Hello fellow devs and Apple engineers,
I want to discuss with everyone about App Preview videos on the App Store.
My app NFC.cool is an NFC reading and writing app which interacts with NFC tags that need to be held to the top of device frame of an iPhone. As you can see, this is how my app works and I would like to show that to users on the App Store and present my app in the best way possible.
However I keep fighting with app review about device frames and/or "real" hands in my app preview videos. Sometimes I get a reviewer that is ok with the video and sometimes not. In screenshots device frames are accepted and very common. Why are they not allowed in app previews? It doesn't make a lot of sense to me. And to be honest, I regularly see app previews with device frames on other AppStore pages.
Here is the app preview that got rejected lately: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/qTDBGecK0w0
I can easily agree with the hands (even though they are not real, they are a render). But the device frame helps the user to understand what my app does and how it works.
Ideally I would like to have some Apple staff to see this post here and hopefully start a small wave that will change the guidelines in the future.
Here the message from the reviewer:
Product Page Optimization Guideline 2.3.4 - Performance - Accurate Metadata
The app preview for NFC Read Write Socials Video includes content that does not sufficiently show the app in use. Specifically, the app preview:
- Includes device images and/or device frames.
- Displays real hands.
App previews should allow users to see what the app does and how it will >appear on their device when the preview is played in full screen.
My answer:
Hello, these are not real hands. These are renders. The video is accurately showing what the real use of my app. Please keep in mind that an NFC tag has to be held from the outside to the device to interact with my app. The guidelines definitely support what I did in my video. Please take another look. Thank you.
Following the guidelines: 2.3.4 …You can add narration and video or textual overlays to help explain anything that isn’t clear from the video alone.
https://developer.apple.com/app-store/review/guidelines/#accurate-metadata
Use graphics and transitions. If you need to demonstrate how interaction or navigation works within your app, you may add graphic elements, such as touch hotspots. We recommend capturing the native UI resolution rather than zooming in on the view. Ensure that any transitions between scenes don’t imply functionality that your app doesn’t include. Aim to use straightforward transitions, like dissolves and fades.
What's your opinion on this topic?
