App Store Screenshot Prompts & Templates (2026)

Screenshot design from scratch is hard. Most indie devs spend hours, ship mediocre screenshots, and never iterate. This post is a working library of screenshot prompts and copy templates by category — start from these instead of staring at a blank Figma file.

How to use this

Each category below has:

1. Screenshot sequence prompts: what to show in each of 5-7 screenshots.
2. Caption templates: copy you can adapt.
3. Color / aesthetic notes: what works in this category.

Use these as starting points, not gospel. Run your screenshots through Screenshot Lab for AI feedback.

Universal principles

Across all categories:

• First screenshot: outcome, not UI.
• Captions: specific benefit, not feature name.
• Readable at thumbnail size: open your screenshot at 60% zoom; can you tell what it shows?
• One focal point per screenshot: not 3 things competing.
• Real data: not "Lorem ipsum" or stock screenshots.

Health & Fitness

Sequence

1. Outcome hero ("Train 12 weeks → see results")
2. Workout in progress (UI + person)
3. Personalized plan
4. Progress tracker
5. Social / community
6. CTA

Caption templates

• "Train smarter, not harder"
• "Personalized for your goals"
• "Track every workout"
• "See your progress every week"
• "[N]+ people building healthier habits"

Aesthetic

Bright primary colors (orange, green, blue), photography of real people in workout settings, clean UI.

Productivity

Sequence

1. Workflow in action (the screen you'll spend time on)
2. Key differentiator
3. Integration story
4. Customization / themes
5. Multi-device sync
6. CTA

Caption templates

• "Get things done"
• "Built for [audience]"
• "Stay focused"
• "Sync everywhere"
• "Powerful, not overwhelming"

Aesthetic

Clean, minimal, often dark mode. Geometric, professional. Heavy use of monospace fonts.

Photo & Video

Sequence

1. Before/after transformation
2. Use case 1
3. Use case 2 (different)
4. Editing interface
5. Output examples (gallery)
6. Social / sharing
7. CTA

Caption templates

• "Transform photos in seconds"
• "AI-powered creative"
• "Studio-quality results"
• "Edit anywhere"
• "Share or save with ease"

Aesthetic

Saturated colors, before/after sliders, hero subject photos, modern device mockups.

Games

Sequence

1. Character / world hero
2. Core mechanic in action
3. Different game modes
4. Progression / meta loop
5. Social / multiplayer
6. CTA ("Get the game")

Caption templates

• "Save the world"
• "Master [mechanic]"
• "Level up"
• "Play with friends"
• "Endless adventure"

Aesthetic

Saturated, character-led, action-shot composition. No clean UI screenshots first.

Subscription / Premium consumer

Sequence

1. Hero outcome
2. Feature 1 (your differentiator)
3. Feature 2
4. Trust signal (rating, reviews, security)
5. "Free vs Pro" comparison
6. CTA

Caption templates

• "Achieve [specific outcome]"
• "Designed by experts"
• "Trusted by [audience]"
• "Start your free trial"
• "Cancel anytime"

Aesthetic

Premium, polished. Often soft pastels or sophisticated dark themes.

Education

Sequence

1. Subject + age range hero
2. Learning interaction in progress
3. Variety of subjects / lessons
4. Progress tracking (parent dashboard)
5. Trust signal (educator-designed, certifications)
6. CTA

Caption templates

• "[Subject] made fun"
• "Designed by educators"
• "Ages [range]"
• "Track your progress"
• "Trusted by [N]+ families"

Aesthetic

Bright primary colors, characters / mascots, age-appropriate.

Finance

Sequence

1. Hero: clean dashboard with realistic numbers
2. Core feature (budget setup, etc.)
3. Insight ("Spot where money goes")
4. Personalization
5. Security signal (bank-grade, 2FA)
6. CTA with "free" or trial hook

Caption templates

• "Take control of your money"
• "See where it goes"
• "Bank-grade security"
• "No bank login required" (if true)
• "Free, no credit card"

Aesthetic

Premium clean look, often blue/green palettes (associated with trust + money).

Social / Dating

Sequence

1. Hero outcome (match, post, conversation)
2. Profile UI
3. Messaging / matching mechanic
4. Differentiator feature
5. Safety / verification
6. CTA

Caption templates

• "Find your [audience]"
• "Real people, real connections"
• "Verified profiles"
• "Free to join"
• "[Differentiator]"

Aesthetic

Authentic-feeling, diverse, often warm tones.

Shopping / E-Commerce

Sequence

1. Hero with real products
2. Browse / discovery experience
3. Product detail page
4. Trust signal (reviews, security, returns)
5. Personalization
6. Checkout flow
7. CTA

Caption templates

• "Shop [niche]"
• "Trusted by [N]+ shoppers"
• "Secure checkout"
• "Free returns"
• "Discover [audience]"

Aesthetic

Product-led, varied colors, lifestyle imagery.

Travel

Sequence

1. Beautiful location hero
2. Core feature (booking, navigating, planning)
3. Local content / unique value
4. Offline / on-trip utility
5. Trust signal
6. CTA

Caption templates

• "Travel smarter"
• "Free offline maps"
• "Trusted by [N]+ travelers"
• "Local insights"
• "Plan your perfect trip"

Aesthetic

Beautiful landscapes / cities, vivid colors, modern UI overlay.

Utility

Sequence

1. Hero showing main function
2. Key feature 1
3. Edge cases / advanced use
4. Customization
5. CTA

Caption templates

• "[Function] in seconds"
• "Free, no signup"
• "Works offline"
• "[Differentiator]"
• "Trusted by professionals"

Aesthetic

Clean, minimal, function-focused.

Music / Audio

Sequence

1. Aesthetic hero (waveform, character, ambient scene)
2. Library / content
3. Player UI
4. Personalization
5. Offline / cross-device
6. CTA

Caption templates

• "Listen anywhere"
• "Offline access"
• "[N]+ tracks / books / podcasts"
• "Made for [audience]"
• "Free trial"

Aesthetic

Mood-driven for music/sleep; clean for podcasts/audiobooks.

Common templates

Across categories, these copy phrases work:

• "Free, no signup"
• "No credit card required"
• "Trusted by [N]+ users"
• "Cancel anytime"
• "[N]-day free trial"
• "Bank-grade security" (where applicable)
• "Made by [audience]" (for niche apps)
• "Trusted by [authority]" (where real)

What never works

• Generic stock photos that don't represent your app.
• "Lorem ipsum" caption placeholders.
• Logo as first screenshot.
• Phone bezel mockups without app content.
• Captions that describe features ("Calendar view") instead of benefits.
• Heavy gradient overlays that obscure UI.

A/B test your screenshots

Both stores support screenshot A/B testing. Start with:

1. Outcome-led vs UI-led first screenshot.
2. With vs without captions.
3. Dark mode vs light mode.

Sample size: 1,000+ visitors per variant. 14-28 day test.

See conversion rate optimization.

Run an audit

After designing screenshots, run free ASO audit + Screenshot Lab for AI feedback on hierarchy + readability.

Related reading

• App Store Screenshot Best Practices
• App Icon Design for ASO 2026
• App Preview Video Guide
• App Store Conversion Rate Optimization
• Google Play Feature Graphic Conversion Guide
• The Indie ASO Audit Checklist 2026

Try the tools

• Free ASO audit
• Listing Analyzer
• Screenshot Lab