Apple has added a specific rule for the promotional artwork that appears around App Store listings. It matters when you're choosing an app: an attractive banner can describe its brand or content without showing the interface you'll actually use.
The October 16 App Review update adds guideline 2.3.14 for these “creative assets.” The useful distinction is between artwork that introduces an app and screenshots that demonstrate it. Before you download, look for both.
A banner isn't a product demonstration
Under the updated App Review Guidelines, creative assets can relate to an app's content, functionality or overall brand. They still have to follow Apple's metadata rules and be suitable for all audiences. Misleading references to other apps, unverifiable claims and specific or discounted prices aren't allowed.
That gives developers room to set a mood, illustrate a theme or promote new content. It doesn't mean every image you see is a literal capture of a working screen. A polished illustration for a planning app, for example, might tell you something about its personality without answering whether entering an appointment is easy.
Screenshots have a different job. Apple's existing rules say they should show the app in use rather than just a title, login or splash screen. App previews use video captures of the app itself, with explanatory narration or overlays allowed. The new artwork rule doesn't replace those requirements.
Look for the task you want to do
Apple's asset best-practices guide says creative assets appear across the App Store on iOS 27 and iPadOS 27 or later, including product pages and search results. It distinguishes those assets from the screenshots and previews that show the experience in use.
For you, that suggests a simple browsing habit. After the first image catches your attention, find a screenshot of the task you're downloading the app to perform. For a notes app, look for editing and organizing notes. For a travel app, look for the itinerary or booking details. If all you can see is atmosphere, keep looking before you commit.
Also check whether the feature shown requires an extra purchase. The review guidelines already require descriptions, screenshots and previews to make that clear for featured paid items or subscriptions. A compelling image alone won't answer what your chosen plan includes.
If you publish an app yourself, review the banner and the screenshots as separate pieces of communication. Let the banner introduce the product, then make the screenshots answer concrete questions about using it. For shoppers, the same distinction works in reverse: enjoy the artwork, but use the actual interface and purchase details to decide.