Apple Now Requiring iPhone Developers to Submit Retina Screenshots

MacRumors · Feb 7, 2012

Apple today notified members of its iOS Developer Program of a new requirement that all screenshots being submitted for iPhone and iPod touch apps in the App Store must meet Retina resolution requirements, which come in at 960x640 on those devices. Any updates to existing apps must also include Retina screenshots, if they are not already present, before the updates will be approved by Apple.

Required iPhone & iPod touch Screenshot Upgrade for Retina Display

When you create or update your apps in iTunes Connect, you must upload screenshots that are high-resolution. We require your screenshots as high-resolution images so that your app is optimized for the Retina display.

The requirements for high-resolution images are 960 x 640, 960 x 600, 640 x 960, or 640 x 920 pixels. Images must be at least 72 dpi, in the RGB color space, and the file must be .jpeg, .jpg, .tif, .tiff, or .png. You can update your screenshot files at any time in iTunes Connect.

Apple has long supported the inclusion of Retina screenshots for iPhone and iPod touch apps but has not required them, instead allowing developers to continue using non-Retina 480x320 screenshots that are then scaled up for viewing up on Retina devices. But with Retina displays having been included in the iPhone and iPod touch since 2010, the company clearly feels that developers should have already moved to the higher resolution and will not allow developers to update their apps going forward without making the necessary screenshot changes.

The iPad 3 is expected to appear within the next few months carrying a higher-resolution display that will utilize the same ideas as with the iPhone and iPod touch, doubling the display resolution in each dimension to 2048x1536 to allow for sharper content while easily maintaining compatibility with lower-resolution apps using pixel doubling. Apple is of course not yet soliciting developers for high-resolution versions of their existing iPad app screenshots, but enforcement of higher-resolution iPhone and iPod touch screenshot requirements will also make those App Store images appear sharper on both current and future iPads.

Article Link: Apple Now Requiring iPhone Developers to Submit Retina Screenshots

redscull · Feb 7, 2012

Can't a dev just use any old paintshop program to increase image size by 2x in both dimensions? Even if the app just pixel-doubles, that'd still meet the requirement. Who's to say that's not precisely how your app is meant to look. This just seems like a silly requirement update since there's no real way to enforce that the screenshots actually look any better.

ArtOfWarfare · Feb 7, 2012

Amazingly, I actually know some developers this will cause troubles for (they did their graphics entirely as bitmaps sized for the 320x480 screen.)

I, on the other hand, have been using retina graphics all along. (I actually had more of an issue when some non-retina users pointed out some things didn't look good scaled down.)

acfusion29 · Feb 7, 2012

good.. about time! i store my non-retina apps in a folder. doesn't flow nice with the rest of the apps on the screen.

jayhawk11 · Feb 7, 2012

Fedirico Viticci over at MacStories posted this earlier, but I echo his sentiment. I think this is just house-cleaning to get ready to ditch the iPhone 3GS.

Sneakz · Feb 7, 2012

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No excuse. They had over a year and a half to update. They should have known this date would come.

WeegieMac · Feb 7, 2012

While I can change the icons myself using iExplorer, how hard is it for developers to include a Retina icon in their code? The apps show on the App Store, on the iPhone, in Retina Display resolution but when on the phone they're all pixelated. Chief offenders for that are SEGA, up until Sonic CD.

nagromme · Feb 7, 2012

redscull said:
Can't a dev just use any old paintshop program to increase image size by 2x in both dimensions? Even if the app just pixel-doubles, that'd still meet the requirement. Who's to say that's not precisely how your app is meant to look. This just seems like a silly requirement update since there's no real way to enforce that the screenshots actually look any better.

The rule doesn’t have to be air-tight to be useful (since this isn’t a security/privacy issue).

ArtOfWarfare said:
Amazingly, I actually know some developers this will cause troubles for (they did their graphics entirely as bitmaps sized for the 320x480 screen.)

I, on the other hand, have been using retina graphics all along. (I actually had more of an issue when some non-retina users pointed out some things didn't look good scaled down.)

Luckily, Apple’s not requiring that the app be re-done with 100% retina graphics (hard to measure that in all cases anyway), just that the screenshot be full size. For some apps, only the text will look sharper. For a few, nothing will—but it’s easy to submit the required size, so no harm done. Plus, apps that don’t get updated aren’t subject to the rule.

jent · Feb 7, 2012

This is a tangential rant, but I wish Apple would enforce the fact that the Screenshots sections should feature screenshots and not "banners" that overlay a bunch of cheesy graphics advertising why the app is so great. There should be a separate section for banners/ads/promotional material.

cfc · Feb 7, 2012

I wonder if this is more to do with possible retina display Macs rather than the retina iPad? If they are going high ppi for laptops or desktops then they would need high ppi artwork for the AppStore.

Just a thought.

Bearxor · Feb 7, 2012

jent said:
This is a tangential rant, but I wish Apple would enforce the fact that the Screenshots sections should feature screenshots and not "banners" that overlay a bunch of cheesy graphics advertising why the app is so great. There should be a separate section for banners/ads/promotional material.

Seconded!

ArtOfWarfare · Feb 7, 2012

jent said:
This is a tangential rant, but I wish Apple would enforce the fact that the Screenshots sections should feature screenshots and not "banners" that overlay a bunch of cheesy graphics advertising why the app is so great. There should be a separate section for banners/ads/promotional material.

Screenshots work great for some apps, for others, not so much.

Example, Battery Status is a menubar app. What the heck do you want for a screenshot for that? I made my screen resolution as low as possible, picked a pleasant green backdrop, opened the menu, and took a picture of that. Then I labeled it with arrows and text to explain what each part was for.

Then there's the issue of taking a picture of a game. It's surprisingly really difficult to get five pictures that by themselves really show everything in a game. Often, a video would work better. Speaking of which, Apple aught to allow developers to include 30 or 60 second previews of their apps... that could often help for advertising games.

xStep · Feb 7, 2012

ArtOfWarfare said:
Screenshots work great for some apps, for others, not so much.

Example, Battery Status is a menubar app. What the heck do you want for a screenshot for that? I made my screen resolution as low as possible, picked a pleasant green backdrop, opened the menu, and took a picture of that. Then I labeled it with arrows and text to explain what each part was for.

Your app is an exception and you were creative in using the shot to tell an instructive story. I'd allow for that. It's the marking hype that jent refers too that bothers me. I don't see how that is helpful to the end customer.

chrono1081 · Feb 7, 2012

redscull said:
Can't a dev just use any old paintshop program to increase image size by 2x in both dimensions? Even if the app just pixel-doubles, that'd still meet the requirement. Who's to say that's not precisely how your app is meant to look. This just seems like a silly requirement update since there's no real way to enforce that the screenshots actually look any better.

I think its a good rule. Developers should take pride in their work and make their app reflect the quality of their product. Its sad that Apple has to enforce this (which should say something about the Dev's who have it done it's products.)

jent said:
This is a tangential rant, but I wish Apple would enforce the fact that the Screenshots sections should feature screenshots and not "banners" that overlay a bunch of cheesy graphics advertising why the app is so great. There should be a separate section for banners/ads/promotional material.

I've never seen this but I agree!

shurcooL · Feb 7, 2012

MacRumors said:
[iPad 3] doubling the display resolution in each dimension to 2560x1920 to allow for sharper content while easily maintaining compatibility with lower-resolution apps using pixel doubling.

Wtf? Doubled is 2048x1536. The resolution of iPad 1/2 is not 1280x960, it's 1024x768.

SiriusExcelsior · Feb 7, 2012

Am I the only one who got an initial mental image of devs having to scan their eyes and submit that with their apps?

Peace · Feb 7, 2012

Apple's just trying to make sure screenshots look good on the iPad 3.

pmz · Feb 7, 2012

This of course only refers to the screen shots used on the App Store, and not the apps themselves.

But, pretty tough to take Hi res screen shots of low res content isn't it?

Personally I think all low res apps should just be purged from the App store and force their hand. They've had too long to accommodate the change. Put up or get out.

Yebubbleman · Feb 7, 2012

MacRumors said:
[url=http://cdn.macrumors.com/im/macrumorsthreadlogodarkd.png]Image[/url]

Image

Apple today notified members of its iOS Developer Program of a new requirement that all screenshots being submitted for iPhone and iPod touch apps in the App Store must meet Retina resolution requirements, which come in at 960x640 on those devices. Any updates to existing apps must also include Retina screenshots, if they are not already present, before the updates will be approved by Apple.Apple has long supported the inclusion of Retina screenshots for iPhone and iPod touch apps but has not required them, instead allowing developers to continue using non-Retina 480x320 screenshots that are then scaled up for viewing up on Retina devices. But with Retina displays having been included in the iPhone and iPod touch since 2010, the company clearly feels that developers should have already moved to the higher resolution and will not allow developers to update their apps going forward without making the necessary screenshot changes.

The iPad 3 is expected to appear within the next few months carrying a higher-resolution display that will utilize the same ideas as with the iPhone and iPod touch, doubling the display resolution in each dimension to 2560x1920 to allow for sharper content while easily maintaining compatibility with lower-resolution apps using pixel doubling. Apple is of course not yet soliciting developers for high-resolution versions of their existing iPad app screenshots, but enforcement of higher-resolution iPhone and iPod touch screenshot requirements will also make those App Store images appear sharper on both current and future iPads.

Article Link: Apple Now Requiring iPhone Developers to Submit Retina Screenshots

It definitely begs the question of how long it will be before this requirement is enforced with the iPad apps assuming the iPad 3 (or whatever it'll be called) comes out before the end of April and assuming it comes out with a Retina display.

jonnysods · Feb 7, 2012

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; CPU iPhone OS 5_0_1 like Mac OS X) AppleWebKit/534.46 (KHTML, like Gecko) Mobile/9A405)

This is good to know. Time to update some of my apps...

ArtOfWarfare · Feb 7, 2012

SiriusExcelsior said:
Am I the only one who got an initial mental image of devs having to scan their eyes and submit that with their apps?

I had no such mental image.

You sir, are creative.

newagemac · Feb 7, 2012

And this is why I like the curated approach. Most developers have already made the switch but quite a few haven't. Thanks Apple for speeding up this process. The low resolutions look completely out of place on the nice retina display devices.

jack12345 · Feb 7, 2012

how can i post my problem??

in my i phone

dejo · Feb 7, 2012

Now if Apple would just update their UICatalog sample app to include retina-friendly images. They've updated it for iOS 5.0 recently but it still doesn't have any @2x images. Grr...

Yebubbleman · Feb 7, 2012

SiriusExcelsior said:
Am I the only one who got an initial mental image of devs having to scan their eyes and submit that with their apps?

I loled.

newagemac said:
And this is why I like the curated approach. Most developers have already made the switch but quite a few haven't. Thanks Apple for speeding up this process. The low resolutions look completely out of place on the nice retina display devices.

It does make me wonder what, as the owner of a 3rd Generation iPod touch, support will exist for me for apps. Though, I suppose it kind of doesn't matter given that I can really only fit my music library, contacts, and calendars and nothing else on the damn thing anyway; no room for apps that may or may not work anymore on my device.

Apple Now Requiring iPhone Developers to Submit Retina Screenshots

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