Correction, 2026-10-01: the first version of this page told you to keep the finger visible in the screen recording, without saying that Apple's App Store preview guidelines ask you not to film fingers tapping the screen (they allow graphic touch hotspots instead). It also described store rules ("some of them prohibit device frames") without naming or citing a store. Apple's rules are now quoted and linked, and the finger advice applies to the social cut.
An app promo has about five seconds to show the core loop, which is the one interaction the whole product exists for. Everything else, the onboarding, the settings, the clever secondary feature, is competing with that five seconds and losing. Board the loop first and then decide whether anything else earns a place.
The structure
0-2s: the outcome. What the app produces, before any interface appears. A finished thing, a saved moment, a solved problem.
2-8s: the core loop. Real screen, real interaction, at real speed. This is the video.
8-15s: one supporting capability. One. Not four.
15-20s: proof and action. Rating, count, or a recognisable name, then the store.
Under twenty seconds for social. Store previews follow the store's own length rules rather than yours: on Apple's App Store a preview runs 15 to 30 seconds.
Screen recordings beat mockups
Record the actual app. Animated mockups of interfaces are faster to produce and read as concept work, and viewers who have seen a hundred app promos can tell the difference instantly.
Two practical rules for the recording: slow the interaction down slightly in the edit rather than performing it slowly, and show what caused each change. In the social cut that can be a visible finger or cursor; in an Apple store preview use a graphic touch hotspot instead, because Apple asks you not to film fingers tapping the screen. Screens that change without visible cause read as video, not as software.
What store rules change about the board
App store preview requirements govern length, orientation, capture source, and whether you may show anything that is not the app. Apple's, for example: previews use "footage captured on device", "must show only content within the app itself", should not film "people interacting with a device", may add "graphic elements, such as touch hotspots", run 15 to 30 seconds, and play muted by default. Board against the specific store's current rules, not against a general idea of them, because a rejected preview can hold up a release.
That constraint is why most teams end up with two videos: a compliant store preview and a freer social cut.
What to generate
Generate: the context around the screen, the environment, the lifestyle framing, the abstract before-state, and the social-cut backgrounds. Canon prices, a credit at $0.01: an 8-second Veo 3.1 Lite clip silent is 33 credits, so the surrounding tissue for a promo runs a couple of dollars.
Do not generate: the interface. Generated UI is wrong in ways your users notice immediately, and Apple, for one, requires the preview to show the actual app captured on device.
FAQ
How long should an app promo video be? 15 to 20 seconds for social. Store previews follow the platform's stated limits, which differ by store and change; Apple's are 15 to 30 seconds.
Should the video have narration? For social, usually not: feeds often play it muted, and Apple's store previews play muted by default. Use captions and let the screen carry it. See how to caption video for silent viewing.
How many features should it show? The core loop plus one. Promos that show four features communicate none.
Sources
- Apple preview content rules: Apple Developer, App Previews, checked 2026-10-01
- Apple preview length (15 to 30 seconds): App Store Connect Help, App preview specifications, checked 2026-10-01
- 8frame credit price (Veo 3.1 Lite, 8 seconds silent, 33) and plans: the 8frame app, checked 2026-10-01
Show the loop, record the real screen, generate the world around it.
Try it without signing up: the 8frame canvas opens on a real board. The canvas is free and unlimited; generation is paid from $19/month.