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App Store Connect Screenshot Scaling: When One Medium Set Is Enough
This is a shipping decision, not another size chart
App Store Connect’s Display scaling note says: if your UI is consistent across device sizes and localizations, you only need screenshots for the highest required resolution; Connect scales them down for smaller displays. Source: Apple’s screenshot specifications (checked 6 Nov 2026).
This page answers one question: when is a single Dynamic Island medium set enough to submit, and when must you still hand-upload large iPhone, iPad, or Duo assets? Full pixel matrices stay on the size guide and /en/tools/screenshot-sizes. Slot errors for medium: Dynamic Island medium fix.
Required vs scalable (today)
| Slot | Role today | Accepted portrait sizes (excerpt) | Can another slot cover it by scaling? |
|---|---|---|---|
| iPhone Dynamic Island medium | Required for every iPhone app | 1179×2556 or 1206×2622 | This is the required well — empty = blocked save/submit |
| iPhone Dynamic Island large | Optional; Connect can scale from other classes when missing | 1260×2736 / 1290×2796 / 1320×2868 | Yes if UI is identical; hand-upload if you redesigned for large |
| Smaller Face ID / Home classes | Usually inherited | see Apple table | Usually skip when UI matches |
| iPad 13″ | Required if the app supports iPadOS | 2064×2752 or 2048×2732 | Not interchangeable with iPhone |
| iPhone Duo | Required from April 2027 for apps using the iOS 27.1 SDK or later | Outer 1398×2034; inner 2007×2853 | Does not inherit from other iPhone classes |
Always prefer the live Connect red required markers over memorized tables.
Decision table: how many sets tonight?
| Your situation | Hand-upload at least | Why |
|---|---|---|
| iPhone only; same layout/type scale across widths | One medium set (prefer 1206×2622) | Satisfies the required well; let scaling fill smaller classes |
| iPhone + iPadOS | Medium + iPad 13″ | Two required lines |
| Large-phone-only layout / bigger caption band / split view | Medium + large hand-upload | Scaling will squash a layout you designed for Max-class |
| Locales with very different string lengths | Medium per locale; do not expect scaling to fix overflow | Scaling does not rewrite copy |
| Shipping with iOS 27.1+ toward Duo | Separate Duo outer/inner sets; do not pretend other iPhone slots cover them | Apple states Duo is not filled by scaling from other sizes |
When not to trust scaling
- Captions hug the safe edge on medium — after downscale they may clip on smaller product pages.
- Orientation mix — a landscape-only story for one class will not appear from a portrait master.
- Missing localization files — scaling cannot invent assets for an empty language slot.
- Dropping large pixels into the medium well — 1290×2796 is a large accepted size, not the medium required pair (1179×2556 / 1206×2622). See the medium fix article.
First-hand path: export only required wells in /preview
- Open /en/preview. Choose iPhone 6.3″ / 1206×2622 (common Dynamic Island medium canvas).
- Build 3–10 frames (Connect allows 1–10 per size). Export opaque PNG/JPEG (no alpha).
- If you support iPad: export a separate 2064×2752 (or 2048×2732) set — do not stretch iPhone art.
- Optional: add a 1320×2868 large set only when the large layout differs; otherwise submit and let scaling fill smaller wells.
- Preflight with /en/tools/screenshot-check; compress outliers via /en/tools/compress.
- Locale caption matrix: /en/tools/screenshot-localize (you supply copy; no paid MT API).
One brand mention: AppShot Maker keeps that path free and browser-local.
How this page differs from sibling docs
| Doc | Job |
|---|---|
| This page | Scaling decision — how many sets to export tonight |
| Size guide / /en/tools/screenshot-sizes | Full tables + sources |
| Required FAQ | Counts and “do I need iPad?” |
| Medium slot fix | Exact Connect error string |
Takeaway
App Store Connect screenshot scaling removes duplicate exports; it does not remove required wells. Today, clear Dynamic Island medium (1179×2556 or 1206×2622) first; add iPad 13″ when you support iPadOS; hand-upload large only when the layout actually differs; treat Duo as a separate 2027 track. Export required wells from /en/preview instead of rendering twelve speculative sizes by default.
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