A Guide to App Icon Size for the App Store & Google Play
Master the correct icon size for app store success on iOS and Android. Our guide covers all specs, formats, and best practices to boost app visibility.
Your app's icon is the first thing a potential user sees. It is the front door to your app, and getting it right is non-negotiable. The app stores have specific rules, and if you do not follow them, your submission will get rejected. Trust me, it is a frustrating delay you do not want.
For the Apple App Store, the main icon you will upload needs to be 1024x1024 pixels. Over on the Google Play Store, they ask for a 512x512 pixel icon. Getting these two master files perfect is the most critical first step to boosting app store growth and conversions.
Your Quick Reference for App Store Icon Sizes
Think of that master icon as the source of truth. Both Apple and Google take that single, high-resolution file and automatically generate all the smaller icons needed across their platforms. We are talking about the icon on the home screen, in notifications, inside the settings menu, and in search results. Nail the master file, and you ensure your app looks crisp and professional everywhere.
Master Icon Requirements
The core difference is simple: Apple demands a larger file to look sharp on its high-resolution Retina displays, while Google’s spec is a bit smaller but just as strict. You have to get the size right for each store.
The key takeaway? Both platforms want a square PNG file, but the resolution and rules on transparency differ. Do not mix them up.
To make this dead simple, here’s a quick comparison table with the essential specs you need before exporting your final assets.
Primary App Store Icon Requirements
This table breaks down the master upload specifications for both the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. Keep it handy to avoid common submission errors.
| Specification | Apple App Store (iOS) | Google Play Store (Android) |
|---|---|---|
| Dimensions | 1024 x 1024 pixels | 512 x 512 pixels |
| Format | PNG | 32-bit PNG |
| Transparency | Not allowed (must be opaque) | Allowed (for adaptive icons) |
| File Size Limit | No specific limit | Under 1024 KB |
| Color Space | sRGB or P3 | sRGB |
Getting this right is the first step toward a smooth submission. It is a small detail, but it is one of those foundational pieces that helps with everything from app store growth to conversion rates.
Mastering Apple App Store Icon Requirements
If you are building for the Apple ecosystem, your visual journey starts with one crucial asset: the 1024x1024 pixel app icon. Think of this single, high-resolution file as the master key. You upload it once to App Store Connect, and Apple’s system takes over, automatically resizing it for every single placement across iOS, iPadOS, watchOS, and even macOS.
This streamlined process is a huge relief compared to how things used to be. The whole workflow changed dramatically after Apple introduced Retina displays back in 2010. Before that, developers had to manually crank out a dozen different icon sizes. But the higher pixel density of Retina screens demanded a new standard, so Apple established the 1024x1024 pixel master icon, a massive 400% increase in pixel count, to keep everything looking sharp. Since iOS 7, we have been able to just submit this one file and let the system handle the rest. You can read more about the evolution of iOS app icon dimensions and their history.
Core Technical Specifications
To avoid a frustrating rejection, your master icon has to meet a few non-negotiable technical rules. These are checked automatically during the app review process, so getting them right from the start is the key to a smooth submission.
Here’s a quick checklist of the must-haves for your 1024x1024 pixel icon:
- Format: The file must be a PNG. No JPEGs, no GIFs, no exceptions.
- Color Space: Stick to sRGB or P3 color spaces. This ensures your colors look just right on Apple devices.
- Transparency: Your icon has to be fully opaque. Do not include an alpha channel or any transparent pixels whatsoever.
- Shape: Your design needs to be a perfect square. Do not round the corners yourself; Apple applies its iconic "squircle" mask for you.
Honestly, that "no transparency" rule is one of the most common tripwires I see. It is a simple mistake that can easily delay your app’s launch.
The Lifecycle of Your iOS Icon
Once you upload that master 1024x1024 pixel file, it is off to the races. Apple's system generates a whole family of icons from it, each one perfectly optimized for a specific context and device. This is how they guarantee a consistent, high-quality look for your app, no matter where a user stumbles upon it.
The image below, from Apple's own Human Interface Guidelines, shows this principle in action.
As you can see, a single great design scales beautifully, maintaining its identity whether it is on a big iPad screen or tucked into a tiny notification. Your job is to create one killer icon; Apple takes care of the rest.
Key Resized Icon Dimensions
Even though you only upload one file, it is incredibly helpful to know what sizes it will be shrunk down to. This knowledge is what separates a good icon from a great one. A design that looks amazing at 1024x1024 pixels can easily turn into an unrecognizable smudge at smaller sizes.
Pro Tip: Always, always preview your icon design at its smallest required sizes, like 40x40 or 58x58 pixels. This simple gut check ensures your core symbol or shape stays distinct. That instant recognizability is gold, especially for things like notifications and settings.
Here are some of the most important sizes Apple will generate from your master file:
| Platform / Context | Icon Size (in pixels) |
|---|---|
| iPhone Home Screen | 180x180 |
| iPhone Spotlight Search | 120x120 |
| iPad Pro Home Screen | 167x167 |
| Notifications (iPhone/iPad) | 40x40 or 60x60 |
| Settings (iPhone/iPad) | 58x58 or 87x87 |
By keeping these smaller sizes in mind from the very beginning, you are setting your app’s visual identity up for success everywhere it appears.
A Guide to Google Play Store Icon Specs
Unlike the Apple App Store's "one master file" rule, the Google Play Store is all about adaptability. Your focus here is not just on one perfect icon, but on a system that looks great across thousands of different Android devices. It all starts with the main icon for your store listing.
For your Google Play Console upload, you will need a 512x512 pixel, 32-bit PNG. Google is strict about the file size, keeping it under 1024 KB to ensure your store page loads fast for everyone. This is the icon that makes the first impression, so getting it right is your first priority.
Understanding Android Adaptive Icons
Once you get past the store listing, you have to deal with adaptive icons. Google introduced this system back in Android 8.0 (Oreo) to bring some visual consistency to the wild world of Android launchers. Every phone maker, Samsung, Google, OnePlus, can use different icon shapes, and adaptive icons make sure your app looks good in all of them.
Here’s how they work. Your icon is split into two separate layers:
- Foreground Layer: This is where your actual logo or brand mark lives. It needs transparency.
- Background Layer: This sits behind your logo and must be a solid, opaque layer. It can be a simple brand color or even a subtle texture.
This two-layer setup is clever because it lets the phone’s launcher apply its own mask (like a circle, "squircle," or teardrop). It also enables cool little motion effects, like a parallax shift, when a user swipes through their home screen.
The All-Important Safe Zone
To prevent your logo from getting awkwardly cropped by a launcher's mask, you have to respect the safe zone. Think of it as an invisible circle in the dead center of your icon canvas. This circle has a diameter that is 66% of the icon's total size.
For a standard 108x108 dp icon, that safe zone is a 72 dp circle. Any part of your logo that bleeds outside this area is at risk of being sliced off. Keep all your critical visual elements tucked safely inside.
This means your foreground layer, the logo itself, should be fully contained within that inner circle. The background layer, however, needs to fill the entire canvas so you do not end up with weird empty edges when a mask is applied. Mastering this is key to nailing your Google Play graphics and store presence.
Designing Layers That Work Together
A good adaptive icon is not just about following the rules; it is about designing two layers that feel like they belong together. The foreground should be your hero, bold and instantly recognizable. The background is its supporting actor, providing a clean base that makes the logo pop.
A classic example would be a messaging app using its chat bubble logo for the foreground and its primary brand green for the background. It is simple, clean, and reinforces the brand identity. If you follow these specs for your icon, your app will look polished and professional on any Android device out there.
Designing App Icons That Drive Downloads
Let's be honest, your app icon is not just a technical asset you upload to meet store requirements. It is your most important piece of marketing real estate. It is the very first thing a potential user sees, a tiny billboard that has to grab their attention and convince them to tap. A great icon can single-handedly boost your app's visibility and conversion rate.
An effective icon nails three things: simplicity, recognizability, and scalability. Simplicity means it is understood in a split second. Recognizability makes it memorable, so users can find it again on their crowded home screen. And scalability ensures it looks crisp and clean everywhere, from a huge 1024x1024 pixel store listing down to a tiny 40x40 pixel notification.
Creating a Standout Visual Identity
The right color palette is your secret weapon for making an icon pop. Vibrant, bold colors can pull a user's eye away from competitors in a busy search result. But color also sets the mood. Calming blues are a natural fit for meditation apps, while energetic reds and oranges feel right at home for fitness apps.
Standing out is non-negotiable. The app stores are incredibly crowded. In the last month alone, the Apple App Store saw roughly 57,089 new apps, and that number is always climbing. This is why your icon has to be distinctive while still following the technical rules, like the 1024x1024 pixel PNG format. You can get more stats on the competitive landscape over at 42matters.com.
The most successful icons often boil down to a single, bold symbol that telegraphs the app's core purpose. Think of the universal music note for a music app or a camera lens for a photo editor, it is simple, direct communication. If you want to go deeper into the creative side of things, check out our guide on how to create app icons that really convert.
Maximizing Conversions with A/B Testing
Never, ever assume your first icon design is the best one. The only way to know for sure what drives downloads is to A/B test it. This just means showing different icon variations to different groups of users to see which one performs better. It is a game-changer.
A/B testing your app icon is one of the highest-leverage things you can do. A simple design tweak can lead to a huge lift in conversion rates, sometimes as much as 20-30%, without touching a single line of your app's code.
Here’s a straightforward way to run an effective A/B test:
- Create Variations: Come up with 2-3 distinctly different icon concepts. Do not be afraid to test big changes in color, symbols, or overall style.
- Use a Testing Platform: Both the Apple App Store (with Product Page Optimization) and the Google Play Store have built-in tools for running these experiments.
- Analyze the Results: Let the test run until you have statistically significant data. Once you have a clear winner, roll it out to all your users.
By iterating on your icon with real data, you stop guessing and start making decisions that directly fuel your app's growth.
Common Technical Mistakes to Avoid
Submitting an app icon feels like it should be the easy part, but a few simple technical mistakes can get you rejected in a heartbeat. Trust me, getting these details right is just as crucial as the design itself. A single wrong export setting can derail your entire submission.
iOS: Transparency and Rounded Corners Are Deal-Breakers
One of the most common errors I see with iOS submissions is including transparency. Apple’s rules are completely unambiguous here: your 1024x1024 pixel PNG has to be fully opaque. The system adds its own rounded corner “squircle” mask, and if its automated check detects any transparent pixels, it is an instant rejection. No questions asked.
Another classic mistake is trying to pre-round the corners of your iOS icon. You must submit a perfect square. If you try to match Apple's corner radius yourself, the system will apply its mask on top of your rounded design. The result? Weird, double-rounded corners that just look broken and unprofessional.
Android: Ignoring the Safe Zone
When it comes to Android's adaptive icons, the biggest pitfall is ignoring the safe zone. This is the central circular area where your logo’s most important elements have to live. Why? Because different device manufacturers use different masks, circles, squircles, rounded squares, and anything outside that safe zone is fair game to be cropped.
If you place key parts of your logo near the edges, you can guarantee they will be lopped off on some phones.
Design Mistakes That Fail at Scale
Beyond platform rules, some design choices just do not work in the real world. A complex icon that looks incredible at 1024x1024 pixels can quickly turn into an unreadable smudge when it is shrunk down for a notification or a settings menu. Always, always preview your design at its smallest required sizes to make sure it is still recognizable at a glance.
Here are a few more rookie mistakes to steer clear of:
- Using Photos: Just do not. A photograph in an icon almost never scales well and ends up looking blurry and out of place.
- Including Text: Unless text is an integral part of your logo, avoid it. It becomes completely illegible at small sizes and just adds noise.
- Mimicking System UI: Never incorporate elements from the iOS or Android interface into your icon. It confuses users and is explicitly forbidden by both Apple and Google's guidelines.
Remember: The app store review process is mostly automated. A script will scan your icon for these technical violations long before a human ever sees it. Stick to the rules, and you will sail through.
Think of these technical requirements as your final pre-flight checklist. By ticking every box, you save yourself the headache of a rejection and make sure your beautifully designed icon gets to the app store without a hitch.
Your App Icon Workflow Tools and Templates
Designing a killer app icon is only half the battle. The real grind, and where things often go wrong, is exporting every single required asset correctly. Getting your workflow dialed in with the right tools can save you from a world of submission headaches and make sure your icon looks sharp on every single device.
Of course, your go-to design tools like Figma, Sketch, and Adobe Photoshop are all great for the initial creative work. I find that vector-based tools like Figma and Sketch are particularly solid for this, since you are creating scalable assets that need to look crisp at any size. Still, Photoshop remains a beast for more complex, raster-based designs.
Automating the Tedious Stuff
Let’s be honest: manually exporting every single icon size for both iOS and Android is a painfully slow and error-prone task. This is exactly where specialized tools and plugins become your best friend, spitting out a full set of icons from a single master file automatically.
This kind of simple automation is not just about saving time; it cuts down on mistakes and guarantees every file meets the exact icon size for app store guidelines. For instance, a Figma plugin can take your main 1024x1024 pixel design and, in one click, generate all the necessary sizes, named correctly, and ready to drop into Xcode or Android Studio.
Here is a look at the "App Icon Generator" plugin in Figma, which does exactly this.
As you can see, the interface lets you select both iOS and Android, generating a complete, ready-to-go asset package. It completely eliminates the mind-numbing job of resizing and exporting dozens of individual files.
Must-Have Templates and Resources
Starting from a pre-made template can be a massive shortcut. A good template will not just give you artboards for the main icon sizes; it will also include the crucial safe zone guides for Android's adaptive icons. This ensures the core parts of your design are never awkwardly cropped by different phone manufacturers' masks. If you are looking for a solid starting point, check out these professionally designed mobile app design templates.
It is also a good idea to bring in other creative resources to keep your visuals consistent and appealing. A handy color palette generator, for example, can help you lock down a unique color scheme that makes your icon pop in a crowded store.
A consistent workflow is everything. When you lean on templates and automation, you build a repeatable process. This foundation ensures every icon you create not only fits your brand but also meets the technical specs for the app stores, making future updates and A/B tests way easier to manage.
Common Questions About App Icon Sizes
Getting your app icon just right can feel like navigating a maze of rules. Here are the clear, straightforward answers to the questions we see pop up most often from designers and developers.
Can I Use Different Icons for My iOS and Android Apps?
Yes, you absolutely can, and in most cases, you probably should.
While you want to keep your brand recognizable, the design philosophies behind iOS and Android are fundamentally different. Android’s adaptive icons are built for subtle motion and depth with layers and shadows. Meanwhile, iOS icons are flat and designed to fit perfectly within Apple's uniform "squircle" mask.
Many top-tier apps adjust their icons to feel more at home on each platform. They might use the same core symbol but tweak the background, gradient, or shadows. It is a small detail, but it shows you care about the user experience and can make your app feel more native.
How Often Should I Update My App Icon?
There is no single magic number here, but you might be surprised to learn that top-performing apps refresh their icons more frequently than you would think. On average, many successful apps push out a new icon 3 to 4 times a year.
These are not always complete overhauls. Often, these changes are tied to specific events:
- Seasonal Events: Think adding a Santa hat for Christmas or a pumpkin for Halloween. It keeps your app looking current.
- Major App Updates: A fresh icon is a great way to signal that you have added significant new features or revamped the UI.
- A/B Testing: Smart developers are always testing. A new icon design could be the key to improving your conversion rates on the store.
Regular updates keep your app from looking stale and help it catch a user's eye.
What Happens If My Icon Does Not Meet the Size Requirements?
This is one area where there is no wiggle room. If your icon does not meet the exact specifications, your app submission will be immediately rejected by the store's automated review. It is not a suggestion; it is a hard and fast rule.
For example, if you try to submit a 1023x1024 pixel icon to the Apple App Store, or an icon that contains transparency, you will get an error. The platform will tell you exactly what is wrong with a message like "Invalid App Store Icon" or "The app icon must be 1024x1024 pixels." You will have to fix the file and re-upload your entire build, which is a surefire way to delay your launch.
A great icon is just the beginning. Your app's entire product page needs to convince users to tap "Install." With ScreenshotWhale, you can create high-converting, on-brand screenshots for both the App Store and Google Play in just minutes. Use professionally designed templates proven to boost downloads and make your whole listing shine. Start designing for free.