Start in the correct listing section
The current Console path is Grow users → Store presence → Main store listing, then Graphics. Capture the actual release experience and keep a record of the device, orientation and app version used.
For the general screenshot requirements, Google's guide specifies JPEG or 24-bit PNG without alpha, a minimum dimension of 320 pixels, a maximum of 3840 pixels, and a longest dimension no more than twice the shortest. It requires at least two screenshots across device types and allows up to eight per supported type. Device-specific rules must be checked separately.
Do not confuse required and recommended assets
| Asset case | Planning consideration |
|---|---|
| Phone listing | Show genuine core tasks or gameplay before secondary screens |
| Large-screen experience | Capture the adapted layout, not a stretched phone view |
| Wear OS | Use the watch interface without a decorative device frame |
| Android TV or XR | Follow the dedicated image and aspect-ratio requirements |
Google's higher-resolution recommendations for discovery surfaces are additional to basic acceptance. An export pipeline should keep separate presets, rather than forcing every device into one canvas.
Make the screenshots representative
Remove private account details, unrelated notifications and stale promotional text. Avoid implying a feature exists when it is only a design mockup. A game screenshot should show the game's actual mechanics; an attractive unrelated puzzle can mislead users even at the correct resolution.
Use restrained explanatory text and keep the interface readable. Localize captions where appropriate and add meaningful alt text in the asset workflow. Do not place ranking claims, fake awards or install instructions over the experience.
Validate before upload
Inspect dimensions, color mode, transparency and file integrity. Then preview the uploaded sequence on a small screen. APKLint's listing audit can help organize metadata checks, but it cannot certify that a screenshot accurately represents an untested app.
The official preview-asset guide contains the full, changing device-specific requirements. Recheck those sections before preparing a new form-factor launch rather than treating this general checklist as an exhaustive specification.
Validate a phone image before building the full sequence
For a general phone-listing example, a 1080 by 1920 image has a longest-to-shortest ratio of about 1.778. A 1080 by 2400 image has a ratio of about 2.222, so it exceeds the general two-to-one boundary. Both can look like ordinary phone captures; their appearance alone does not establish compliance with the specified dimensions.
Check the actual exported file's dimensions and color mode. Changing the extension from PNG to JPEG does not perform a conversion, and an editor's canvas dimensions do not prove that the final exported image uses those values. Open the output independently before adding it to the asset set.
Make the sequence describe one real workflow
For a document app, select a file, show the page-order action and show the resulting document. Capture these states from the intended release using synthetic content. Avoid showing a prototype button or premium state that the listing presents as universally available when the installed product behaves differently.
Use the preview-asset guide to choose the appropriate device-specific requirements. The general phone example above is not a preset for every supported form factor. Keep watch, television, automotive and XR assets in their own reviewed groups when distributing to those surfaces.
Review captions and alt text alongside the screenshot. A caption should explain the depicted action without hiding interface details under a paragraph of promotion. Alt text should identify the meaningful screen or outcome rather than duplicating decorative claims that a reader cannot verify.
Inspect localized images at their actual small display size. Longer translated text can cover a control or become unreadable even if the English master is clear. Confirm that the depicted app language and explanatory caption are appropriate for the intended listing.
Retain the capture version and export settings with each asset. When the interface changes, use that inventory to find outdated screens across languages. Replacing only the first English image can leave the rest of the listing promising a workflow that the current release no longer provides.
Sources and further reading
Reference review: 29 September 2026. Examples illustrate the workflow; check your installed versions, release artifact and account-specific Console requirements before applying them. This guide is not a claim that APKLint executed your project or verified your private account.
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