# How many screenshots do top apps use?

> Markdown version of https://storeglow.app/app-store-screenshot-study/, updated 2026-10-30. Storeglow, https://storeglow.app/

2,394 top App Store apps in 24 categories: median 7 screenshots, 12% use all ten, 67% have an iPad set. By category, with the raw data.

We looked at the top 100 free apps in 24 App Store categories: 2,394 apps in the US store on 30 October 2026. Here's how many screenshots they show, in which shape, and whether they have an iPad set.

By [Marius Gehler](https://storeglow.app/about/) · Published 30 October 2026 · Checked 30 October 2026

**7** iPhone screenshots, the median

**12%** use all ten slots

**67%** have an iPad set

**98.5%** start in portrait

## How many screenshots top apps show

Apps by number of iPhone screenshots: 1: 8, 2: 10, 3: 62, 4: 194, 5: 408, 6: 450, 7: 384, 8: 366, 9: 236, 10: 276.

_Apps by number of iPhone screenshots, of 2,394_

Half of the top apps (50%) show six to eight screenshots. 12% fill all ten slots, and 11% show four or fewer. The average is 6.8.

## By category

Health & Fitness apps show the most (average 7.6). Games are different in two ways: 13% start in landscape and 95% have an iPad set.

|  | Median | Average | All 10 | 4 or fewer | iPad set | Landscape first |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| **Health & Fitness** | 8 | 7.6 | 21% | 5% | 43% | 0% |
| **Photo & Video** | 7 | 7.3 | 23% | 10% | 70% | 1% |
| **Graphics & Design** | 7 | 7.3 | 18% | 6% | 72% | 1% |
| **Finance** | 7 | 7.3 | 11% | 5% | 57% | 0% |
| **Weather** | 7 | 7.2 | 22% | 11% | 84% | 2% |
| **Reference** | 7 | 7.2 | 19% | 11% | 69% | 0% |
| **Sports** | 7 | 7.1 | 12% | 10% | 67% | 0% |
| **Travel** | 7 | 7.0 | 8% | 13% | 52% | 0% |
| **Navigation** | 7 | 7.0 | 12% | 4% | 61% | 0% |
| **Productivity** | 7 | 6.9 | 12% | 11% | 79% | 0% |
| **Education** | 7 | 6.9 | 15% | 13% | 83% | 5% |
| **Shopping** | 7 | 6.9 | 10% | 8% | 57% | 0% |
| **Business** | 7 | 6.7 | 13% | 12% | 66% | 0% |
| **Medical** | 7 | 6.7 | 13% | 18% | 58% | 1% |
| **Games** | 6 | 6.6 | 5% | 4% | 95% | 13% |
| **News** | 6 | 6.6 | 9% | 13% | 92% | 1% |
| **Lifestyle** | 7 | 6.6 | 5% | 13% | 55% | 0% |
| **Music** | 6 | 6.5 | 5% | 13% | 58% | 5% |
| **Utilities** | 6 | 6.5 | 11% | 17% | 59% | 1% |
| **Books** | 6 | 6.4 | 9% | 12% | 73% | 0% |
| **Social Networking** | 6 | 6.2 | 6% | 12% | 59% | 0% |
| **Developer Tools** | 6 | 6.2 | 9% | 23% | 85% | 2% |
| **Food & Drink** | 6 | 6.2 | 4% | 15% | 49% | 0% |
| **Entertainment** | 6 | 6.0 | 4% | 15% | 67% | 4% |
| **All categories** | 7 | 6.8 | 12% | 11% | 67% | 2% |

## The top of the chart and the rest

|  | Median | Average | All 10 | 4 or fewer | iPad set | Landscape first |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| **Rank 1–10** | 7 | 7.2 | 13% | 5% | 73% | 1% |
| **Rank 11–50** | 7 | 6.8 | 11% | 10% | 68% | 1% |
| **Rank 51–100** | 6 | 6.6 | 11% | 14% | 65% | 2% |

The top ten of each chart less often show four or fewer screenshots (5%, against 14% at ranks 51–100). That's a pattern, not proof: the biggest apps also have the biggest teams.

## What it means for your set

1. **Plan for six to eight**: That's where half of the top apps are. Put the strongest three first: they show in search results ( [what goes in them](https://storeglow.app/app-store-screenshot-best-practices/) ).
2. **Ten isn't the norm**: Only 12% use every slot. Add more only if each screen says something new.
3. **Portrait, unless it's a game**: 98.5% of top apps start in portrait; games are the one category where landscape is common (13%).
4. **Don't skip the iPad**: 67% of top apps have an iPad set, and App Store Connect asks for one when your app runs on iPad.
5. **16:9 is the old shape**: 40% still have a 16:9 iPhone set (the 5.5" size). Apple's required iPhone size is now the taller 6.3", [1206 × 2622](https://storeglow.app/app-store-screenshot-sizes/) .

## How we measured

- **Which apps**: The top 100 free apps in each of 24 App Store categories, US store, on 30 October 2026, from Apple's public top charts. Stickers, magazines and catalogs are left out.
- **What we counted**: The iPhone and iPad screenshots Apple's public lookup API returns for each app, and the pixel size of the first iPhone screenshot for its shape.
- **What we can't see**: The API returns one iPhone set per app and no app preview videos, so apps with several sets count by the one Apple returns.
- **Repeatable**: The script that took the snapshot is in our repository; the raw data is below, one row per app.

Download the data: [CSV](https://storeglow.app/data/app-store-screenshot-study-2026-10.csv) · [JSON](https://storeglow.app/data/app-store-screenshot-study-2026-10.json), one row per app. Free to use under [CC BY 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), with a credit to Storeglow.

## Questions

### How many screenshots should an App Store listing have?

Top apps use 7 iPhone screenshots (median), and 50% use six to eight. Apple allows 1 to 10 per display size and language. Only 12% fill all ten slots.

### Do top apps use landscape screenshots?

Rarely. 98.5% start with a portrait screenshot. Games are the exception: 13% of the top games start in landscape.

### Do I need iPad screenshots?

If your app runs on iPad, App Store Connect requires them. 67% of the top apps in this study have an iPad set; among games it's 95%.