App Store Listing Optimisation: Icon, Screenshots and Subtitle

Most people decide in about six seconds, without scrolling and without reading the description. That decision is made on four things: the icon, the app name, the subtitle and the first two screenshots. Everything below the fold is for the small minority who are already interested.

The icon

It is rendered at roughly 60 points in results. One shape, high contrast, no words — text is illegible at that size and looks cluttered. Test it by shrinking your icon to a thumbnail next to the current top ten in your category; if it disappears, it is too detailed.

The name and subtitle

The name is truncated after roughly 12 to 15 characters in search results, so put the distinctive word first. The subtitle is your one line of positioning and it is also indexed, which makes it the highest-value 30 characters on the listing. Write a benefit, not a feature list: "Sleep better in 7 nights" beats "Timer, sounds & tracking".

Screenshots

• The first two are the whole game. They appear in search results without a tap. Everything after them is only seen by people who opened the page.
• Caption every one. A short benefit line above the device frame outperforms a bare screen capture, because a raw UI shot means nothing to someone who has never used the app.
• Show the outcome, not the settings screen. Lead with the moment the app pays off.
• Only show what exists. Screenshots depicting features the app does not have are a common metadata rejection.
• Sizes: upload the 6.9-inch and 6.5-inch iPhone sets; Apple scales those down for smaller devices. If you support iPad, that set is required separately.

The app preview video

Optional, autoplays muted, and worth it only if the app is visual or has a motion-based hook. A weak video is worse than none because it occupies the first slot. If you make one, make sure it reads with the sound off.

The description

Not indexed by App Store search, so write it for humans. The first three lines show before "more" — put the strongest sentence there. Then short paragraphs, no keyword stuffing, and a plain list of what the subscription includes if you have one.

What''s New

Read more often than founders assume, and a live signal that the app is maintained. "Bug fixes" every release is a missed opportunity.

Testing changes

Product Page Optimization in App Store Connect lets you run up to three variants of your icon, screenshots or preview video against the original and reports the conversion difference. It is free, it is built in, and very few small apps use it. Start with the first screenshot — that is where the biggest swing usually is.

A realistic order of work

1. First screenshot with a benefit caption.
2. Subtitle rewritten as an outcome.
3. Icon simplified.
4. Second and third screenshots.
5. Preview video, if the app suits one.

We build the listing — icon, captioned screenshots, subtitle and description — as part of every managed launch, so the app goes live ready to convert rather than as a placeholder. Book a free launch review and we will show you what yours would look like.

Related reading: App Store keyword research, how App Store ranking works and the launch checklist.