Updated ASO teardown, US App Store
Instories: AI Photo & Video App Store optimization
A Photo & Video app's App Store page, taken apart: the screenshots and why each one helps people decide to download, the icon and design system, and an ASO score out of 100.
- Est. monthly downloads
- 200K+94.3% vs previous month
- Est. monthly revenue
- $1M+94.3% vs previous month
- Est. revenue ÷ downloads
- $5.00
- Rating
- 4.7★46.4K ratings
Downloads and revenue are third-party est. for the US App Store, latest month vs the month before. Revenue includes renewals, so revenue ÷ downloads is a rough ratio, not what a new user pays. Estimates as of ; rating and dates from the App Store, .
Screenshots and why they convert
9 screenshots of up to 10, the first 6 shown here. The first 3 show in search results when there's no preview video.
#1In search results
Reels: Unleash Creativity
- reelsnot in name
- What it shows
- A video editor with a woman in a field, a timeline with clips and a music track, a row of tools, and a “New reels every week” notification, on lime green.
- Why it converts
- The timeline makes it clear this edits short videos. “Unleash Creativity” is a generic phrase, so the image, not the caption, says what you get.
#2In search results
Expressive Text Effects
- text effectsnot in name
- What it shows
- A photo of a person on a horse with large red “Favorite Adventure” text, above a font panel with styles such as Chrome and Color Blur, on light blue.
- Why it converts
- Shows the finished result and the tool together, so the feature needs no explanation. The sample text is large enough to read when small.
#3In search results
Transform With Filters
- filtersnot in name
- What it shows
- A portrait split by a before/after slider, above filter tabs (Trending, Travel, Film, Blogging) and preset thumbnails, on orange.
- Why it converts
- The split shows in one frame what a filter changes, which a list of filter names can't do.
#4
2000+ Engaging Templates
- templatesnot in name
- What it shows
- A tilted grid of story templates on dark gray, including a Valentine's Day collage, “RECAP” and “Best Summer Memories”.
- Why it converts
- Gives a number for the catalog and shows the range of uses.
#5
One-Tap Background Erase
- background erasenot in name
- What it shows
- A person cut out with a white outline over a transparency grid and pink shapes, a handwritten “Sport sweat-shirt” note, and a background picker, on pink.
- Why it converts
- Names a task people look for and shows the cut-out result. “One-Tap” is a clear benefit in two words.
#6
Text Brush: Freeform Text Creation
- text brushnot in name
- What it shows
- A kitten held up against leaves with hand-drawn yellow “You look so cool” text and doodles, with Text Brush selected in the toolbar, on light blue.
- Why it converts
- A playful example makes the feature easy to picture.
Icon and design system
What makes the page read as one brand at a glance.
- One simple shape with no text, so it holds up at small sizes, though the glossy shading won't.
- The same ring appears in the notification on screenshot 1, a small link between icon and gallery.
- Purple isn't used in the screenshot backgrounds, and the shape doesn't suggest video, so the name does that work.
- 01
A different color on most screenshots
Lime, blue, orange, dark gray and pink change from image to image, while layout and caption position stay similar. The set feels varied but still connected.
- 02
Result on top, tool below
Most images show a finished edit in the upper part and the panel that made it in the lower part, so a visitor sees both the outcome and the method.
- 03
Captions name features
Text effects, filters, templates and background erase are each named on their own screenshot, so visitors can find the tool they came for.
- 04
White text on light colors
White captions sit on lime and light blue backgrounds, including screenshots 1 and 2, the frames shown in search results. Check them at thumbnail size.
- 05
AI is in the name, not the captions
The name says “AI Photo & Video”, but no caption mentions AI. Name and gallery make different first promises.
ASO score breakdown
85 of 100 points. The full rule is under “How the ASO score works” below.
- App name24 / 25
- Uses 27 of 30 characters9/10
- Brand + keyword phrase10/10
- Keywords fill half the name or more5/5
- Screenshots25 / 35
- Caption on every screenshot5/5
- Each caption names a feature people search for10/10
- First screenshot shows the main use5/5
- One consistent design system5/5
- Readable at search-result size0/5
- Trust signal0/5
- Ratings21 / 25
- 4.7 average (full marks at 4.8)13.1/15
- 46,448 ratings (full marks at 100,000)8.3/10
- Freshness15 / 15
- Last update 2 days ago (full marks within 30)15/15
Where the points are
- Ask happy users for a rating+4 pts
4.7 stars from 46,448 ratings. Apple's in-app rating prompt can be shown up to 3 times a year; show it right after a user finishes something in the app.
- Check caption terms against your subtitle and keywords
6 caption terms aren't in the app name: reels, text effects, filters, templates, background erase, text brush. Captions don't count for search; the subtitle and the 100-character keyword field do.
Apply it to your app
A checklist for your next product page update.
- Check white captions at thumbnail size on every background color, especially light ones.
- Replace slogans in screenshot 1 with what the user gets.
- Make your gallery repeat the main promise in your app name.
- Show the finished result and the tool that made it in one frame.
- Use a before/after split when a feature makes a visible change.
- Keep captions plain, and cut technical words such as “freeform”.
How the ASO score works
- 01
App name, 25 points
Up to 10 for how much of Apple's 30 characters it uses, 10 for a brand + keyword structure, 5 when keywords fill half the name or more.
- 02
Screenshots, 35 points
Captions on every image, captions that name searched features, a first screenshot that shows the main use, one design system, readability at search size, and a trust signal.
- 03
Ratings, 25 points
Up to 15 for the average (from 4.0, full marks at 4.8) and 10 for the count (from 1,000, full marks at 100,000 ratings).
- 04
Freshness, 15 points
Full marks for an update in the last 30 days, falling to zero at 180 days. 85+ is excellent, 70+ strong, 50+ fair.
Common questions
What is an ASO score?
A 100-point check of the parts of an App Store page you control: the app name, screenshots, ratings and how recently the app was updated. It's our own scoring rule, shown in full on this page, not a number from Apple. Use it to compare your page with apps that already sell well in your category.
How long can an app name be on the App Store?
30 characters. A common pattern is a short brand followed by the main thing people search for, like “Instories: AI Photo & Video”, which uses 27. Apple also gives you a 30-character subtitle and a 100-character keyword field for more terms.
Which screenshots show up in App Store search results?
The first one to three, when the app has no preview video. That's why the first three should cover the main reasons people download. Instories uses them for reels, text effects and filters.
How many screenshots can an iPhone app have?
Up to 10 per device size. Apple recommends focusing each screenshot after the first on one main benefit or feature. Instories uses 9.
Where do the download and revenue numbers come from?
They're third-party estimates for the US App Store, not figures reported by the developer. Treat them as a sense of scale. Growth compares the latest month with the month before.
Do screenshot captions help an app rank in search?
Apple says search results use text matches in the app name, subtitle, keywords and primary category, plus user behavior such as downloads, ratings and reviews. Captions aren't on that list: they help people who already see the app decide to download. When a caption names something people search for, put that term in the keyword field too.
Where the numbers come from
- Apple: Creating your product page
- App name limit (30 characters), up to 10 screenshots, the first one to three shown in search results, keyword field.
- Apple: App Store search
- Search results use text relevance (name, subtitle, keywords, primary category) and user behavior (downloads, ratings, reviews).
- Apple: Ratings, reviews and responses
- The in-app rating prompt can be shown up to three times in a 365-day period.
- Instories: AI Photo & Video on the App Store
- Name, developer, category, icon, screenshots, rating, release and update dates (US storefront), checked Nov 4, 2026.
- Downloads and revenue
- Third-party est. for the US App Store, latest month, pulled Oct 29, 2026. Not reported by the developer.
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