Video Banners

Available from Andromeda v21

Video banners bring your home screen to life with auto-playing video content. Similar to Instagram stories, they're designed for short-form, engaging content that captures user attention immediately.

Video Tutorial

How Video Banners Work

Automatic Playback:

• Videos play automatically when users open the home screen
• Loop continuously without user intervention
• No pause, fast forward, or rewind controls

Audio Handling:

• Videos can include audio content
• Play muted by default for better user experience
• Users can manually unmute if desired

Content Guidelines:

• Maximum length: 30 seconds
• Optimized for mobile viewing
• Should be engaging from the first frame

Step-by-Step Setup

1. Banner Title

Provide a descriptive title that serves multiple purposes:

• Analytics tracking - Identify video banner performance
• Accessibility support - Voice assistance for visually impaired users
• Navigation context - Screen title when linking to other content

2. Content Type

Set the Content type to Video from the dropdown menu.

3. Choose the Action

Configure what happens when users tap the video banner:

4. Video URL Setup

Important: You must host videos yourself and provide the URL.

Supported formats:

• MP4 (recommended)
• MOV
• Other standard video formats

Hosting requirements:

• Publicly accessible URL
• Optimized for mobile streaming
• Reliable hosting service for consistent playback

5. Video Aspect Ratio

Critical for proper display across devices:

Why it matters:

• Apps pre-allocate space before video loads
• Prevents screen jumping during loading
• Ensures video displays without cropping or borders

Common aspect ratios:

• 16:9 - Standard widescreen format
• 4:3 - Traditional format
• 1:1 - Square format for social-style content
• 9:16 - Vertical/portrait format

6. Active/Inactive State

Control video banner visibility:

Active: Shows according to schedule and platform settings
Inactive: Hidden regardless of other settings (useful for testing)

7. Scheduling (Optional)

Set when the video banner appears:

• Leave blank: Always visible until removed
• Set specific times: Perfect for campaign coordination
• Date ranges: Ideal for promotional periods

8. Platform Selection

Choose target devices:

• ✅ iPhone - iOS mobile devices
• ✅ iPad - iOS tablet experience
• ✅ Android - Android mobile devices

Video Content Best Practices

Content Creation

First 3 seconds are crucial:

• Hook viewers immediately
• Brand should be visible early
• Clear value proposition

Mobile optimization:

• Large, readable text
• High contrast visuals
• Simple, clear messaging

Loop-friendly design:

• Smooth transition from end to beginning
• No jarring cuts or interruptions
• Consistent visual flow

Technical Considerations

File optimization:

• Balance quality and file size
• Test loading speeds
• Consider mobile data usage

Aspect ratio selection:

• Match your creative vision
• Consider how content appears across platforms
• Test on actual devices

Hosting reliability:

• Use CDN for global performance
• Monitor uptime and loading speeds
• Have fallback options

Performance and Analytics

Tracking capabilities:

• Banner impressions and views
• Tap-through rates to actions
• Platform-specific performance
• Schedule effectiveness

Optimization tips:

• A/B test different video content
• Monitor engagement vs. static banners
• Track conversion rates from video to action

Common Use Cases

Product Launches

• Show products in action
• Demonstrate features and benefits
• Link to product categories

Brand Storytelling

• Behind-the-scenes content
• Brand values and mission
• Link to brand pages

Seasonal Campaigns

• Holiday promotions
• Seasonal collections
• Limited-time offers

User-Generated Content

• Customer testimonials
• Product usage examples
• Community highlights

Troubleshooting

Video not playing:

• Check URL accessibility
• Verify file format compatibility
• Test on multiple devices

Aspect ratio issues:

• Confirm ratio settings match actual video
• Test across different screen sizes
• Consider creating platform-specific versions

Performance problems:

• Optimize video file size
• Check hosting service performance
• Monitor loading times

What's Next?

• Create product carousel banners - Showcase your products directly
• Learn about in-store banners - Special functionality for in-store experiences
• Master banner management - Import and export configurations