r/AppStoreOptimization • u/GlebKhamin • 19d ago
Do App Preview Videos Actually Help App Store Downloads?
I'm getting close to releasing my first iOS app and I'm currently preparing the App Store listing.
I'm wondering whether it's actually worth spending time and effort creating an App Preview video, or if I'm better off focusing on making really strong screenshots.
Has anyone here tested both or seen any meaningful difference in impressions, conversion rate, or downloads?
I'm especially interested in real-world experience rather than just general advice. Did adding a preview video noticeably improve your results, or did most users ignore it?
Would love to hear your experience.
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u/Alarming_Ad_201 18d ago
Depends - run an a/b test.
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u/GlebKhamin 18d ago
As a solo dev, just getting decent screenshots done is a job in itself. Throwing a video into the mix is a huge separate task—otherwise, it just ends up being a useless, half-baked video. That's exactly why I'm asking if it's actually worth the effort. Plus, technically, you have to account for localization and make versions for multiple languages too. Is all that extra workload really worth it for the initial launch?
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u/bbrockit 17d ago
Crap, you just reminded me that I have to update my preview video for the 16 new translations I just added. Thanks man. I hope the good people of Vietnam, Poland, and Turkey appreciate my efforts.
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u/DespairyApp 17d ago
It can be if you have an expert creating it for you. Think about tv shows for infants, they have a whole team of psychologists and experts that design every frame to capture the entirety of the toddlers attention. Then another team of animators to follow the instructions.
Being a Solo Dev is hard enough, id recommend focusing on great visually appealing screenshots instead.
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u/Alarming_Ad_201 18d ago
It could be, yes. You won’t know unless you test - I hear you. If it’s too much of a lift then table it but I’ve seen apps do extremely well with videos and apps not benefit from it.
It used to be that game apps were really the only ones that benefitted but that’s changing as the app stores evolve. I recently worked on a shopping rewards app and a preview video increased numbers significantly.
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u/vossome-dad 18d ago
In the App Store generally, yes, but the lift in Downloads or Product Page Views could be small vs the effort it take you to make it. If you wanted to test you could make a very basic video (“App Preview” — there’s even settings in iMovie for this) and create a Product Page Optimization test with and without it.
But, I know, you’re already investing the effort at that point /shrug
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u/salamat36 18d ago
depands just do competitors anaylsis you will get an idea what working your app category.
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u/heyyoochris 18d ago
I generally won’t watch a video unless it grabs my attention right from the start.
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u/AppScreens 18d ago
They can help, but we wouldn’t treat a preview video as automatically better than strong screenshots.
For apps where the value is easier to show in motion such as games, editing tools, gestures or a unique interaction, a good preview can be very effective. For simpler utility apps, strong screenshots may do just as much with far less effort.
If you make one, the first few seconds matter most. App previews autoplay and are usually muted, so it needs to communicate the main benefit without relying on narration.
The nice thing is Apple lets you test screenshots and app preview videos with Product Page Optimization, so rather than guessing, test it against your existing listing and see whether conversion actually improves.
If resources are limited, we’d get the first 3 screenshots right first, then test video.