You added a new language to your App Store listing, dragged a screenshot into it, and App Store Connect answered with:
Please save new locales before uploading screenshots or previews.
Nothing is broken. App Store Connect is telling you that the localization you just added exists only in your browser tab until you save the page, and it will not attach media to a locale that does not exist yet on the server. The fix takes two clicks. The rest of this post explains why it happens and how to stop meeting it on every localized release.
What Triggers the Error #
App Store Connect treats adding a localization as an edit to the version, not as its own action. When you open the language menu at the top right of the version page, scroll to "Not Localized" and click the plus next to a language, the page shows the new locale immediately, prefilled with the primary language's screenshots and metadata. It has not been created on Apple's side yet.
Screenshot and app preview uploads go to a different endpoint from the metadata form. That endpoint needs a locale that already exists. So if you upload before saving, the media has nowhere to land and you get the message.
You will see it most often when:
- Adding several languages in one sitting and uploading as you go
- Uploading through Media Manager right after adding a locale in the version page
- Pasting localized descriptions and then immediately dragging in screenshots for the same language
The Fix #
- Leave the screenshot area alone for a moment.
- Click Save at the top right of the version page. If the new locale needs a description or keywords first, fill those in, since a locale cannot be saved empty.
- Once the page reloads with the locale saved, upload the screenshots or previews.
That is the whole fix. If you added several languages, save once after adding all of them, then upload for each.
If the error persists after saving, check two things. The app version must be in an editable state; you cannot manage languages while a version is Waiting for Review or In Review. And your role must be Account Holder, Admin, App Manager or Marketing. A Developer role can see the page but not add locales.
Avoiding It on Every Release #
The error is a symptom of doing localization inside the App Store Connect web form, one language at a time. Two changes remove it.
Add every locale before you touch media. Add all the languages you plan to ship, fill in the descriptions and keywords, save once, and only then start on screenshots. Doing it in that order means you never upload into an unsaved locale.
Upload from a tool instead of the browser. The App Store Connect API can create localizations and attach screenshots in the same run, which is what upload tools do under the hood. Screenshot Studio holds every locale's screenshot set in one project, translates the captions with built-in AI, and uploads them directly to App Store Connect, creating the locale if it is missing and placing each image in the correct device slot. The step-by-step guide for the manual route is in how to upload screenshots to App Store Connect, if you want to see exactly which clicks the tool is saving you.
Related Errors You May Hit Next #
Once the locale is saved, the upload can still fail for reasons that have nothing to do with localization:
- Wrong dimensions. Each device slot accepts specific pixel sizes. The current lists are in the iPhone sizes and iPad sizes guides.
- Transparent PNG. Files with an alpha channel are refused. The free validator catches this before you upload.
- "Missing screenshots for each version." This appears when changing the primary language and a locale that is about to become primary has no screenshots of its own. Upload a set to that locale first, then switch.
Frequently Asked Questions #
Do I need to save before every upload? Only after adding a new locale. Once a locale exists, you can upload to it freely.
Why does the new locale already show my English screenshots? When you add a language, its screenshots and most metadata default to the primary language's. Only the description and keywords start empty. Saving keeps those defaults until you replace them.
Can I add a locale and upload screenshots in one step? Not in the web interface. The App Store Connect API can, which is how upload tools avoid the error.
Conclusion #
"Please save new locales before uploading screenshots or previews" means exactly what it says: the locale is not on the server yet. Click Save, then upload. To stop seeing it, add every language first and upload media last, or let a tool that talks to the API handle both. Download Screenshot Studio to upload every locale from one project.