On this page 7 sections
Show the reading experience: a clear front page, a story that is a pleasure to read, and the format that makes your app different (five stories a day, audio briefings, local news). Use editorial typography, content you have the rights to, and an honest promise about time.
What people choose a news app for
Nobody installs a news app for “news”. They install one for a format: the morning briefing that takes five minutes, the local paper on the phone, the newsletter app that tames an inbox. The hook should name the format and how long it takes.
Inside the phone, typography does the selling. A clean front page with a strong headline hierarchy, an article with comfortable type, an audio player for the commute: these show quality more convincingly than any adjective.
The proof is curation: who picks the stories, from how many sources, and what you leave out. In a category full of noise, “five stories, then done” is a feature.
A five-frame plan for a news app
A news set should feel edited: few elements, strong type, clear hierarchy.
Headlines for news apps
Headlines on news screenshots should be as sharp as the ones in the app.
Colour and style for news apps
Editorial sets work in black, white and one brand colour, with a serif headline face if the app uses one. Restraint looks credible; colour is for section labels and highlights.
Store rules for news apps
Headlines, photos and logos from other publishers need permission (2.3.9). Use your own stories or licensed ones.
Conflict, crime and disaster are part of news, but screenshots must suit a 4+ audience (2.3.8). Choose calmer stories for marketing.
A “breaking” banner on a screenshot that never changes looks dated within days and can mislead.
Google Play asks news apps to complete a news declaration in Play Console and to be transparent about publisher and contact details.
Do and avoid
- Name your format and the time it takes
- Let typography carry the quality
- Use your own or licensed stories
- Show audio or offline modes if you have them
- Choose evergreen stories for frames
- Show other publishers’ content without rights
- Use graphic news photos
- Fill frames with ten tiny headlines
- Use “breaking” banners
- Claim “unbiased” without saying how
Questions
What should a news app’s screenshots show?
The reading experience and the format: a clear front page, a well-set article, and whatever makes your app different, like a five-minute briefing or audio.
Can I show real news stories in screenshots?
Only stories and photos you have rights to. Another outlet’s headlines, photos or logo without permission break Apple’s rights rule (2.3.9).
How do I keep news screenshots from looking dated?
Pick evergreen stories (features, explainers, science) rather than breaking events, and keep dates out of the frames.
Serif or sans for news app screenshots?
Match the app. If your articles use a serif, a serif headline in the screenshots instantly says “editorial”.
