Screenshot Maker

How to Make App Store Screenshots Without Photoshop

Most App Store screenshot tutorials assume you have Photoshop, access to Figma, or time to learn a template tool that costs $89/year. If none of that describes you, here's the practical alternative.

What App Store Screenshots Actually Need

Despite how polished the screenshots in the App Store look, the core requirements are simple:

  1. A background color or gradient
  2. A headline describing the feature
  3. Your app screenshot (just a PNG you take from the simulator or your device)
  4. The right pixel dimensions for the device slot

That's it. No drop shadows, no Photoshop layers, no design degree required.

The Problem with "Just Export from Figma"

Figma is excellent for UI design, but exporting App Store screenshots from it has friction:

  • You need to set up frames at the exact pixel size (easy to get wrong)
  • Figma's export DPI can produce 2x images that App Store Connect rejects
  • Managing 14 device sizes means 14 frames to maintain
  • It's overkill if you just want a clean background + text + screenshot

The same applies to Photoshop and Sketch. They work, but they're the wrong tool if your goal is "upload screenshots today."

Browser-Based Method (No Software Required)

App Store Screenshot Maker runs entirely in your browser. Here's the workflow:

Step 1: Take a screenshot of your app Use Xcode Simulator (Device → Screenshot) or your physical device. Save it as PNG.

Step 2: Upload it Drag your app screenshot onto the upload zone. It appears inside the phone frame automatically.

Step 3: Add a headline and subtitle Type your feature headline — "Track your habits, automatically." — and a short subtitle.

Step 4: Pick a background color Choose from presets (warm cream, midnight, sky blue) or enter a hex code for your brand color.

Step 5: Export Click Export PNG. The tool outputs the exact pixel dimensions for your selected device slot — 1320×2868 for iPhone 16 Pro Max, or whatever device you've chosen.

Total time: under 5 minutes for a single screenshot.

What About Multiple Slides?

App Store Connect allows up to 10 screenshots per device slot. The first 3 are shown in search results, so they matter the most.

A reasonable set for a simple app:

  1. Your hero feature with a punchy headline
  2. A second key feature
  3. A social proof screen or before/after

You can create all 10 slides in the same session, with the same background and frame style applied to all slides at once.

Does It Cost Anything?

The first export is always free and clean — no watermark, no account required. Subsequent exports include a small watermark unless you pay $5 one-time to remove it. That's less than 5% of what App Store screenshot tools typically charge.

For context: AppScreens charges $89/year. Previewed charges $19/month. If you're an indie developer making one app, a one-time $5 payment is the right price point.

The Result

You end up with PNG files at exact App Store Connect dimensions. Drag them into App Store Connect → Screenshots, and you're done.

No Photoshop. No Figma license. No template subscriptions.