Introduction to Automated Screenshot Generation

Many years ago, I used to publish apps such as this one on the App Store. Back then, I didn’t have a clue about marketing—and these screenshots prove it:

Now, compare that to this:

That’s a huge difference, right?

Why Do Screenshots Matter?

Screenshots are marketing materials.

They’re like ads or billboards for your app. Since they’re the first thing potential users see, they need to:

✅ Stand out in a crowded marketplace
✅ Communicate value instantly
✅ Look polished and professional

That sounds great in theory, but there’s a big problem. 👇

Why Creating Screenshots is a Pain 😭

If you’ve published apps before, you know how tedious this process is:

Manually capture screenshots on iOS & Android (multiple sizes and resolutions)
Frame them in a design tool to make them look professional
Export and upload them to the stores

But that’s just the beginning.

Things Get Even Worse If…

Your app supports multiple languages → The effort multiplies
You release a big update → You have to redo everything to showcase new features
Your app grows → You need to run A/B tests to optimize conversion rates
You run international marketing campaigns → A simple design + copy-paste won’t cut it

It’s repetitive, time-consuming, and boring.

So the question is: Can this be automated?

Before answering that, let’s break down the process. 👇

The Screenshot Generation Process

Broadly speaking, there are three main steps:

Capture the raw screenshots: done manually or with automation tools like Fastlane snapshot and Maestro.
Edit and frame the screenshots: done with generic design tools like Figma and Canva, or specialized tools like Picasso.
Upload the screenshots: done manually or automated with Fastlane deliver (App Store) and Fastlane supply (Play Store).

While these tools help streamline the process, there isn’t a fully automated solution that does everything.

However, the benefits of automation are clear.

Before & After Automation

Before Automation

❌ Slow & painful manual screenshot capturing
❌ Inconsistent screenshots (status bars, font sizes, layouts)
❌ Time-consuming & error-prone

After Automation

✅ High-quality, consistent screenshots across all devices
✅ Fast, repeatable workflow using free tools like Maestro, Figma, and Fastlane
✅ One-time setup that saves hours in the long run
✅ Easily reusable across multiple apps

What You’ll Learn in This Module

This module will walk you through tools and techniques to help you automate screenshot generation. You can mix and match them to fit your needs.

Here’s what we’ll cover:

📸 Capturing Better Screenshots

Best practices for clean, professional screenshots
iOS & Android status bar overrides for consistency
Text scaling & UI adjustments for readability

🤖 Automated Screenshot Generation with Maestro

Writing Maestro flows for automated screenshots
Seeding your app with test data to ensure great-looking results
Using semantic identifiers to make flows robust

🎨 Editing Screenshots with Figma

Choosing a screenshot template
Framing & designing screenshots for the App Store & Play Store
Exporting screenshots with the correct naming conventions

🚀 Automated Screenshot Uploads with Fastlane

Initializing & configuring Fastlane for iOS & Android
Uploading screenshots with custom lanes (locally & on CI)
GitHub Actions integration for full automation

Ready? Let’s Dive In! 🚀

By the end of this module, you’ll have a repeatable, automated workflow for capturing, editing, and uploading screenshots in minutes instead of hours.

Let’s get started! 🎯

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