Xcode · App Store Connect

Make and upload App Store screenshots from Xcode

Point Xcode at your raw simulator captures. MetaRun's Screenshot Studio lays them out in device frames with captions, translates the captions, renders every slide on the server, and uploads them to App Store Connect once you approve.

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Setup checked October 2026 against Apple: extending and customizing agents, giving external agents access to Xcode

01 · Uplink

Connect Xcode once

01 · Add the MetaRun plug-in

In Xcode 27, open Settings, Intelligence, Plug-ins. Choose Add Plug-in, then Add from URL, and paste:

https://github.com/metarun/metarun-skills

02 · Or with one click

Opens Xcode's plug-in sheet with the repository filled in.

xcode://agent-plugin-clone?repo=https%3A%2F%2Fgithub.com%2Fmetarun%2Fmetarun-skills

03 · Sign in

Install MetaRun from the list, then click Sign in next to it. MetaRun opens in your browser; pick read-only or read and change.

04 · Ask the coding assistant

Claude Agent, Codex and Gemini in Xcode all get MetaRun's tools and its six workflow skills.

Attach build 312 to version 2.4 and tell me what blocks submission.

02 · Briefing

What Xcode handles here

Screenshots are the part of a release people dread: frame every capture, write captions that fit, redo it all per language, export at Apple's sizes, then upload ten images per display size per language by hand.

MetaRun's studio is fully tool-driven, so Xcode can build a project, apply a template, set captions, translate them, render previews you can look at, and then upload. Uploads go through the same preview gate as every other write.

03 · Preflight

Before you start

Raw captures of your app: simulator screenshots, UI test output or exported images.
An editable version to upload to.
For iPhone Duo, app previews or creative assets: the App Asset Library tools.

04 · Execution

How it runs

01
Start from your captures
Local files get an https URL with npx metarun upload, or the studio's own upload tools. Xcode creates a project and assigns one capture per slide.
02
Design and caption
The agent applies a template and writes captions. Every slide can be rendered on the server and returned as an image, so you see the real result in the conversation.
03
Translate
Captions are translated per language, and the lint flags text that overflows its frame in a longer language.
04
Upload behind a preview
Each upload previews the target set, size and position. The confirm token is bound to the image bytes, so what you approved is exactly what reaches Apple.

05 · Session

An example session in Xcode

Take the screenshots from the last UI test run and turn them into an App Store set.

studio_create_projectProject created with six slides, one capture each.
Xcode asks before running studio_apply_template. You read the preview above and approve.
studio_apply_templateKeynote template applied: background, device frame, caption type.
studio_render_slideSlide 1 rendered at 1320 x 2868 and shown in the conversation.
apple_preview_upload_screenshotPreview: slide 1 to the iPhone 6.9-inch set, English (U.S.), position 1.
Xcode asks before running apple_apply_upload_screenshot. You read the preview above and approve.
apple_apply_upload_screenshotUploaded. Apple is processing the image.

Illustrative: your apps, versions and numbers will differ. The tool names and their order are real.

06 · Tools

The MetaRun tools Xcode calls

Tool	What it does
studio_create_projectMetaRun	A new screenshot project for the app.
studio_apply_templateMetaRun	One of eight complete designs: background, device placement, caption type.
studio_set_slide_textMetaRun	Captions per slide and per language.
studio_translate_slidesMetaRun	Translate every caption into the project's languages.
studio_render_slideMetaRun	Render a slide on the server so you can see it before anything uploads.
studio_lint_assetsread	Check captions against Apple's asset rules.
apple_preview_upload_screenshotpreview + apply	Upload one rendered image to a screenshot set. The token is bound to the image's MD5.
apple_preview_reorder_screenshotspreview + apply	Set the order shoppers see.
apple_preview_upload_library_assetpreview + apply	Upload to Apple's App Asset Library (API 4.5.1), needed for app previews and iPhone Duo.

Each preview has an apply twin (the same name with apply instead of preview) that only runs with the confirm token from a fresh preview, and refuses if App Store Connect changed in between. MetaRun tools save to your MetaRun workspace only (studio projects, tracked keywords), never to Apple.

07 · Apple rules

What Apple enforces, and how MetaRun handles it

Ten screenshots per display size per language

Apple caps each set at ten. The first three are what most shoppers see in search results, which is why order is its own tool.

Uploads come from https URLs

MetaRun fetches the image from an https URL behind an SSRF guard, checks its size and type from the bytes, and binds the confirm token to the file's MD5.

iPhone Duo needs the App Asset Library

Apple's older screenshot sets have no iPhone Duo display type, and Apple requires Duo screenshots on submissions from April 2027. Duo, app preview videos and creative assets go through the library tools.

Server renders skip the 3D frame

Slides rendered on the server use the 2D device frame. 3D mockups render in the studio in your browser; the tool says so in its notes when it falls back.

08 · Comms

What to ask Xcode

Ask Xcode: Take the screenshots from the last UI test run and turn them into an App Store set.
Ask Xcode: Use our accent color from the asset catalog for the backgrounds.
Ask Xcode: Upload the set for iPhone and iPad once I've approved the renders.

09 · Safety

How Xcode asks before a change

Xcode asks before an agent uses a tool it hasn't been allowed. Tools you've allowed are listed in Settings, Intelligence, under Permissions, where you can remove them. Leave MetaRun's apply tools off that list so every App Store change asks first; reads and previews are safe to allow.

Apple key stays on MetaRun, encryptedPreview before every writeRecorded, revertible from history

10 · FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Can Xcode upload screenshots from my machine?

Yes, via an https URL. npx metarun upload <file> returns one for a local PNG or JPEG, and the studio tools take uploads directly. The upload itself runs on MetaRun's servers with your Apple key, which never touches your machine.

Do I have to use MetaRun's studio?

No. If you already have final images, Xcode can upload and order them directly with the screenshot tools. The studio is for when you want framing, captions and translations done too.

What sizes does it support?

Every display size Apple lists for screenshot sets, plus the App Asset Library's catalog for newer placements such as iPhone Duo. apple_get_asset_catalog returns Apple's current specs.

Can I see the screenshots before they go up?

Yes. studio_render_slide returns each slide as an image and studio_store_preview shows them in App Store context. Nothing uploads until you approve the apply.

How do I connect Xcode to App Store Connect?

In Xcode 27, add the plug-in from https://github.com/metarun/metarun-skills (Settings, Intelligence, Plug-ins, Add from URL) and click Sign in next to MetaRun. After that, ask for "screenshots" in plain words and Xcode picks the MetaRun tools.

Does Xcode see my App Store Connect key?

No. Your App Store Connect API key stays envelope-encrypted on MetaRun's servers and is decrypted per request. Xcode holds a MetaRun token that you can revoke in Settings at any time.

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