Apple Adds App Store Product Page Headers, Search Result Assets and an Asset Library
On October 5, 2026, Apple announced new creative assets for App Store listings, product page headers and search result assets, together with an Asset Library and a preview tool in App Store Connect. On the same day Apple opened App Store submissions for apps optimized for iPhone Duo and said that, starting April 2027, every submitted app or game must include iPhone Duo screenshots. The new assets are optional; the screenshot requirement is not.
For a business, this changes how an app listing is produced and maintained rather than how the app itself is built. Listing images and video are part of app store optimization, and they now have more formats, a new approval route and a fixed date attached.
What did Apple announce on October 5, 2026?
Apple published two developer notices that day. The first, "Showcase your apps with new assets on the App Store", covers three things: new image and video assets for product page headers and search results, a preview tool that shows how a listing will look before you submit it, and an Asset Library for storing and organizing listing media.
The second, "Prepare and submit your apps for iPhone Duo", says iPhone Duo goes on sale on October 23, 2026, that updated screenshot and app preview specifications are available for it, and that iPhone Duo optimized apps can be submitted in App Store Connect now. Product page headers and search result assets were first mentioned when iOS 27 submissions opened on September 9, 2026; the October 5 notices add the management tools, the guidance and the screenshot deadline.
What are product page headers and search result assets?
They are extra images or videos, separate from your screenshots and app previews, that appear at the top of your product page and alongside your app in App Store search results. Apple suggests using them to show your brand, a seasonal offer or new content.
Apple's help page on managing App Store assets describes them as optional and available for iOS and iPadOS apps on iOS 27 or iPadOS 27 or later. People on older versions of iOS will not see them, so screenshots still carry the listing for part of your audience.
Sizes and limits
As of October 6, 2026, Apple's creative assets specifications list a product page header image at 3840 x 1646 pixels in a 21:9 ratio, and a search result image in a 3:2 ratio between 1920 x 1280 and 3840 x 2560 pixels. Videos for either placement must run between 5 and 30 seconds at 30 or 60 frames per second. They loop continuously and are muted by default; people can unmute a video on the product page but not in search results. Images cannot contain transparency.
The practical consequence is that a header video has to make sense without sound and within a few seconds. A cut-down version of an existing advertisement will often fail on both counts.
What is the Asset Library in App Store Connect?
The Asset Library is one place in App Store Connect to upload and organize screenshots, app previews and creative assets, independently of any particular app version. Before this, listing media was attached to the version you were submitting.
Two details matter for planning. First, Apple says creative assets can be submitted for approval ahead of time: its own example is submitting assets today for a future seasonal campaign and using them as soon as you are ready. Second, the help page says that for an app already live on the App Store, you can replace the product page header and search result assets with other approved assets without submitting a new app version.
That separates marketing changes from software releases. A holiday campaign no longer has to wait for, or be bundled with, a code update, provided the assets were approved in advance.
Who can manage assets?
Only the Account Holder, Admin, App Manager and Marketing roles can manage App Store assets, according to the same help page. If an outside agency or designer handles your listing, the Marketing role is the one intended for that work; check Apple's role permissions before assigning it.
What does the new preview tool show?
The preview tool shows how your creative assets, screenshots and other metadata will appear on your product page and in search results before you submit them. Apple says it supports Dark Mode and different devices and orientations, and the iPhone Duo notice adds that it can show how the product page looks on iPhone Duo.
This is a checking tool, not a testing tool. It shows appearance, and it does not tell you which version of a listing converts more visitors into downloads.
What changes for iPhone Duo screenshots, and when?
iPhone Duo screenshots can be uploaded now and become mandatory for all app and game submissions starting April 2027. Apple's notice gives the month but not a specific day.
The screenshot specifications list two sets of sizes for iPhone Duo as of October 6, 2026: 1398 x 2034 pixels for the outer display and 2007 x 2853 pixels for the inner display, each also accepted in landscape. Each device size takes between 1 and 10 screenshots.
The requirement is more than a design task. To capture real screenshots at those sizes, the app has to run and lay out properly on the device. Apple's notice says to recompile existing apps with Xcode 27.1, which adds iPhone Duo development support and a Device Hub for viewing the app across poses and orientations. If your app assumes a fixed phone shape, the screenshots are the visible part of a larger layout job.
What do App Review rules say about screenshots?
Screenshots must show the app in use, and more than half of the screenshots for each supported device must do so. Apple's new guidance on guideline 2.3.3 gives the arithmetic: with three screenshots for a device, two must show the app in use; with four, three must.
Marketing text and overlays are allowed as long as they do not crowd out the interface. Screenshots made only of a splash screen, a login page or device hardware are named as common reasons for problems, as are screenshots that no longer match the current app.
What should a business do now?
Treat the header and search assets as optional marketing work, and the iPhone Duo screenshots as a deadline with engineering attached.
- Ask your developer to build the app with Xcode 27.1 and report how it behaves on iPhone Duo, in both displays and orientations.
- Put iPhone Duo screenshots on the plan for your next release so that April 2027 does not block an urgent update.
- Check your current screenshots against the "more than half show the app in use" rule and replace any that show an outdated interface.
- Decide whether a product page header is worth producing, and brief it as a silent, looping clip or a single image at the sizes Apple lists.
- Submit seasonal assets for approval well before the campaign date, and confirm who in your organization holds a role that can manage assets.
Quick answers
Are App Store product page headers mandatory?
No. Apple describes product page headers and search result assets as optional creative assets that complement screenshots and app previews. They are shown on iOS 27 and iPadOS 27 or later.
When do iPhone Duo screenshots become required on the App Store?
Apple said on October 5, 2026 that starting April 2027, any app or game submitted will need to include screenshots for iPhone Duo. They can already be uploaded in App Store Connect.
What size is an App Store product page header?
As of October 6, 2026, Apple lists a product page header image at 3840 x 1646 pixels in a 21:9 aspect ratio. Header videos use the same resolution and must be 5 to 30 seconds long.
Can I change my App Store header image without releasing an app update?
Yes, according to Apple's App Store Connect help. For an app that is already live, you can swap the product page header and search result assets for other approved assets without submitting a new version.
What is the Asset Library in App Store Connect?
The Asset Library is a central place in App Store Connect, announced on October 5, 2026, for uploading and organizing screenshots, app previews and creative assets. Assets can be uploaded and submitted for approval before you decide where to use them.
How many App Store screenshots must show the app in use?
More than half of the screenshots for each supported device must show the app in use, under App Review guideline 2.3.3. With four screenshots, three must show the app itself.
Conclusion
Apple's October 5, 2026 update gives App Store listings two new optional placements and a way to prepare and approve marketing assets separately from app releases. The firm commitment is iPhone Duo screenshots from April 2027, which depend on the app working properly on the device. If you are still deciding how your app should be built for several screen shapes, our comparison of native, Flutter and React Native covers the trade-offs.
Entrant Technologies builds websites, web applications, mobile apps and custom software. If you would like help preparing your iPhone app or its listing, contact us and we will take a look.