App Store screenshot questions the common advice gets wrong
Apple has changed its screenshot requirements several times, and most of what is written about them describes an older version. Each answer here states the current rule, names the outdated answer still in circulation, and links the primary source it was checked against.
How many screenshot sizes does the App Store require?
Two. An iPhone app needs one set at the 6.9-inch size (1260 x 2736, 1290 x 2796 or 1320 x 2868 portrait) and an iPad app needs one set at the 13-inch size (2064 x 2752 or 2048 x 2732). Every smaller size is optional: skip one and App Store Connect uses scaled copies of the larger set.
Verified 2026-08-31
Can App Store screenshots have transparency?
No. App Store Connect states plainly that images cannot include alpha channels or transparencies. Export a flattened JPEG or PNG. A PNG that looks completely opaque can still carry an unused alpha channel, and that is the usual reason an upload is refused with nothing visibly wrong with the image.
Verified 2026-08-31
Is the 60/40 screenshot rule an Apple requirement?
No. The App Store Review Guidelines contain no percentage. The actual rule is Guideline 2.3.3, which says screenshots "should show the app in use, and not merely the title art, login page, or splash screen." That is a qualitative test, not a ratio anyone measures.
Verified 2026-08-31
Do iPad screenshots need to be 12.9-inch or 13-inch?
The 13-inch size. App Store Connect requires one iPad set at 2064 x 2752 or 2048 x 2732 portrait for any app that runs on iPad. The 12.9-inch slot still exists for the 2nd-generation iPad Pro, but it is optional, and skipping it means Apple uses scaled copies of your 13-inch set.
Verified 2026-08-31
Reference pages
These answer questions. For the raw numbers, the reference surfaces carry the full tables.