App Icon Design Guidelines

App icons are the first impression users have of your application. They appear on home screens, app stores, and throughout the operating system. Creating effective icons requires understanding platform-specific requirements and design principles.

iOS Icon Guidelines

Design Requirements

• Format: PNG without transparency
• Color Space: sRGB or P3
• Shape: Square (iOS applies rounded corners automatically)
• Master Size: 1024×1024px for App Store
• No Alpha Channel: iOS doesn't support transparency in app icons

iOS Icon Contexts

Context	Size (@1x)	Purpose
App Store	1024×1024	App Store listing
iPhone App	60×60	Home screen icon
iPad App	76×76	iPad home screen
iPad Pro	83.5×83.5	iPad Pro home screen
Spotlight	40×40	Search results
Settings	29×29	Settings app
Notification	20×20	Notification badges

Android Icon Guidelines

Design Requirements

• Format: PNG with transparency support
• Master Size: 512×512px for Play Store
• Shape: Can be any shape; Android applies adaptive icon masks
• Adaptive Icons: Use foreground and background layers
• Safe Zone: Keep important content within the center 66dp circle

Android Launcher Icon Sizes

Density	Size	Ratio
ldpi	36×36	0.75x
mdpi	48×48	1.0x (baseline)
hdpi	72×72	1.5x
xhdpi	96×96	2.0x
xxhdpi	144×144	3.0x
xxxhdpi	192×192	4.0x

Adaptive Icons (Android 8.0+)

Android 8.0 introduced adaptive icons, which consist of two layers:

• Foreground Layer: 108×108dp canvas, safe zone is center 72×72dp
• Background Layer: 108×108dp canvas, provides background color or image

The system masks these layers into different shapes based on device manufacturer preferences (circle, square, rounded square, etc.).

Design Best Practices

General Guidelines

• Keep it simple: Icons should be recognizable at small sizes
• Use bold colors: Stand out on the home screen
• Avoid text: Icons should be purely visual
• Test at all sizes: Ensure clarity from 20×20 to 1024×1024
• Consider backgrounds: Test on light and dark wallpapers
• Brand consistency: Match your brand identity
• Unique design: Stand out from competitors

iOS-Specific

• No rounded corners in your artwork (iOS adds them)
• Avoid placing important elements near edges
• Use the full bleed area
• No transparency (will be rejected)

Android-Specific

• Design for adaptive icons with foreground/background layers
• Keep key visual elements in the safe zone (center circle)
• Test different mask shapes (circle, squircle, rounded square)
• Provide legacy icons for older Android versions

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Tools for Icon Generation

• Sketch: Built-in icon export features
• Figma: Plugins for icon generation
• Adobe Illustrator: Vector-based design
• Icon generators: Online tools for automatic resizing
• Xcode: Asset catalog for iOS icon management
• Android Studio: Image Asset Studio for Android icons