9.2.8. Screenshots

Take at least two screenshots of your app (you may upload a maximum of eight screenshots each for a smartphone, a 7" tablet and a 10" tablet) that will be included with your app description in Google Play (Fig. 9.2). These provide a preview of your app, since users can’t test the app before downloading it (although they may return an app for a refund within 15 minutes after purchasing and downloading it). Choose attractive screenshots that show the app’s functionality.

Fig. 9.2 | Screenshot specifications.

The Dalvik Debug Monitor Service (DDMS), which is installed with the ADT Plugin for Eclipse and helps you debug your apps running on actual devices, also enables you to capture screenshots on your device. To do so, perform the following steps:

1. Run the app on your device as described at the end of Section 1.9.

2. In Eclipse, select Window > Open Perspective > DDMS, which allows you to use the DDMS tools.

3. In the Devices window (Fig. 9.3), select the device from which you’d like to obtain a screen capture.

Fig. 9.3 | Devices window in the DDMS perspective.

4. Click the Screen Capture button to display the Device Screen Capture window (Fig. 9.4).

Fig. 9.4 | Device Screen Capture window showing a capture of the Tip Calculator app from Chapter 3.

5. After you’ve ensured that the screen is showing what you’d like to capture, click the Save button to save the image.

6. If you wish to change what’s on your device’s screen before saving the image, make the change on the device, then press the Refresh button in the Device Screen Capture window to recapture the device’s screen.