Recording a mobile app preview video for app store submission
App preview videos get rejected often enough, for specific reasons, that it’s worth knowing the common failure points before recording rather than discovering them after a rejected submission delays your launch.
Must show actual app functionality, not marketing concept footage
Both Apple’s App Store and Google Play require preview videos to demonstrate the real app in actual use — not a conceptual animation, a marketing reel, or footage that doesn’t reflect the genuine user experience. A polished animated intro sequence with no actual app screens is a common, avoidable rejection reason specifically because it doesn’t meet this core requirement.
Screen recording, not simulated footage
The video needs to be recorded from an actual device or an approved simulator/emulator running the real app — not a mockup, a design tool’s prototype animation, or footage staged to look like the app without actually being it. This is a strict requirement on both platforms, checked as part of the review process, not a stylistic suggestion.
Length and format specs matter and change
Both platforms specify maximum lengths (typically around 30 seconds, though exact limits and orientation requirements have shifted over platform updates) and specific resolution/format requirements — check the current official specs directly before recording, since these details do get updated, and an outdated spec assumption is an easy way to get flagged on a technicality unrelated to your actual content.
No pricing, contact info, or unapproved claims in the video itself
Content restrictions specifically prohibit pricing information, contact details, or claims that haven’t been verified as part of your app’s actual listing — these need to live in your written app description, not the video, even if it feels natural to mention them while demonstrating a paid feature.
Audio needs to be clean, but isn’t always required
Background music or narration isn’t mandatory on either platform, but if you include audio, it needs to be either owned/licensed content or explicitly royalty-free — using unlicensed popular music in a submission is a rejection risk independent of the app itself, and one that’s easy to avoid by using a legitimately royalty-free audio source from the start.
What to record first, before worrying about polish
Get the actual core user flow — the specific sequence a real user would follow to get value from the app — cleanly captured first. Polish (transitions, callouts, music) matters less for approval than accurately and clearly demonstrating genuine functionality; prioritize the content requirement before the production value.
Frequently asked questions
Can an app preview video use animated marketing footage instead of the real app?
No — both major app stores require the video to demonstrate actual app functionality, genuinely recorded from a real device or approved simulator, not conceptual or animated marketing content.
Is background music required in an app preview video?
No, but if included, it must be licensed or explicitly royalty-free — unlicensed music is an avoidable rejection risk unrelated to the app’s actual quality.
Why do app preview videos commonly get rejected?
Most common reasons: showing non-functional/marketing footage instead of real app use, incorrect length or format specs, or including pricing/contact information that belongs in the written listing instead.
Related reading: 8 super simple steps to record a software demo video · A recorded product demo has one job · Best screen recorder for Android