What are the Google Play preview video requirements?
| Spec | Google Play preview video |
|---|---|
| How to add | Paste a YouTube URL in the "preview video" field (Main store listing, Graphics section, in Play Console) |
| How many | One per store listing; Google recommends a localized video per market. Android XR apps can add two more |
| URL | A single video's URL, not a playlist or channel; no extra parameters such as timecodes |
| Privacy | Public or unlisted. Not private |
| Ads | Must be off: turn off monetization, or use a different video without monetization claims |
| Other | Not age-restricted; embedding allowed |
| Length | No limit stated. Only the first 30 seconds autoplay |
| Orientation | Landscape or portrait; no black bars on the sides of a portrait video |
| File size, resolution, frame rate | Not stated (the video is hosted on YouTube) |
| Cover image | Your feature graphic: 1024×500, JPEG or 24-bit PNG with no alpha |
| Captions | Recommended |
Source: Add preview assets to showcase your app, Play Console Help, checked November 4, 2026. Because the video lives on YouTube, YouTube's own upload limits apply: see the YouTube video specs.
How long should a Google Play promo video be?
Google sets no maximum, but it recommends keeping the video short "because only the first 30 seconds autoplays". The preview may autoplay inline, muted, for up to 30 seconds depending on the device, settings, network and where it's shown; when it doesn't autoplay, a play button sits on your feature graphic. Viewers can tap to keep watching past 30 seconds (Play Console Help).
What should a Google Play preview video show?
Google's "highly recommended" list (Play Console Help):
- The real app, early. Show the actual in-app experience within the first 10 seconds, and aim for at least 80% of the video to represent the user experience.
- Go easy on promo footage. Limit title screens, logos and pre-rendered content.
- No hands. Don't show people tapping the device unless the app is used off-device.
- Copy for muted autoplay, but no rankings or awards ("Best", "#1", "Top", "New"), prices or calls to action like "Download now".
- Pick the app's orientation and localize the UI, taglines and audio.
Why isn't my preview video showing on Google Play?
Check the requirements first, in this order (Play Console Help):
- It shows ads. Turn off monetization. If the video has copyrighted content with monetization claims, that may not be enough; use a different video.
- It's private or age-restricted. Set it to public or unlisted and remove the age restriction.
- Embedding is off. The video must be embeddable on Google Play.
- The URL is wrong. Use the video's own URL, not a playlist or channel, and strip timecodes and other parameters.
Exporting a launch video for Google Play
| Setting | Recommended export |
|---|---|
| Size | 1920×1080 (16:9) for a landscape app, 1080×1920 (9:16) for a portrait one (Google names no size; these are our defaults) |
| File | MP4, H.264, uploaded to YouTube |
| Length | 30 seconds or a little over; the first 30 seconds do the work |
| First 10 seconds | The app on screen, not a logo |
| YouTube settings | Public or unlisted, monetization off, embedding on, not age-restricted |
| Captions | Add them; autoplay is muted |
Our recommendation, chosen to sit inside the Google Play limits above. The full guide: how to make a launch video.
Google Play and Product Hunt both take a YouTube link, so one public or unlisted upload can serve both if it's mostly real product footage. In our study of 150 top Product Hunt launches the median launch video ran 78 seconds; for Play, make sure the app appears in the first 10 seconds and the first 30 stand on their own. For how this differs from an App Store preview, see the app promo video guide.