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Google Play promo video vs App Store preview: the differences that change how you make it

One is a file you upload, the other is a YouTube link. One caps you at 30 seconds, the other autoplays only the first 30. Here is every difference that affects the edit, in one table.

A App Motion Team Published 5 min read
Two phone screens side by side, one with a play triangle inside a rounded rectangle and one plain
In this article
  1. Why the two stores feel so different
  2. Every difference that affects the edit
  3. The feature graphic is not optional
  4. One master, two exports
  5. Things that break after launch

Why the two stores feel so different

Apple and Google solve the same problem, showing an app in motion on a listing, with different plumbing. Apple hosts the file itself, reviews it with the app, and treats it as metadata. Google outsources hosting to YouTube, which means the video is subject to YouTube's rules as well as Play's, and the Play Console only ever sees a URL.

If you have ever wondered why Play asks you to disable ads on the video, or why a private YouTube video breaks your listing, that is the reason. Google's own store listing guidance spells it out: use "a video's YouTube URL, not a YouTube playlist or channel URL", do "not add extra parameters like timecodes", the video must be "public or unlisted" and "embeddable on Google Play", and you must "disable ads for your video to be shown on Google Play".

Apple's side is a file with a spec sheet. The App Preview Specifications list the resolutions, the codec, the 500 MB cap and the 15 to 30 second window.

Every difference that affects the edit

App Store preview Google Play promo video
Delivery .mov, .m4v or .mp4 uploaded in App Store Connect YouTube URL pasted into the Play Console
Length 15 to 30 seconds, enforced No hard limit; "only the first 30 seconds autoplays"
Resolution Exact per display size, e.g. 886 by 1920 for current iPhones Whatever YouTube accepts; 1080p is the sensible floor
Orientation Portrait or landscape, matching the device slot Both supported; Google says pick the one that "best matches the experience"
Base footage "Screen captures of the app itself" only "At least 80% of the video to be representative of the user experience", in-app within the first 10 seconds
People and devices Not allowed Not allowed "unless core gameplay is off-device"
Text rules No prices, no dated or seasonal references, disclose paid features No "Download now" or similar calls to action; no "Best", "#1", "Top", "New", "Discount", "Sale", "Million Downloads"
Sound Autoplays muted; narration allowed Autoplays muted; captions recommended
Poster image A frame chosen from the video The 1024 by 500 feature graphic, required
Number per language Up to 3 1 link per listing language
Where it shows Product page and search results, first asset Before the screenshots on the listing, plus home and search surfaces on some devices
Review Reviewed with the app binary Checked against Play policies; YouTube availability can break it later

Two rows deserve a closer look.

The base footage row is the one that changes production. Apple's Guideline 2.3.4 says previews "may only use video screen captures of the app itself", with narration and overlays on top. Google's 80 percent rule leaves room for a short produced opening or a closing card, as long as the app appears within ten seconds and dominates the running time. So a Play promo can open with two seconds of a title card; the Apple preview cannot.

The wording row is the one that changes copy. Google explicitly lists "Download now", "Install now", "Play now" and "Try now" as things to leave out, along with superlatives and time-sensitive phrases. Apple's rules are about prices, terms and dated references. A master script that avoids all of it, which is easy, passes both.

The feature graphic is not optional

Google's guidance is blunt: to display a promo video on the store listing "you also need to add a feature graphic", and the graphic is 1024 by 500 pixels as a JPEG or 24-bit PNG. It acts as the video's cover image when autoplay does not run, and it appears in editorial and recommendation placements on its own.

Design it as a poster for the video, not as a banner full of text. The video's opening frame and the feature graphic should show the same screen, so a user who sees the graphic and then the video experiences one thing, not two.

One master, two exports

We cut one master and derive both store versions from it. The order matters:

  1. Script and cut for Apple first, because Apple is the stricter of the two. Real screen captures, 15 to 30 seconds, no prices, no calls to action, text on its own layers.
  2. Export the Apple file at the required resolution for each device slot.
  3. For Google, use the same timeline. Add a short branded end card if you want one, keep the app on screen inside the first ten seconds, and export at 1080p in the orientation that matches the app.
  4. Upload the Google version to YouTube as public or unlisted with ads off and age restriction off, then paste the URL in the Play Console with the feature graphic.
  5. For each extra language, duplicate the text layers and repeat both exports; Play wants a separate YouTube video per language, Apple a separate file per localization. There is a separate guide to localizing preview videos.

Doing it in the other order, Play first, usually means re-cutting for Apple, because produced openings and calls to action creep in. If Apple does send the preview back, the nine rejection reasons and their fixes cover what to change.

Things that break after launch

An App Store preview stays as approved until you replace it. A Google Play promo video is a live link, so it breaks whenever the YouTube side changes. The three we have seen: the video was switched to private during a channel clean-up, monetisation was turned on for the whole channel and ads appeared, and the account that owned the video was closed. Put the store videos on an account the company controls, and check the listing after any change to the channel.

Apple has its own gotcha: the poster frame is part of the approved preview, and changing it means submitting a new version of the preview.

Questions people ask

Can I use the same video for Google Play and the App Store?
The same edit, yes, but not the same file. Apple needs an uploaded file at an exact resolution with no produced footage; Google needs a YouTube link and tolerates a short branded opening or ending. Cut one master to Apple's rules and export both from it.
How long should a Google Play promo video be?
Thirty seconds or less in practice. Google states that only the first 30 seconds autoplays, muted, so anything after that is seen only by people who tap play. There is no hard limit, but the Apple length works for both.
Does Google Play need a feature graphic for the video?
Yes. Google's guidance says the video will not display without a 1024 by 500 pixel feature graphic, which also serves as the video's cover image.
Can the Play video be portrait?
Yes. Google supports both orientations and suggests choosing the one that matches how the app is used. Apple accepts portrait or landscape per device slot as well.
Why does the Play Console reject my YouTube link?
The usual reasons are a playlist or channel URL instead of a video URL, a timecode parameter on the link, a private video, an age-restricted video, ads enabled, or embedding disabled. Fix the YouTube setting and paste the plain video URL again.

Topics: google play app store preview promo video store listing

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