Reference app screenshots with a dark background
A dark picture overall. The App Store follows the device’s light or dark appearance, so a dark screenshot stands out in one and blends into the other.
From the top 100 free Reference apps on the US App Store, read on October 9, 2026. Screenshots are the developers’ own, shown from Apple’s servers with a link to each app.
The numbers
Apps that do it
41% 41 of 100
Screenshots that do it
24% 138 of 566
The top ten
4 of 10 against 37 of the other 90
138 of the 566 Reference screenshots read (24%) do this, across 41 of the top 100 apps (41%). 4 of the top ten do it (40%), against 37 of the other 90 (41%): the top ten do it about as often as the rest. Of the 23 categories read so far, Reference is 13th for this. It is most common in Entertainment (79% of apps) and least common in Food & Drink (14%).
12 examples from the chart.
12 of the 138 Reference app screenshots with a dark background, one from each app, the highest on the chart first.
“Start your day with God's Word”
“Voice Translator”
“Short Videos. Eternal Truths”
“Stay informed with Notifications”
“Stargazing made easy”
“Explore the Night Sky with AR”
“Scan Coins See Price”
“1.7 BILLION STARS”
“Identify Rare & Foreign Coins”
“Explore different TCGs Card Sets & Series”
“Scan and restore photos”
“Voice Translator”
What these screenshots say, word for word.
The words on 40 of the 135 that carry any, as each app wrote them.
“Start your day with God's Word”
from YouVersionBible · #3 · screenshot 1“Voice Translator”
Translate Now - AI Translator · #4 · screenshot 1“Short Videos. Eternal Truths”
Watch. Reflect. Grow.Bible Shorts: Watch & Study · #8 · screenshot 1“Stay informed with Notifications”
Stay informed on new product launches and the best deals on the market.Collectr - TCG Collector App · #10 · screenshot 6“Stargazing made easy”
Sky Guide · #12 · screenshot 1“Explore the Night Sky with AR”
Night Sky · #14 · screenshot 1“Scan Coins See Price”
22 Million+ Users | APP of the dayCoinSnap: Coin Identifier · #18 · screenshot 1“1.7 BILLION STARS”
On Night SkyStar Gazer - Astronomy Sky Map · #20 · screenshot 1“Identify Rare & Foreign Coins”
CoinIn: Coin Scan Identifier · #21 · screenshot 1“Explore different TCGs Card Sets & Series”
Browse thousands of official releases and find what’s missing.HoloDex - TCG Scan & Collect · #27 · screenshot 1“Scan and restore photos”
Ancestry: Family History & DNA · #28 · screenshot 3“Voice Translator”
Translate AI - Live Translate · #29 · screenshot 1“500+ PRACTICAL WOOD PLANS”
WoodSense: Wood Plans & Guides · #31 · screenshot 1- ⚡ INSTANT ONLINE + IN-STORE ALERTS
“Catch Restocks Before They Sell Out”
Get instant alerts for the TCG products you want most.PokeNotify: TCG Restock Alerts · #33 · screenshot 1 “Identify coin instantly”
AI CoinScan: Coin ID & Value · #34 · screenshot 1“Scan”
Scan by image or barcode to instantly ID your trading card, comic, or video gamePriceCharting: TCG, Games+ · #41 · screenshot 2“Bid Stress Free”
Win auction items you won’t find anywhere else with smart bidding tools for busy collectorsRare Candy: Scan Pokémon Cards · #45 · screenshot 6“Watch Bible videos”
Faithe: Bible Videos & Stories · #48 · screenshot 1“Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary and Thesaurus”
America’s most trusted dictionary available wherever you are!Merriam-Webster Dictionary · #50 · screenshot 1- CATHOLIC AI
“SEEK BOLDLY”
Instant answers for anything. Catholic perspective on everything.Truthly: Catholic AI · #51 · screenshot 1 “Check Your Card's Value Instantly”
in SecondsCardly AI: Sports Card Scanner · #53 · screenshot 1“Read Bible on your Lock Screen”
Holy Bible Widget: Daily Verse · #55 · screenshot 1“All your favorite Bible Versions”
Dwell: Audio Bible · #59 · screenshot 4“Add Daily Verses to Your Lock Screen.”
Everyday inspirations at a glance.Bible Note: Sermon Notes · #63 · screenshot 5“Bible Verse Widgets for Home Screen”
#Bible - Verse of the Day · #65 · screenshot 1“Breathe. Pray. Release”
Meditations for inner stillnessAbide: Bible Prayer Meditation · #68 · screenshot 3“WATCH THE BIBLE”
Sacred Shorts: Bible Videos · #69 · screenshot 1“Get Access to Our Content Anytime”
BibleProject · #73 · screenshot 4“WHAT IS THAT BRIGHT DOT IN THE SKY?”
Sky Tonight - Stargazing Guide · #75 · screenshot 1“Your collection, valued like a portfolio”
DeckTradr · #76 · screenshot 1“أدعية من الكتاب والسنة”
Athkar Quran/SunnaAthkar - أذكار · #79 · screenshot 1“PLAYER STATS LEADERS”
Streameast - Live sports, IPTV · #80 · screenshot 4“Use AI To Find New Trends”
TrendTok Analytics & Tracker · #81 · screenshot 1“It keeps working after you close it”
You are told the moment it is readyVeyra: Video Subtitles · #82 · screenshot 1“Pray on Time with Accurate Prayer Alerts”
Muslim Pro: Quran & Athan · #85 · screenshot 1“Night Prayer”
Prepare your heart and mind for sleepLectio 365: Daily Bible Prayer · #90 · screenshot 4“The Ascension App”
Ascension: Catholic Bible · #91 · screenshot 1“Remain close to Allah throughout the day”
Quran Widgets: Verses & Duas · #95 · screenshot 1“Scan Your Bible”
Paper to notes, instantlyVessel: Bible Study & Notes · #98 · screenshot 2“Scan Toys Know Value Fast”
ToyWorth: Scan & Value Toys · #99 · screenshot 1
Top ten Reference apps that do it.
- #3Bible1 of its 6 screenshots
- #4Translate Now - AI Translator1 of its 6 screenshots
- #8Bible Shorts: Watch & Study6 of its 6 screenshots
- #10Collectr - TCG Collector App1 of its 6 screenshots
The same tactic in other categories.
| Category | Apps that do it | Screenshots | Top ten |
|---|---|---|---|
| Entertainment | 79% 79 of 100 | 69% 376 of 544 | 10 of 10 |
| Music | 71% 71 of 100 | 57% 311 of 550 | 10 of 10 |
| Weather | 70% 70 of 100 | 48% 266 of 555 | 7 of 10 |
| Sports | 67% 67 of 100 | 52% 288 of 558 | 10 of 10 |
| Developer Tools | 55% 55 of 100 | 41% 208 of 507 | 4 of 10 |
| Photo & Video | 55% 55 of 100 | 41% 232 of 566 | 5 of 10 |
| Graphics & Design | 54% 53 of 99 | 39% 220 of 564 | 6 of 10 |
| News | 50% 49 of 98 | 34% 177 of 517 | 5 of 10 |
| Navigation | 48% 48 of 99 | 26% 146 of 566 | 3 of 10 |
| Social Networking | 45% 45 of 100 | 28% 157 of 554 | 3 of 10 |
| Games | 44% 44 of 100 | 26% 147 of 567 | 5 of 10 |
| Utilities | 44% 44 of 100 | 29% 157 of 549 | 3 of 10 |
| Reference | 41% 41 of 100 | 24% 138 of 566 | 4 of 10 |
| Travel | 38% 38 of 100 | 16% 87 of 561 | 5 of 10 |
| Health & Fitness | 36% 36 of 100 | 23% 134 of 574 | 6 of 10 |
| Finance | 34% 34 of 100 | 15% 89 of 581 | 4 of 10 |
| Productivity | 33% 33 of 99 | 16% 87 of 551 | 2 of 10 |
| Lifestyle | 33% 33 of 100 | 18% 98 of 556 | 3 of 10 |
| Education | 29% 29 of 100 | 13% 73 of 555 | 0 of 10 |
| Shopping | 22% 22 of 100 | 9% 50 of 562 | 1 of 10 |
| Business | 21% 21 of 100 | 6% 32 of 554 | 2 of 10 |
| Medical | 21% 21 of 100 | 9% 48 of 548 | 2 of 10 |
| Food & Drink | 14% 14 of 100 | 6% 35 of 540 | 1 of 10 |
Related tactics.
Often on the same screenshot
- High contrast words37% of these screenshots, against 25% of all Reference screenshots
- A word in a different colour41% of these screenshots, against 30% of all Reference screenshots
- Phone drawn95% of these screenshots, against 87% of all Reference screenshots
- A photograph56% of these screenshots, against 48% of all Reference screenshots
- Gradient background59% of these screenshots, against 52% of all Reference screenshots
- Has a kicker12% of these screenshots, against 5% of all Reference screenshots
More in look
- Light71%
- Gradient background65%
- Background is the icon’s colour64%
- A word in a different colour53%
- High contrast words45%
- Blue43%
- Black, white or grey41%
- Orange40%
- Solid background39%
- Low contrast words30%
- Photo background27%
- Teal23%
- Green22%
- Serif headline21%
- Pattern or texture16%
- Red16%
- Rounded headline type12%
- Yellow11%
- The app itself is the background8%
- Condensed or display type4%
- Purple4%
- Pink3%
Questions, answered from the chart.
How many top Reference apps have App Store screenshots with a dark background?
41 of the top 100 Reference apps (41%) have at least one, and 138 of their 566 screenshots (24%) do it. Counted from the US App Store’s top free chart on October 9, 2026.
Which Reference apps have App Store screenshots with a dark background?
In the top ten: Bible (#3), Translate Now - AI Translator (#4), Bible Shorts: Watch & Study (#8) and Collectr - TCG Collector App (#10). Further down the chart: Sky Guide (#12), Night Sky (#14), CoinSnap: Coin Identifier (#18), Star Gazer - Astronomy Sky Map (#20) and CoinIn: Coin Scan Identifier (#21), and 32 more.
Should my Reference app have App Store screenshots with a dark background?
The chart shows who does it, not whether it would work for your app. 4 of the top ten Reference apps do it (40%), against 37 of the other 90 (41%), so the top ten do it about as often as the rest. Ten apps is a small group, so read that as a description of this chart and not as a rule.
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