Fix: App Store 6.5-Inch Screenshot Dimensions Are Wrong

Why this happens

App Store Connect enforces strict pixel dimensions for every device display class. When you upload an image that is even one pixel off—or saved at a scaled-down Retina factor—the portal rejects it with The dimensions of one or more screenshots are wrong.

This commonly happens with the 6.5-inch iPhone slot because developers capture screenshots on a 5.8-inch device (1125 × 2436 pixels), a 6.1-inch device, or an iOS Simulator window whose screenshot was taken using macOS screen capture (Cmd + Shift + 4) rather than Simulator’s native capture. macOS screen capture records the window at your Mac display’s scaling factor, which rarely matches the exact native pixel dimensions App Store Connect expects.

How to fix it

1. Use the exact 6.5-inch screenshot dimensions

Upload images that match one of the accepted 6.5-inch resolutions in either portrait or landscape orientation:

• 6.5-inch (primary): 1242 × 2688 pixels (portrait) or 2688 × 1242 pixels (landscape)
• 6.5-inch (alternative accepted size): 1284 × 2778 pixels (portrait) or 2778 × 1284 pixels (landscape)

If you are also filling out other required App Store Connect slots, verify their exact pixel dimensions:

• 5.5-inch display (iPhone 8 Plus, 7 Plus, 6s Plus): 1242 × 2208 pixels (portrait) or 2208 × 1242 pixels (landscape)
• iPad Pro 12.9-inch / 13-inch: 2048 × 2732 pixels (portrait) or 2732 × 2048 pixels (landscape)

App Store Connect periodically introduces new display classes (such as 6.9-inch iPhone models). Always check Apple’s Screenshot Specifications page if you are targeting the newest hardware.

2. Capture native-resolution screenshots in iOS Simulator

Instead of cropping or taking a macOS region screenshot, let Xcode’s iOS Simulator export the frame at the device’s exact native pixel resolution:

1. Open your app in Xcode and select a simulator that matches the 6.5-inch class (such as iPhone 11 Pro Max or iPhone XS Max for 1242 × 2688, or iPhone 14 Plus / iPhone 15 Plus for 1284 × 2778).
2. Navigate to the screen you want to capture.
3. Press Cmd + S in Simulator (or choose File > Save Screen). By default, Simulator saves a full-resolution PNG to your Desktop.

You can also capture screenshots from Terminal using simctl while the simulator is running:

xcrun simctl io booted screenshot ~/Desktop/screenshot-65.png

Verify the pixel dimensions right after capturing:

sips -g pixelWidth -g pixelHeight ~/Desktop/screenshot-65.png

You should see pixelWidth: 1242 and pixelHeight: 2688 (or 1284 and 2778).

3. Batch-resize existing screenshots with sips

If you already have high-resolution marketing screenshots (for example, exported from Figma or a 6.7-inch / 6.9-inch device) and just need them sized for the 6.5-inch slot, you can resize them with the built-in macOS sips tool.

Note that sips -z takes height first, then width:

# Resize a single portrait screenshot to 1242 x 2688
sips -z 2688 1242 input.png --out output-65.png

To resize a folder of PNGs without overwriting the originals:

mkdir -p resized-65
for file in *.png; do
  sips -z 2688 1242 "$file" --out "resized-65/$file"
done

Make sure the source image has a similar aspect ratio before resizing. Stretching a 16:9 image (like a 5.5-inch screenshot) into a 19.5:9 6.5-inch frame will distort your UI and can trigger an App Review rejection for misleading screenshots.

4. Check file format and color profile requirements

Even when the pixel dimensions are right, App Store Connect can still reject files that use unsupported formats or transparency:

• Format: Save screenshots as PNG or JPEG (.png, .jpg, or .jpeg).
• Color space: Use RGB (sRGB or Display P3). CMYK images are rejected.
• No alpha channel: If you export PNGs from a design tool, flatten the image or disable alpha transparency. You can strip alpha channels with sips or convert to a high-quality JPEG:

sips -s format jpeg -s formatOptions 95 output-65.png --out output-65.jpg

How to prevent it

• Always use Cmd + S or xcrun simctl io booted screenshot instead of macOS screen-capture shortcuts (Cmd + Shift + 4) so screenshots are never scaled by your Mac’s display settings.
• Automate screenshot generation with Xcode UI tests (XCUIScreenshot) or Fastlane snapshot so every localization and device size is captured consistently.
• Validate dimensions in CI or before uploading using sips -g pixelWidth -g pixelHeight to catch wrong resolutions before opening App Store Connect.
• Use App Store Connect’s Media Manager scaling where available: uploading screenshots for the largest required iPhone and iPad sizes lets App Store Connect scale them down automatically for smaller display classes you leave blank.

FAQ

Can I use 6.7-inch or 6.9-inch screenshots for the 6.5-inch slot?

App Store Connect accepts 1284 × 2778 pixels (the 6.7-inch iPhone 12/13 Pro Max and 14 Plus size) in the 6.5-inch slot alongside 1242 × 2688. However, if you upload a newer 6.9-inch resolution directly into the 6.5-inch bucket, App Store Connect will reject it unless you resize it to an accepted 6.5-inch dimension or upload it to the larger display slot and let App Store Connect scale down.

Why does my Simulator screenshot have the wrong pixel size?

This usually happens when you capture the Simulator window using macOS screenshot shortcuts (Cmd + Shift + 4) instead of Simulator’s built-in capture (Cmd + S). macOS screen capture uses your Mac’s window size and Retina scale rather than the simulated iPhone’s native framebuffer.

Do I need to upload screenshots for every iPhone size?

No. App Store Connect only requires screenshots for the largest iPhone display class and, if your app supports iPad, the largest iPad display class. Smaller display slots automatically fall back to the scaled-down versions unless you choose to provide custom screenshots for them.