App Install Ad Creative Specs by Platform: 2026 Reference
Getting ad creative specs wrong is one of the most avoidable ways to waste app marketing budget. A video that renders with black bars on TikTok, a headline that gets truncated on Apple Search Ads, a banner that uploads but serves at the wrong ratio — these aren't minor annoyances. They suppress performance before your audience ever has a chance to respond.
This reference covers the exact specs for app install campaigns across the four platforms that account for the majority of paid app install volume in 2026: Meta (Facebook + Instagram), TikTok, Google App Campaigns, and Apple Search Ads. Bookmark it. Your media buyer, your designer, and your video editor should all have it open before they start a new campaign.
Why Creative Specs Matter More Than You Think
Most performance marketers understand bidding, targeting, and ROAS. Far fewer are disciplined about creative specifications. The cost of getting it wrong:
- Automated platforms crop or letterbox non-conforming assets. Meta's ad delivery system will attempt to adapt a 16:9 video to a 9:16 placement. It will not do it well.
- Truncated copy changes the message. If your primary text reads "Download the app and get your first delivery free" but only "Download the app and get your" renders, you've lost the offer.
- File size and duration limits are hard limits. Exceeding them means the asset simply doesn't upload — and a lot of teams discover this at 11 PM before a campaign launches.
- CTR differences between correctly-sized and incorrectly-sized creative are meaningful. In our engagements, campaigns running native-ratio assets consistently outperform repurposed horizontal video, sometimes significantly.
The platforms below all have self-serve spec documentation, but it's fragmented, occasionally outdated, and rarely tells you what's optimal vs. what's merely acceptable. That's the gap this guide fills.
Meta (Facebook + Instagram) App Install Ad Specs
Meta runs app install ads across Feed, Stories, Reels, and the Audience Network. Each placement has its own preferred ratio. The biggest mistake teams make is designing for Feed only and letting Meta auto-adapt to Reels and Stories.
| Format | Recommended Ratio | Min Resolution | Max File Size | Max Duration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feed (video) | 1:1 or 4:5 | 1080 × 1080 (1:1) | 4 GB | 240 min (keep it under 30s) |
| Stories / Reels | 9:16 | 1080 × 1920 | 4 GB | 60s (Stories), 90s (Reels) |
| Audience Network | 9:16 preferred | 1080 × 1920 | 4 GB | 60s |
| Static image (Feed) | 1:1 or 4:5 | 1080 × 1080 | 30 MB | — |
Copy limits (App Install campaign type):
- Primary text: 125 characters before "See more" truncation (mobile); write the key message in the first 90
- Headline: 40 characters
- Description: 30 characters
- CTA button: platform-defined (e.g., "Install Now", "Download")
What actually breaks at scale: 4:5 video with centered-composition. Safe zone matters. Keep all essential text and UI demonstrations out of the bottom 15% and top 10% of the frame — that space gets eaten by the caption block and the profile bar respectively.
TikTok App Install Ad Specs
TikTok is a 9:16-first platform, full stop. If your creative isn't shot or composed vertically, don't run it on TikTok. Repurposed horizontal content with blurred backgrounds is technically allowed and practically ineffective.
| Format | Required Ratio | Min Resolution | Max File Size | Duration Range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| In-Feed Video | 9:16 (required), 1:1 acceptable | 720 × 1280 minimum, 1080 × 1920 recommended | 500 MB | 5–60s (optimal: 15–30s) |
| TopView | 9:16 | 1080 × 1920 | 500 MB | 5–60s |
| Spark Ads (boosted organic) | Matches source post | Matches source post | — | Matches source post |
Copy limits:
- Ad description: 1–100 characters (no emoji in some markets)
- Display name: up to 20 characters
- CTA: platform-defined ("Download", "Install", "Get App")
What actually breaks at scale: Text overlaid in the bottom 20% of the frame. TikTok's native UI (comments, share buttons, creator handle, music ticker) stacks up from the bottom. Any on-screen text you place there will be covered. Design your safe zone from the bottom up: reserve the bottom 25% and the top 10% as clear zones.
Also: TikTok's automated creative optimization (ACO) will remix your assets. If you're running ACO, submit multiple hooks (3+ first-3-second variations) so the system has room to test without degrading to a single overused creative.
Google App Campaigns (UAC) Creative Specs
Google App Campaigns are different from every other platform on this list because you don't build ads — you submit assets and Google builds the ads for you. The algorithm assembles combinations of your images, videos, headlines, and descriptions into ads that run across Search, Play, YouTube, Display, and Discover.
This changes the spec conversation from "what format" to "what variety."
| Asset Type | Specs | Recommended Count |
|---|---|---|
| Portrait video (9:16) | 1080 × 1920, MP4/MOV, 15–30s | 2–3 |
| Landscape video (16:9) | 1920 × 1080, MP4/MOV, 15–30s | 2–3 |
| Square video (1:1) | 1080 × 1080, MP4/MOV, 15–30s | 1–2 |
| Landscape image | 1200 × 628 min | 3–5 |
| Portrait image | 1200 × 1500 or 9:16 | 3–5 |
| Square image | 1200 × 1200 | 3–5 |
| Headlines | Max 30 characters each | 5 (required), up to ~20 |
| Descriptions | Max 90 characters each | 5 (required) |
What actually breaks at scale: Submitting only one or two video assets. Google's system needs variety to test combinations. If you give it one video and four headlines, you've built a campaign that will hit creative fatigue within weeks. In our engagements, the strongest Google App Campaign setups submit at minimum three distinct videos across different ratios and three conceptually different creative angles (feature demo, social proof hook, offer-forward).
Also: Google requires that your app store listing metadata (screenshots, icon, description) is up to date, because the Play Store and App Store assets get pulled directly into some ad placements. A weak store listing directly limits Google campaign performance — which is why ASO and paid UA aren't separate workstreams.
Apple Search Ads Creative Specs
Apple Search Ads (ASA) operates differently from the other three. It runs inside the App Store itself — in Search results, the Today tab, Search tab, and product pages. The creative is largely derived from your App Store listing, which means your ASO work is your ad creative work.
| Placement | Primary Creative Source | Custom Asset Option |
|---|---|---|
| Search Results | App icon + first 3 screenshots (portrait) | Custom product pages (CPPs) |
| Today Tab | App icon + custom creative set | Yes |
| Search Tab | App icon + default screenshots | Custom product pages |
| Product Pages | Screenshots / preview video from listing | Custom product pages |
Custom Creative Set specs (Today Tab):
- Device frames: iPhone (6.5", 5.5") and iPad (12.9", 11")
- Portrait: 1242 × 2688 (iPhone 6.5"), 1242 × 2208 (iPhone 5.5")
- Landscape: 2688 × 1242, 2208 × 1242
- Format: PNG or JPEG, no alpha channel for JPEGs
- File size: under 10 MB per asset
Copy (Search Results):
- Headline: pulled from your App Store name (30 characters max)
- Subtitle: pulled from your App Store subtitle (30 characters max)
- No additional copy fields for Search Results ads — the app name and subtitle are your ad copy
What actually breaks at scale: Ignoring Custom Product Pages. ASA lets you route different ad groups to different CPPs — meaning you can show a cold audience a generic onboarding flow and show a re-engagement audience a loyalty-specific screen. Teams that don't build CPPs leave significant performance segmentation on the table.
Running app install campaigns across multiple platforms and not sure your creative strategy holds together? Semnexus's mobile app marketing team builds platform-native creative specs into every paid UA engagement — no repurposed assets, no black bars.
The Platform Spec Summary Table
For fast reference, here's the single most important spec per platform:
| Platform | Single Most Important Spec | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Meta | Submit true 9:16 for Stories/Reels | Auto-adaptation degrades CTR |
| TikTok | Keep bottom 25% clear of text | UI overlay kills on-screen copy |
| Google UAC | Submit 3+ videos across 3 ratios | Variety drives combination testing |
| Apple Search Ads | Optimize App Store listing first | Listing assets are the ad creative |
What Teams Get Wrong Across All Four Platforms
A few patterns show up consistently when we audit campaigns that are underperforming:
One creative set for all platforms. A 15-second landscape video from a YouTube shoot is not a TikTok ad. It's not a Meta Reels ad. It's a YouTube asset. If your production budget only allows for one video, prioritize 9:16 and adapt down — not the other way around.
Ignoring file duration sweet spots. Platform maximums are not recommendations. On TikTok, a 60-second ad is permitted; a 15–20 second ad typically outperforms it for cold audiences. On Meta Feed, videos under 15 seconds tend to complete at higher rates. Understand completion-rate economics before defaulting to "let's tell the full story."
Copy written after the creative. Ad copy — especially on Meta where headlines and primary text are visible in Feed — should be written before or alongside the video brief, not as an afterthought. If the video shows a feature and the headline says something unrelated, you're running two disconnected messages.
Not versioning for creative refresh. Every platform's algorithm rewards fresh creative. Plan for a refresh cadence — typically every 3–5 weeks for active campaigns — and have the specs documented so your designer isn't starting from scratch each time.
If you're building your broader paid acquisition approach, the 2026 mobile user acquisition strategy guide covers channel mix, budget allocation, and the measurement layer that makes spec-compliant creative actually accountable.
FAQ
Do I need separate creative for every platform, or can I adapt one master?
You can adapt, but adapt thoughtfully. Start with a 9:16 master (TikTok-native). From that, you can crop a 1:1 for Meta Feed and extract stills for Google UAC image assets. Going the other direction — horizontal to vertical — almost always produces lower-quality results.
What's the minimum video resolution I should produce at?
1080 × 1920 for vertical (9:16). Don't deliver 720p and expect it to hold up on high-DPI screens. The platforms have minimums lower than this, but actual display resolution on modern devices demands 1080p source footage.
Can I use the same creative for Apple Search Ads as I use on Meta?
Not directly. ASA Search Results ads pull from your App Store listing — your screenshots and app name are the creative. What you can do is align your custom product page screenshots thematically with the campaign angle you're running on Meta, so the post-click experience is consistent.
How often should I refresh app install ad creative?
Plan for a refresh every 3–5 weeks on active spend. High-volume campaigns (significant daily budgets) may need more frequent rotation. Track frequency metrics on Meta and watch for CPM increases as a signal that the audience has saturated on your current set.
Does creative quality affect CPI or just CTR?
Both. Creative quality influences CTR (which affects Quality Score on Google and relevance scores on Meta), but it also affects post-install behavior because users who install after seeing a misleading or mismatched creative tend to have worse retention. Accurate, on-brand creative tends to produce better downstream metrics than conversion-optimized-but-deceptive creative.
Do app preview videos on the App Store count as Apple Search Ads creative?
Yes — for Search Results and product page placements, your App Store preview video (if uploaded) can appear in ads. Apple's spec for preview videos: 15–30 seconds, portrait or landscape matching the device, H.264 or HEVC. This is another reason ASO and paid UA are inseparable — your listing is simultaneously organic and paid creative.
Getting the specs right is table stakes. The real leverage is in the creative strategy — which hooks you test first, how you structure your refresh cadence, how your store listing reinforces what your ads promise. If you want a team that handles that end-to-end, Semnexus's mobile app marketing services cover paid UA across all four platforms. Or if you'd rather talk through your specific campaign setup first, book a 30-minute call and we'll give you a straight read on where your creative is costing you installs.
