Can I show my star rating in App Store screenshots?

Apple's App Review Guidelines don't ban it, but section 2.3 requires metadata to be accurate and kept up to date. If you show a rating, use your real current average, say where it comes from, and update the screenshot if the number drops. The App Store already displays your live rating next to the screenshots, so a stale figure is easy for users to spot.

Can I put “Editors' Choice” on my Google Play screenshots?

No. Google Play's Metadata policy names “Editor's choice” as an example of text that suggests a Google Play program, and its preview asset guidelines say screenshots should not include content that reflects or suggests Google Play performance, ranking, accolades or awards. Google adds program badges itself where they apply, so adding your own risks limited promotion or a policy problem.

Do I need permission to use a press logo in my app screenshots?

Treat it as yes. Press logos are trademarks. Apple's guideline 5.2.1 says not to use protected third-party material such as trademarks without permission, and Google Play's guidelines list third-party logos without proper permission among things to avoid in graphics. An attributed quote in plain text is lower risk than the publication's logo, but still needs to be real and accurately quoted.

Is it allowed to quote a user review in App Store screenshots?

On the App Store, a real, accurately quoted review is generally acceptable as long as it isn't misleading, though it uses space that could show the app. On Google Play, avoid it: the preview asset guidelines list user testimonials among content not to include in graphics, and the Metadata policy prohibits unattributed or anonymous testimonials in the description.

Reviews, Awards and Press in App Store Screenshots: What Works and What's Allowed

On the App Store, ratings, review quotes, awards and press mentions are allowed in screenshots as long as they are accurate, current and don't imply Apple endorses your app. On Google Play, avoid them: Google's guidelines say screenshots should not suggest performance, ranking, accolades, awards or user testimonials, and its Metadata policy bans ranking and program claims like "#1" or "Editor's choice" in the title, icon and developer name.

So the same "Rated 4.8 by 20,000 users" slide can be fine on iOS and cost you promotional placement on Android. This guide covers what each store allows, which kinds of social proof tend to persuade, and how to keep the claims true as the numbers change.

Key takeaways

Apple's App Review Guidelines require screenshots and other metadata to accurately reflect the app and be kept up to date (section 2.3).
Apple guideline 5.2.4 says not to imply Apple endorses your app, and states that Apple applies the Editors' Choice badge automatically when an app is selected.
Google Play's guidelines say screenshots should not include content suggesting Google Play performance, ranking, accolades, awards or user testimonials, such as “#1”, “Top” or “Million Downloads”.
Press logos and award marks are trademarks; both stores' rules expect permission before you use third-party logos.
Social proof in screenshots works best as one specific, verifiable claim, usually on the last screenshot rather than the first.

What the App Store allows

Apple has no guideline that specifically bans ratings or awards in screenshots. The rules that apply are the general ones in the App Review Guidelines:

2.3 Accurate Metadata: screenshots must "accurately reflect the app's core experience", and you should "keep them up-to-date with new versions." A rating or user count that was true last year and isn't now is inaccurate metadata.
2.3.3: screenshots "should show the app in use". A set made entirely of review quotes and laurels, with no UI, sits uneasily with this.
2.3.7: metadata including screenshots "should not include prices, terms, or descriptions that are not specific to the metadata type", and subtitles must not "make unverifiable product claims". Treat that last phrase as a good test for screenshots too.
5.2.1: don't use protected third-party material such as trademarks without permission. Press logos are trademarks.
5.2.4 Apple Endorsements: "Don't suggest or imply that Apple is a source or supplier of the App, or that Apple endorses any particular representation regarding quality or functionality. If your app is selected as an 'Editor's Choice,' Apple will apply the badge automatically."

That last point is the one to read twice. Making your own Editors' Choice badge, or a laurel that says "Featured by Apple", implies an endorsement Apple has said it controls. Apple's marketing guidelines also say to use only the badge artwork Apple provides (the Download on the App Store and pre-order badges) and not to use logos or graphics from apple.com. They don't provide a "featured" or "App of the Day" badge for your screenshots. If you were featured, a plain-text line such as "Featured in App of the Day, March 2026" is accurate and verifiable; a recreated Apple graphic is not something we'd risk.

Apple doesn't publish rejection statistics for this, and enforcement varies. Our post on why Apple rejects App Store screenshots covers the patterns that do get flagged.

What Google Play allows

Google is much more explicit, and stricter. Two documents apply.

The Metadata policy (binding)

Google Play's Metadata policy says not to use text or images in the app title, icon or developer name that indicate store performance or ranking, price or promotions, or a relationship to Google Play programs. Its examples include "App of the year", "#1", "Best of Play 20XX", "Popular", award icons and "Editor's choice". It also prohibits unattributed or anonymous user testimonials in the description, and misleading content anywhere in the listing, screenshots included.

The preview asset guidelines

For screenshots and the feature graphic, Google's preview asset guidelines say: "Do not include any content that reflects or suggests Google Play performance, ranking, accolades or awards", giving the examples "Best", "#1", "Top", "New", "Discount", "Sale" and "Million Downloads", and list user testimonials among content to avoid.

Google says non-compliance with these guidelines won't affect your listing page, but it "may result in changes to how your preview assets appear on Google Play or limit promotional opportunities." For a small app, losing eligibility for featured and recommendation formats is a real cost. Our Google Play screenshot requirements post covers the full list.

Social proof by type: what each store allows

Type	App Store	Google Play
Star rating (“4.8 stars”)	Allowed if accurate and current	Avoid in screenshots
Review quote from a user	Allowed if real and not misleading	Avoid in screenshots
User or download count (“1M users”)	Allowed if true and kept current	Avoid (“Million Downloads” is a named example)
Apple editorial (Editors’ Choice, App of the Day)	Plain-text mention only; no imitation badges (5.2.4)	Not relevant
Google Play awards / Editors’ Choice	Not relevant (and 2.3.10 bars other platforms’ names)	Not allowed
Press quote with attribution	Allowed if accurately quoted	Avoid in graphics; fine in the description
Press logo	Needs permission (5.2.1)	Needs permission; also reads as an accolade
Third-party awards (e.g. design awards)	Allowed if real; logo needs permission	Avoid in screenshots

The practical upshot for cross-platform apps: design the social-proof slide for iOS only, and replace it on Android with a screenshot that shows another feature. On Google Play, put attributed press quotes and awards in the full description, where Google asks for "an attributed or clear source for any endorsements or quotes."

What kind of social proof actually persuades?

We haven't seen trustworthy public data comparing social proof types in store screenshots, so treat this as what we've observed looking at a lot of listings, not a rule.

Specific beats general

"Loved by millions" is noise. "Rated 4.8 from 12,000 reviews" is a fact a reader can check against the rating shown on the same page. Specific numbers feel like evidence; vague ones feel like marketing.

Relevant beats famous

A quote that names the problem the reader has ("Finally a budget app that doesn't need a spreadsheet") often does more than a big-name logo that says nothing about the product. For niche apps, an award from a respected body in your field can matter more than general press.

One claim, not a wall

A slide crammed with five laurels, three logos and a star row reads as defensive. Pick the single strongest proof you have.

Put it late in the set

The first screenshots should show what the app does; see what to put on your first App Store screenshot. Social proof works as a closer, usually the last or second-to-last slide, for the person who has already scrolled and is deciding. One exception is an app whose main differentiator is trust (a finance or health app with a recognisable endorsement), where a small credibility line near the top can help. The screenshot best practices structure puts trust at the end for this reason, and screenshot strategy by category covers where it fits for different app types.

What to use on Google Play instead

If social proof is off the table in Play screenshots, the job it was doing still needs doing. Options that stay within Google's guidelines:

Show the proof in the UI. A screen with a real, populated community feed or a shared plan shows other people use the app without making a claim about it.
Use the full description. Attributed press quotes and awards can go there, with the source named.
Let the store do it. Google Play shows your rating and download range on the listing already, and applies program badges itself.
Keep the short description clean. Google's guidelines rule out accolades and testimonials there too; see our Google Play short description guide.

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How to keep social proof claims current

Apple's 2.3 asks you to keep metadata up to date, and on both stores users can see your real rating a few centimetres away from your screenshot. A stale claim is worse than none.

Round down, and date it if it can change. "Over 10,000 reviews" stays true as you grow. "App of the Day, March 2026" stays true forever.
Prefer facts that don't decay. An award won or a publication that reviewed you doesn't change; an average rating does.
Review the slide every time you update screenshots. Check the live rating, the review count and that any quoted review still exists.
Keep the sources. Save the link to the article or the review you quote, and written permission for any logo.
Localize carefully. A quote translated into another language is no longer a verbatim quote. Either keep the original with a translation, or use proof that doesn't depend on wording, such as an award name.

Keeping the social-proof slide as its own editable layer makes these updates quick. In Launch Shots that slide is just another screen in the set, so you can swap the number and re-export or upload directly to App Store Connect without rebuilding the rest. Any design tool works if you set it up the same way.

Checklist

Every number is true today and rounded down; anything time-bound is dated.
No homemade Apple or Google badges; Apple editorial features mentioned in plain text only.
Press and award logos used only with permission.
Google Play set has no ratings, review quotes, download counts, “#1”, “Top” or award claims; move them to the full description with attribution.
One piece of social proof, placed late in the set.
Slide checked against the live rating every time you update screenshots.