Google Play feature graphic: size, rules and design tips

The Google Play feature graphic is the one store asset you cannot skip: Play Console will not publish a store listing without it. It is also the asset most developers make in ten minutes the night before launch, because it seems to show up nowhere. That is a mistake. Google uses the feature graphic as the cover of your preview video and in the large-format collections where apps, including ads, are shown with their graphic instead of a tiny icon.

This guide covers the exact size and format, where Google Play shows the graphic, the cutoff-zone and wording rules from Google's own guidelines, a small script that checks and fixes the file before you upload it, and a design checklist. Every requirement below comes from Google's preview assets help page and the Google Play metadata policy, both linked where they are quoted.

Key takeaways

• The Google Play feature graphic is 1024 x 500 pixels, JPEG or 24-bit PNG with no alpha, and required to publish a store listing.
• Play shows it as the cover of your preview video and in large-format collections, including ads, so it is a discovery asset, not decoration.
• Keep the logo, app name, slogan and main UI in the center, away from the cutoff zones, or some formats may not use your app at all.
• Avoid ranking, price and promotion claims such as "Best", "#1", "Free" or "Sale", store badges, device frames and pure white, black or dark gray backgrounds.

Google Play feature graphic size and format#

Google lists only two hard requirements for the graphic:

Two details trip people up. First, "no alpha" means no transparency at all: a PNG exported from Figma or Photoshop with a transparent corner, or even a fully opaque PNG saved as 32-bit RGBA, does not meet the requirement. Second, the size is fixed. A 2048 x 1000 export has the right aspect ratio but the wrong dimensions, so scale it down before you upload.

Google's help page lists a maximum file size for the app icon (1024KB) but does not state one for the feature graphic. A JPEG at quality 80 to 90 is normally a few hundred kilobytes, so file size is rarely the problem; transparency and dimensions are.

The graphic sits next to the other store assets, each with its own spec. If you are preparing everything at once, our guide to App Store and Google Play screenshot sizes lists every device size, and the app icon size guide covers the 512 x 512 Play icon.

Where Google Play shows the feature graphic#

According to Google, the feature graphic is displayed:

• As the cover image for your preview video, if you have one. When the video does not autoplay, Google says "a play button is overlaid on your feature graphic."
• In large-format app collections. "For apps, we show a collection of apps in a large format with your feature graphic, including ads."
• In game recommendations. For games, Google shows "groups of recommended games in a large format featuring preview videos and screenshots, where we show your feature graphic."

The preview video connection matters most. Google says your video "may autoplay inline with muted audio up to 30 seconds depending on the user device, setting, network connection, and surface area." Whenever it does not, people see your feature graphic with a play button on top. That is why the center of the graphic should not hold small text: on some surfaces a play button covers it. Our app preview video guide covers the video side, including Google's rule that ads must be disabled on the YouTube video.

Google also reserves the right to use your assets beyond the listing. The same help page says that by making your app available on Google Play, you grant Google a license to use your app's assets "for promotional purposes", including "across other Google services". If you prefer to keep your app out of that promotion, Google points to the External marketing checkbox under Grow users > Store presence > Store settings.

Is the feature graphic still worth the effort?#

A highly viewed Stack Overflow question asks, "Is there a point to uploading a feature graphic in the current Play Store?" The honest answer in 2026: you have to upload one anyway, and whether people see it depends on whether you have a preview video and whether Play picks your app for a large-format collection or ad. You do not control the second part, but Google says that ignoring its focal point and cutoff zone guidance "may result in ineligibility to appear in these formats." A careless graphic can cost you placements you never knew you were in the running for.

Cutoff zones: keep the important parts in the center#

Different Play surfaces crop the graphic differently, and some add their own UI on top. Google's guidance is direct:

• "Keep prominent visuals and the focal point towards the center of the graphic."
• "Avoid placing key elements (for example, brand logo, app name, primary slogan, and main UI) in the cutoff zones."
• "Restrict background elements to the edges of the graphic."
• "Some formats may use additional UI overlays."

Google's help page illustrates the cutoff zones as red areas around the edges of the 1024 x 500 canvas but does not publish pixel values for them. A practical rule we use: treat the outer band of the canvas, roughly the outer 15% on each side, as background only, and keep anything that must be read or recognized inside the middle of the frame. Then preview the graphic cropped to a narrower frame and at small sizes, as described in the checklist below. If your logo or tagline only works at full width, it will not survive every surface.

Sketch the layout at small size first: if the idea does not read as a thumbnail, it will not read in a Play collection. Photo: Michael Burrows / Pexels

What to put in a feature graphic#

Google's "highly recommended" list is short and specific. Use graphics that "convey app or game experiences, and highlight the core value proposition, relevant context, or story-telling elements if needed." In practice, a strong feature graphic usually combines three things:

1. One clear idea. The single job your app does, shown rather than listed. A budgeting app might show a clean month overview; a language app, a conversation bubble in two languages.
2. A few words at most. If you add text, use a short benefit line, not a feature list. Google warns against "overloading the graphic with fine details. These will not be visible on many phone screens."
3. Brand continuity, not repetition. Google says not to use "prominent branding that is similar to your app icon, as this will cause duplications when shown in context with your app icon." Use the icon's colors and style, but do not just blow the icon up to 1024 pixels. Google wants "branding elements that serve as an extension of your app icon."

Color#

Google gives unusually concrete color advice: "Consider using more vibrant colors in your graphics to build interest and excitement," and "Avoid using pure white, black, or dark gray as these colors can easily blend in with Google Play's background." Play has light and dark themes, so a white graphic disappears on one and a near-black graphic on the other. Pick a saturated background from your brand palette and keep it consistent with the icon and the app itself.

Localization#

Google recommends you "localize your graphic and branding text as appropriate for different markets and languages." If your graphic contains words, add translated versions to your store listing translations, the same way you translate screenshots. Our guide to app store localization explains how to pick markets and what to translate first. One side effect to know about: if you later run a default-graphics experiment, Google excludes users who see a localized graphic, which our A/B testing guide covers.

What not to put in a feature graphic#

This list matters as much as the design itself. Google's feature graphic guidance asks you to avoid:

• Performance and ranking claims. "Avoid any content that reflects or suggests Google Play performance, ranking, user testimonials, accolades or awards, or price and promotional information." Google names the words outright: "Best," "#1," "Top," "New," "Free," "Discount," "Sale," or "Million Downloads."
• Store badges. "Google Play or any other store's badge or icon." A "Get it on Google Play" badge belongs on your website, not inside the store.
• Device imagery. Phones in the graphic "can become obsolete quickly or alienate some users."
• Third-party characters or logos you do not have permission to use.
• Time-sensitive content you will forget to remove. Seasonal graphics are fine, but Google says time-bound content "should be swapped in and out in a timely manner."

The metadata policy sets the hard line behind these guidelines. Google does not allow "misleading, improperly formatted, non-descriptive, irrelevant, excessive, or inappropriate metadata", and names "screenshots, and promotional images" among the elements it covers. For the title, icon and developer name it goes further and bans outright "Images or text that indicate store performance or ranking, such as 'App of the year,' '#1,' 'Best of Play 20XX,' 'Popular,' award icons" and "Images or text that indicate price and promotional information, such as '10% off,' '$50 cash back,' 'free for limited time only'". Holding the feature graphic to the same standard keeps you clear of both. If you want to run a real sale on Play, use promotional content or Play's own pricing tools; our holiday app marketing plan shows when to schedule them.

Do not forget alt text. Google asks you to "include alt text with each graphic asset", to skip "photo of" or "image of", and to keep it to "140 characters or less."

Check the file before you upload it#

The two file problems to catch are a transparent PNG and a 2x export. This small Python script, using the Pillow library, checks a file against Google's two requirements and can fix both problems by scaling to cover 1024 x 500, center-cropping and flattening any transparency onto a solid background color:

# feature_graphic.py: check or fix a Google Play feature graphic
# usage: python feature_graphic.py graphic.png           (check)
#        python feature_graphic.py source.png fixed.png  (fix)
import sys
from PIL import Image, ImageOps

SIZE = (1024, 500)

def check(path):
    im = Image.open(path)
    problems = []
    if im.format not in ("JPEG", "PNG"):
        problems.append(f"format is {im.format}, use JPEG or PNG")
    if im.size != SIZE:
        problems.append(f"size is {im.size[0]}x{im.size[1]}, needs 1024x500")
    if "A" in im.getbands() or "transparency" in im.info:
        problems.append("has an alpha channel, export as 24-bit PNG or JPEG")
    return problems

def fix(path, out, background="#1E6FD9"):
    im = Image.open(path).convert("RGBA")
    im = ImageOps.fit(im, SIZE, Image.LANCZOS)  # scale to cover, center-crop
    flat = Image.new("RGB", SIZE, background)
    flat.paste(im, mask=im.getchannel("A"))     # flatten transparency
    flat.save(out, "PNG")                       # RGB PNG = 24-bit, no alpha

if __name__ == "__main__":
    if len(sys.argv) == 3:
        fix(sys.argv[1], sys.argv[2])
        print("wrote", sys.argv[2])
    else:
        issues = check(sys.argv[1])
        print("OK" if not issues else "\n".join(issues))

Install Pillow with pip install Pillow. Running the check on a 2048 x 1000 PNG with transparency prints both problems; running the fix and checking the output prints OK. Replace #1E6FD9 with your own brand color, because the flattened areas take that color. Center-cropping only works if your design already keeps the important parts in the middle, which is one more reason to respect the cutoff zones.

How to upload or change the feature graphic#

1. In Play Console, select your app and open Grow users > Store presence > Main store listing.
2. In the Graphics section, upload the feature graphic next to the app icon, and add its alt text.
3. Add translated graphics in the listing's translations if your design contains text.
4. Save, then go to Publishing overview. Google lists "Updates to your store listings" among the changes sent for review there.
5. If you want the new graphic to go live at a set time, for example on a launch day or at the start of a campaign, turn on managed publishing. Google notes you "can't use it when publishing an app for the first time."

Yes, you can change the feature graphic after launch, as often as you like. Each change is a store listing update, so plan for review time; our guide to Google Play review time covers how long that usually takes.

If you use custom store listings for specific countries or search keywords, each one can have its own graphic. Our Google Play ASO guide for 2026 explains the new one-click keyword listings.

Make two or three variants instead of one perfect graphic, then let a store listing experiment pick the winner. Photo: Jakub Zerdzicki / Pexels

Test the graphic instead of guessing#

The feature graphic is one of the assets Google Play's store listing experiments can test, alongside the icon, screenshots and, in localized experiments, descriptions. Because the graphic only appears on some surfaces, expect a smaller effect than an icon test, and give the experiment enough traffic before you call it. Our App Store and Google Play A/B testing guide walks through setting one up.

Good candidates to test against each other:

• Product UI in the center versus an illustration of the outcome.
• A short benefit line versus no text at all.
• Your main brand color versus a contrasting seasonal color.

Google Play feature graphic checklist#

• Exactly 1024 x 500 pixels.
• JPEG or 24-bit PNG with no transparency.
• One clear idea that shows what the app does.
• Logo, app name, slogan and main UI in the center, nothing important near the edges.
• Readable on a phone at small size; no fine print.
• Vibrant background, not pure white, black or dark gray.
• Not a blown-up copy of the app icon.
• No "Best", "#1", "Top", "New", "Free", "Sale", prices, awards or download counts.
• No store badges, device frames or unlicensed third-party characters.
• Alt text under 140 characters, without "image of".
• Translated versions for markets where the graphic has text.
• Seasonal versions scheduled to come down on time.

Beyond the feature graphic#

A good feature graphic helps the people Google Play already shows your app to. Getting in front of more people takes other channels too: our guide on how to get featured on Google Play covers Google's editorial side, and the playbook on how to promote your app for free covers channels outside the store. You can also list your Android app on the AppRanker leaderboard, where position is a plain sort on what each listing has paid and every row links straight to your Google Play page.

FAQ#

What size is the Google Play feature graphic?#

1024 by 500 pixels, as a JPEG or a 24-bit PNG without an alpha channel. Google requires it to publish a store listing.

Why does Play Console reject my feature graphic?#

Check the two requirements first: the PNG may have transparency (32-bit RGBA), or the dimensions may not be exactly 1024 x 500, such as a 2x export at 2048 x 1000. Flatten the image onto a solid background and resize it, or export it as a JPEG.

Where does the feature graphic appear on Google Play?#

As the cover image of your preview video, with a play button on top when the video does not autoplay, and in large-format collections of apps, including ads. For games, Google also shows it in groups of recommended games.

Can I put "Free" or "#1" on my feature graphic?#

You should not. Google's feature graphic guidelines tell you to avoid words such as "Best," "#1," "Top," "New," "Free," "Discount," "Sale," or "Million Downloads," and the metadata policy bans images or text that indicate store performance, ranking, price or promotions in the title, icon and developer name.

Can the feature graphic include a Google Play badge or a phone?#

Google advises against both: no Google Play or other store badges, and no device imagery, which can become outdated quickly.

Can I change the feature graphic after my app is published?#

Yes. Upload a new one on the Main store listing page and send the change for review from Publishing overview. With managed publishing turned on, you choose when the approved change goes live.

Image credits#

• Cover, Pantone color swatches: photo by Lesya Terekhova on Pexels, Pexels License. Cropped to 1200x630.
• Designer sketching on a tablet: photo by Michael Burrows on Pexels, Pexels License. Resized.
• Hand drawing on a graphics tablet: photo by Jakub Zerdzicki on Pexels, Pexels License. Resized.