App Store screenshot rejected? The causes and how to fix each one
An App Store screenshot gets rejected for one of two reasons. Either App Store Connect refuses the file at upload — wrong pixel size, an alpha channel, an unsupported format or too many images — or App Review rejects the listing because what the screenshot shows breaks a guideline, most often 2.3.3 (screenshots must show the app in use) or 2.3.10 (no imagery of other mobile platforms).
The first kind is fixed by re-exporting the file correctly; the second by changing what the image shows. Screenshots are metadata, so after a metadata rejection you can upload new images and resubmit the same build. This guide lists every common cause, the exact fix, and a checklist to run before the next upload.
Upload error or App Review rejection? Tell them apart first
An upload error happens before anyone at Apple looks at your listing: App Store Connect validates the file itself and refuses to accept it. Nothing is under review yet, so there is nothing to appeal — the file simply has to meet the specification.
An App Review rejection arrives later, as a message that names the guideline your submission breaks. The images uploaded fine; a reviewer decided their content is not acceptable. Here the fix is editorial, and you can reply to App Review if you believe the reviewer misread a screenshot.
Why App Store Connect refuses a screenshot file
Apple’s specification is short: you can upload one to 10 screenshots per device size and localization, as .jpeg, .jpg or .png, and images can’t include alpha channels or transparencies. Almost every upload failure is one of these four:
- Wrong pixel size — the image must match one of the accepted sizes exactly. A screenshot resized by a few pixels, or exported at 2x from a design tool, is refused.
- Alpha channel — many design tools write PNGs with an alpha channel even when nothing is transparent. Export as JPEG, or flatten the image onto an opaque background before exporting as PNG.
- Unsupported format — HEIC, WebP or PDF files have to be converted to PNG or JPEG first.
- Too many images — more than 10 screenshots for one device size in one localization.
App Store screenshot sizes that App Store Connect accepts
If your app runs on iPhone, you need the 6.9″ set, or the 6.5″ set when you don’t provide 6.9″ screenshots; smaller iPhones use scaled versions of what you upload. If it runs on iPad, the 13″ set is required. These are the accepted sizes for the required slots, from Apple’s screenshot specifications — the optional sizes for every other device are in our App Store and Google Play screenshot sizes guide.
| Display | Portrait (px) | Landscape (px) | Required |
|---|---|---|---|
| iPhone 6.9″ | 1320 × 2868, 1290 × 2796 or 1260 × 2736 | 2868 × 1320, 2796 × 1290 or 2736 × 1260 | If the app runs on iPhone |
| iPhone 6.5″ | 1284 × 2778 or 1242 × 2688 | 2778 × 1284 or 2688 × 1242 | Only if no 6.9″ set is provided |
| iPad 13″ | 2064 × 2752 or 2048 × 2732 | 2752 × 2064 or 2732 × 2048 | If the app runs on iPad |
Why App Review rejects screenshots, guideline by guideline
Section 2.3 of the App Review Guidelines asks that screenshots and previews accurately reflect the app’s core experience and stay up to date with new versions. These are the guidelines screenshot rejections cite most often:
| Guideline | What gets flagged | How to fix it |
|---|---|---|
| 2.3.3 Screenshots | Only title art, a login page or a splash screen instead of the app in use | Show real screens of the app doing its main job; text and image overlays are allowed |
| 2.3.10 Platform-specific metadata | Names, icons or imagery of other mobile platforms, e.g. an Android phone frame | Use Apple device frames or no frame for the App Store set |
| 2.3.7 Metadata | Prices, terms or descriptions baked into the images | Remove prices and promotional terms from captions |
| 2.3.8 Age-appropriate metadata | Images that would not fit a 4+ rating, even if the app is rated higher | Pick screens without graphic content |
| 2.3 Accurate metadata | Screens or features that the submitted build does not have | Only show what a reviewer can find in the build |
| 2.2 Beta testing | Beta or demo labels, test data and debug overlays | Capture screens from a release build with realistic content |
Device frames, captions and the other-platform trap
Framed screenshots with headlines are fine: guideline 2.3.3 explicitly allows text and image overlays. The rule to watch is 2.3.10. A shared screenshot set with a Pixel or Galaxy frame shows another mobile platform, so build one set on Apple devices for the App Store and a separate set for Google Play.
In the free Ecranify editor that is a device switch, not a redesign: pick the iPhone 18 Pro Max for the App Store scene and the Pixel 10 Pro XL for the Play version, keep the same screen image and background, and export each with its store preset. The editor is free to use; you pay only when you export.
Keep captions about what the app does: a caption like “50% off this week” is a price claim under 2.3.7.
How to fix a rejected screenshot and resubmit
Apple’s own help is clear on the key point: if your app was rejected for a metadata issue, you can resubmit the same build after resolving the issue. Screenshots can be uploaded while the version is in Prepare for Submission, Invalid Binary, Rejected, Metadata Rejected or Developer Rejected status.
- Open the unresolved-issues link at the top of the app page in App Store Connect and read which guideline and which images the reviewer cited.
- If the fix is technical, re-export at an accepted size. For an alpha-channel error, converting the PNG to JPEG with the free image converter flattens transparency onto white and keeps the pixel size.
- If the fix is editorial, replace the flagged images in every localization and device size where they appear — the same image is often reused in several places.
- Resubmit the same build. If you think the reviewer misunderstood a screenshot, reply to App Review with an explanation instead (replies are limited to 4,000 characters and can include attachments).
A pre-upload checklist that prevents most rejections
Once a version is approved, you must create a new version to change its screenshots, so it pays to get them right before submitting. For the design side — ordering, captions and testing — see our App Store screenshot best practices. For compliance, check:
- Every image is exactly one of the accepted sizes for its slot, in PNG or JPEG, with no alpha channel.
- One to 10 screenshots per device size and localization.
- Each screenshot shows the app in use — no splash, login or title-card-only frames.
- The App Store set uses Apple devices only; no Android frames, logos or store badges.
- No prices, discounts or time-limited offers in the images.
- Every screen shown exists in the build under review, with no beta labels or debug UI.
- Content would pass a 4+ rating.
Build these in Ecranify
Frequently asked questions
Related guides & comparisons
Export App Store screenshots at an accepted size
Build your screenshot on a 3D iPhone or iPad and export with a built-in App Store preset — 1320 × 2868 or 2064 × 2752. Free to start, pay only when you export.