an odd profile can be rejected or render with shifted colors. Stick to standard sRGB. Keep each file under Apple's size limit, which is generous but real. These technical details are boring, but they're exactly the kind of thing that turns a five-minute upload into an afternoon of confusion. Get the format right up front and you remove a whole category of frustrating errors. When in doubt, the official Apple screenshot specifications list every accepted value.
How many screenshots to upload
Apple lets you upload up to ten screenshots per device family, and my strong advice is to use more than the bare minimum but lead with your best. The first two or three screenshots are what a user sees without scrolling on your product page, so they do the heavy lifting of convincing someone to install. The rest reward people who swipe through for more detail.
Don't feel obligated to fill all ten if you don't have ten strong things to show — three or four excellent, focused screenshots beat ten repetitive ones. But do use enough to tell a coherent story about what your app does and why it's worth downloading. Think of the sequence as a short visual pitch: hook first, then the key features, then social proof or a closing benefit. Quality and order matter far more than sheer quantity here.
Don't feel obligated to fill all ten if you don't have ten strong things to show — three or four excellent, focused screenshots beat ten repetitive ones. But do use enough to tell a coherent story about what your app does and why it's worth downloading. Think of the sequence as a short visual pitch: hook first, then the key features, then social proof or a closing benefit. Quality and order matter far more than sheer quantity here.
Portrait vs horizontal orientation
Most iPhone apps use portrait screenshots because most apps are used in portrait, and portrait screenshots display larger on the product page. If your app is genuinely horizontal-first — a game, a video editor, certain tools — then horizontal screenshots make sense and Apple supports them at the corresponding rotated dimensions.
The key rule is consistency: don't mix portrait and horizontal within the same set, as it looks disjointed and can render awkwardly. Pick the orientation that matches how people actually use your app and commit to it across all your screenshots. For the vast majority of apps, that's portrait at 1320 × 2868. If you're unsure, portrait is the safer default because it fills more of the screen in the store and matches user expectations for a phone app.
The key rule is consistency: don't mix portrait and horizontal within the same set, as it looks disjointed and can render awkwardly. Pick the orientation that matches how people actually use your app and commit to it across all your screenshots. For the vast majority of apps, that's portrait at 1320 × 2868. If you're unsure, portrait is the safer default because it fills more of the screen in the store and matches user expectations for a phone app.
Designing screenshots that convert, not just fit
Hitting the right size is the baseline — the real goal is screenshots that make people install. Raw, unedited screenshots rarely do that. The best-performing App Store screenshots wrap your UI in a device frame, add a short benefit-driven caption above each one, and use a consistent background and typography so the set feels designed rather than dumped.
That's exactly what a mockup studio is for. With PlayMockUp's studio, you can drop your raw captures into pixel-perfect iPhone frames at the exact 1320 × 2868 size, add captions, and export a polished, store-ready set in minutes — no Photoshop wrangling and no dimension math. The device frames library covers current iPhones so your mockups always match Apple's expected sizes. Getting the pixels right is necessary; making the screenshots persuasive is what actually grows your installs.
That's exactly what a mockup studio is for. With PlayMockUp's studio, you can drop your raw captures into pixel-perfect iPhone frames at the exact 1320 × 2868 size, add captions, and export a polished, store-ready set in minutes — no Photoshop wrangling and no dimension math. The device frames library covers current iPhones so your mockups always match Apple's expected sizes. Getting the pixels right is necessary; making the screenshots persuasive is what actually grows your installs.
A quick pre-submission checklist
Before you hit submit, run through this to avoid the back-and-forth. Confirm each iPhone screenshot is exactly 1320 × 2868 (or another accepted 6.9-inch size). Check the format is PNG or JPEG, RGB, with no alpha channel. Make sure you've only uploaded the largest size and let Apple scale the rest. Verify your first two or three screenshots make sense without scrolling. And confirm the orientation is consistent throughout.
Run that list and the vast majority of screenshot rejections simply never happen. The dimension error, the alpha-channel bounce, the CMYK color shift — all avoidable with a two-minute check. Combined with a compelling, framed design, you'll have a product page that both passes review cleanly and actually earns installs. That combination of technically correct and genuinely persuasive is what separates a listing that converts from one that just barely qualifies to exist. Do this once and it becomes muscle memory, sparing you the demoralising cycle of upload, rejection, fix, and re-upload right when you're eager to ship.
Run that list and the vast majority of screenshot rejections simply never happen. The dimension error, the alpha-channel bounce, the CMYK color shift — all avoidable with a two-minute check. Combined with a compelling, framed design, you'll have a product page that both passes review cleanly and actually earns installs. That combination of technically correct and genuinely persuasive is what separates a listing that converts from one that just barely qualifies to exist. Do this once and it becomes muscle memory, sparing you the demoralising cycle of upload, rejection, fix, and re-upload right when you're eager to ship.
Frequently asked questions
What is the iPhone App Store screenshot size in 2026?
The primary 6.9-inch iPhone screenshot size is 1320 × 2868 pixels (iPhone 17 Pro Max). Apple also accepts 1290 × 2796 and 1260 × 2736 in portrait for the same class. In 2026 you only need to upload the largest size, and Apple scales it down for smaller devices automatically. Design once at the top size and Apple handles the rest for you.
Do I need to upload multiple iPhone screenshot sizes?
No. As of 2026, you only upload screenshots for the largest display in each family — the 6.9-inch iPhone and 13-inch iPad. App Store Connect automatically downscales those to populate smaller and older device listings, so you no longer maintain separate 5.5-inch or 6.5-inch sets.
Why does App Store Connect reject my screenshot dimensions?
Apple validates pixel dimensions exactly, with no rounding. An image that's even one pixel off, or scaled 'roughly' to size, gets rejected. Match an accepted size exactly, such as 1320 × 2868, and the error clears. Also ensure the file is PNG or JPEG, RGB, with no alpha channel.
What file format do App Store screenshots need?
Screenshots must be PNG or JPEG in the RGB color space with no alpha channel or transparency. A PNG saved with an alpha channel is a common reason for rejection, so flatten transparency before exporting. Avoid CMYK color, which can cause rejection or color shifts.
How do I make my screenshots the exact right size easily?
Use a mockup tool that outputs the correct dimensions automatically. With [PlayMockUp's studio](/create) you can drop raw captures into pixel-perfect iPhone frames at 1320 × 2868, add captions, and export store-ready screenshots in minutes, avoiding dimension errors entirely. The [frames library](/frames) matches current iPhone sizes.
Build the mockup in your browser.
Drop a screenshot into a real device frame and export at the exact store size — free, no signup.