How to upload screenshots to App Store Connect.
Uploading App Store screenshots means matching the right app, version, localization, and display class — and getting the file dimensions exactly right. Most upload failures come down to one of those four things being wrong.
This guide walks through the manual App Store Connect flow, the rejection causes worth checking before you start, and the direct upload path that pushes localized sets straight from a project.
Step 1: prepare and verify the files
Fix problems before the upload rather than after a rejection. Every file needs to match the display class it is going into, and the set needs to read in a deliberate order.
- Confirm each file matches the exact pixel dimensions for its display class.
- Flatten transparency — an alpha channel will be rejected.
- Use JPG, JPEG, or PNG in an RGB colour space.
- Put the strongest screenshot first; most users never scroll past the third.
- Regenerate weak outputs before uploading rather than after.
Step 2: select the right app and version
In App Store Connect, screenshots belong to a specific combination of app, platform, version, localization, and display type. Selecting the wrong version is the easiest way to accidentally edit a live listing.
- Open the app, then select the platform (iOS) in the sidebar.
- Choose the version that is still editable — not one in review.
- Pick the localization you are uploading for.
- Scroll to the App Previews and Screenshots section for that localization.
If the screenshot fields are greyed out, the version has been submitted and locked. Create a new version to edit them.
Step 3: upload to the display class
Screenshots are attached per display class. Drag files into the correct tab, then confirm the order, because App Store Connect keeps the order you drop them in.
- Upload to the largest iPhone display class you support first.
- Let smaller classes inherit automatically unless you need bespoke sets.
- Add an iPad set separately if the app ships an iPad build.
- Reorder by dragging — the first screenshot carries the most weight.
Step 4: repeat per localization, or upload directly
The manual flow has to be repeated for every localization, which is where it becomes slow: a listing in 10 languages with 6 screenshots each is 60 files placed by hand. Direct upload removes that repetition.
- Connect App Store Connect API credentials once.
- The app and eligible versions are listed for selection.
- Choose which locales to upload rather than pushing everything.
- Sets are uploaded already sized for the target display class.
Step 5: check the listing before submitting
After upload, review the listing in App Store Connect. Confirm screenshot order, that each localization has the set you expected, and that nothing landed in the wrong display class.
- Check the first two screenshots in each locale — those drive installs.
- Confirm no localization silently fell back to the primary language.
- Verify the display class tabs each contain the intended set.
Common rejection causes
Nearly every screenshot upload failure traces back to a short list of issues. Checking these first is faster than reading the error message.
- Dimensions off by even one pixel from the display class specification.
- Alpha channel or transparency present in the exported file.
- Unsupported file type, or a PNG saved in a non-RGB colour space.
- More than ten screenshots for a single display class.
- Editing a version that has already been submitted for review.
Frequently asked questions
- How do I upload screenshots to App Store Connect?
- Open your app in App Store Connect, select the platform and the app version you are editing, choose the localization, then add screenshots to the relevant display class. Screenshots must match that display class's exact pixel dimensions. App Screenshot Magic can also upload localized sets directly using App Store Connect API credentials, which avoids selecting files by hand for every locale.
- Why is App Store Connect rejecting my screenshot?
- The three most common causes are wrong pixel dimensions for the display class, a file that still has an alpha channel or transparency, and an unsupported file type. App Store Connect accepts JPG, JPEG, and PNG in an RGB colour space with transparency flattened.
- Can I upload screenshots after the app is submitted?
- Once a version is submitted for review it is locked. You can edit screenshots for a version that is still in preparation, or create a new version. Some metadata can be edited without a new binary, but screenshot changes generally require the version to be editable.
- Do I need to upload screenshots for every language?
- No. Any localization without its own screenshot set falls back to your primary language. Uploading localized sets is optional, but listings that show screenshots in the user's own language typically convert better in those markets.
- What API credentials does direct upload need?
- An App Store Connect API key with sufficient permission to edit app metadata: the issuer ID, key ID, and the private key file. These are generated in the Users and Access section of App Store Connect and can be revoked at any time.
Skip the manual upload loop
Generate localized screenshot sets and upload them to App Store Connect from the same project, without placing files by hand for every locale.
Related guides
Every iPhone and iPad screenshot dimension, file type, and count limit.
Step-by-step workflow for turning one source set into many localized sets.
How the generator turns raw app screens into finished App Store screenshot sets.
Why localized screenshot sets matter and how the 42-locale workflow runs.