Google Play's screenshot rules
| Rule | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Count | Minimum 2, maximum 8 per device type (phone, 7-inch tablet, 10-inch tablet, Chromebook, Wear, TV) |
| Format | JPEG or 24-bit PNG — no alpha channel |
| Dimensions | Each side between 320 px and 3840 px |
| Aspect ratio | The longer side may be at most twice the shorter side (so 9:16 and 16:9 pass; 9:19.5 does not — crop it) |
| Phone listing quality | At least 4 screenshots at 16:9 or 9:16 with a minimum 1080 px on the short side to be eligible for promotion surfaces |
| Tablets | Optional, but without them Play marks the listing as not designed for tablets and it may be hidden on large-screen devices |
The tool's export presets stay inside these limits. If you upload a tall modern phone screenshot (9:19.5 or 9:20), the frame crops it to 9:16 for the store export.
What reviewers flag in screenshots of website apps
- A browser address bar or tab strip visible. The single most common giveaway. Take screenshots from the installed app, not from Chrome. On Android: open the app, press power + volume down.
- Screenshots that don't match the app. Play's metadata policy requires images to represent the actual app. Marketing renders that show features the app doesn't have are a rejection.
- Misleading device frames. Frames are permitted. Frames that imply an iPhone for an Android-only app, or that hide part of the real UI, are not.
- Ranking or comparative text in captions: "#1", "best", "better than X", "award-winning" without substantiation.
- Personal data in the status bar or content — someone's real name, email or phone number in a demo account.
Ordering and captions
On a phone listing the first two or three screenshots are visible without scrolling and are shown in search results. Put the screen that demonstrates the core value first — for a shop, the product page; for a publication, an article; for a booking site, the calendar. The splash screen and login screen go last or nowhere.
Captions should state a benefit in a few words at a size that survives Play's thumbnail: "Order in three taps", "Read offline", "Get notified when it ships". Keep them consistent in position and font across the set; the tool preserves the caption style between exports.
Tablet screenshots without a tablet
Chrome DevTools' device toolbar can render your site at tablet sizes, but the export needs to look like the app. Better: install the APK on an Android emulator with a tablet profile (Android Studio's device manager) and screenshot there. If that is beyond reach, at least upload phone screenshots in the tablet slots so the listing isn't marked tablet-unfriendly — Play accepts it, though a reviewer may note it.
Localisation
If you list in more than one language, Play lets you upload screenshots per language. Captions in the user's language noticeably outperform English captions in non-English markets; the tool makes regenerating a set with new captions a matter of retyping.
Framed vs flat
For the listing, either works within the rules above. For your website's "Get the app" section and social posts, framed screenshots — including the 3D tilt — read better. Export separately for each destination; the store version should be exactly 9:16 with no bleed outside the device.