In this guide
A good screenshot saves the developer a round of questions. A bad one shows a screen and leaves them guessing.
What to capture
- The problem itself, with context. Include enough of the screen to tell where you are: title bar, navigation, the element around the issue.
- The moment it goes wrong. An error message, a broken layout, an empty state that should not be empty.
- Before and after when a tap changes things. Two images beat a long description.
- The full screen, not a tight crop, unless the crop is annotated.
Annotate
Your phone or computer has built-in markup after you take a screenshot. Use it to:
- circle or arrow the exact spot
- add a short note ("button cut off")
- number several images in the order they happened
One mark per problem. Too many marks hide the problem.
Hide what is private
Before you attach a screenshot, check it for:
- your name, email, phone number, address
- other people's messages, photos or contacts
- tokens, codes, payment details, notification previews
Crop or blur them, or use a test account. See Tester privacy and safety.
Pair it with words
A screenshot does not replace a report. Add what you did, what you expected, what happened, and your device and OS. See What makes tester feedback accepted.
Quick check
- Can someone see which screen this is?
- Is the problem marked?
- Is anything private visible?
- Does the text say what the screenshot cannot (steps, expectation)?
Not a store review
Screenshots here are part of private feedback to the developer. They are not for the store listing, and no rating is expected.
Back to Become an app beta tester. Related: When an app crashes while you test it, Common beta tester mistakes.