How to Fix Your App Preview Video

App Preview Videos (iOS) and Promotional Videos (Play) sit alongside screenshots at the top of your listing. They autoplay (muted by default) on impression. Good preview videos lift install conversion 15-30% over screenshots alone; bad ones (slow, voiceover-dependent, no clear value) underperform versus no video at all. This guide covers the 15-30 second pattern.

1. Length and format

App Store:
  - 15 to 30 seconds maximum
  - Up to 3 preview videos per device size
  - Portrait or landscape (consistent with screenshots)
  - 30fps, H.264, M4V/MP4/MOV
  - Footage must be recorded in-app (Apple guidelines)

Google Play:
  - 30 seconds to 2 minutes
  - One promotional video
  - Hosted on YouTube (paste link)
  - More flexible content (marketing acceptable)

2. First 3 seconds = hook

Users scroll past in 1-3 seconds.
Your first frame must communicate value instantly.

Bad: animated logo, "intro" sequence, brand reveal
Good: immediate value proposition with motion
       - "Track 10x faster" caption + UI demo
       - User pain → solution
       - Visible result/outcome from the start

The hook is your single most important video decision.

3. Muted by default — design for silent viewing

App Store autoplays muted. Most users never enable sound. Design accordingly:

• Captions for every key message (large, on-screen)
• Don't rely on voiceover for the message — supplementary at best
• Visual motion drives attention — static screens lose users
• Avoid background music alone — silent users miss it

4. Show outcomes, not features

Feature-focused (weak):
  - "Use our dashboard"
  - "Try our advanced filters"

Outcome-focused (strong):
  - "Find your hot leads in 3 taps"
  - "Close more deals this week"
  - "From mess to organised in 60 seconds"

Users care about what THEY get, not what the app DOES.

5. Structure: 3-act mini-narrative

0-3s:   HOOK — value prop, motion, caption
3-15s:  DEMO — show 2-3 key features in action
15-25s: PROOF — social proof, results, transformation
25-30s: CTA — final caption + branding

For 30s videos, this is roughly 3-12s per section.
Keep cuts fast — 1-2 seconds per shot maintains attention.

6. Localisation

Each App Store locale can have its own preview videos. Translate captions, swap UI screenshots to localised versions, adjust pricing/currency callouts. Same principle as screenshots but multiplied — videos cost more to localise so prioritise top markets.

7. Test against no-video baseline

Counterintuitive but real: poorly-made videos hurt conversion.
A/B test your video version vs no video (screenshots only).
If videoless converts higher, redo the video or remove it.

Measure: impression → product page → install.
Video plays in the impression — its job is to lift product-page → install.