iOS App Icon Size Guide & Guidelines [2026]

The standard iOS app icon size is 1024x1024 pixels for your master asset, submitted as a PNG with no transparency. Xcode 16 generates all 11 required sizes automatically — from 180x180 px (@3x iPhone) down to 40x40 px (notifications). iPad Pro needs 167x167 px (@2x), standard iPad uses 152x152 px (@2x), and the App Store listing uses the full 1024x1024 source. Android requires a separate 512x512 px PNG for Google Play.

Last updated: March 2026 | By IconikAI Team

Getting icon sizes wrong leads to rejected App Store submissions and blurry icons on device. This guide covers every pixel dimension you need for iOS, Android, and web in 2026 — plus how to export them all without manual resizing.

[INTERNAL LINK: How to design an app icon that stands out → /blog/app-icon-design-tips]

What Are the Complete iOS App Icon Size Requirements in 2026?

Apple's iOS 18 Human Interface Guidelines require 11 distinct icon sizes across 4 contexts: home screen (180x180, 120x120, 167x167, 152x152), Spotlight search (120x120, 80x80), Settings (87x87, 58x58), and notifications (60x60, 40x40) — all derived from one 1024x1024 pixel master PNG. Providing individually optimized assets for each size ensures the sharpest rendering.

Apple's Human Interface Guidelines (updated for iOS 18) define specific pixel dimensions for every context where your icon appears. You need different sizes for the home screen, Spotlight search, Settings, and notifications.

Here is the full breakdown. Bookmark this table — you will reference it often.

All iOS App Icon Sizes Table

Context	Size (px)	Scale	Device
App Store	1024x1024	1x	Universal
iPhone Home Screen	180x180	@3x	iPhone (Super Retina)
iPhone Home Screen	120x120	@2x	iPhone (Retina)
iPad Pro Home Screen	167x167	@2x	iPad Pro
iPad Home Screen	152x152	@2x	iPad, iPad mini
Spotlight Search	120x120	@3x	iPhone
Spotlight Search	80x80	@2x	iPhone / iPad
Settings	87x87	@3x	iPhone
Settings	58x58	@2x	iPhone / iPad
Notification	60x60	@3x	iPhone
Notification	40x40	@2x	iPhone / iPad

Key rule: Always start with a 1024x1024 master icon. This is the single source file Apple requires for App Store Connect. Xcode 16 can derive all other sizes from this asset, but having each size pixel-perfect ensures the sharpest rendering.

What Changed in iOS 18

Starting with iOS 18, Apple introduced automatic dark mode and tinted icon variants. Your icon now needs to look good in three states:

Light mode — your standard icon
Dark mode — a darker background variant
Tinted — a monochrome version users can tint to match their home screen

This means your 1024x1024 master asset should have enough contrast to remain legible across all three treatments. Simple, bold designs perform best here.

[INTERNAL LINK: AI app icon generator for iOS dark mode icons → /tools/ai-app-icon-generator]

What Format Should an App Icon Be?

App icons for iOS must be PNG format, in the sRGB or Display P3 color space, at 72 DPI. Apple does not accept JPEG, SVG, or WebP for app icons. The file must have no transparency — every pixel needs a color value. Do not include rounded corners or visual effects; iOS applies the superellipse mask automatically.

For Android, icons should also be PNG. Google additionally accepts WebP for the Play Store listing. Adaptive icons use two layers — a foreground PNG and a background PNG — both at 108x108 dp.

Here is a quick format reference:

Platform	Format	Color Space	Transparency	Corners
iOS	PNG	sRGB / Display P3	No	Auto-applied
Android	PNG / WebP	sRGB	Yes (adaptive)	Auto-applied
Web (Favicon)	PNG / SVG / ICO	sRGB	Yes	None
macOS	ICNS / PNG	sRGB / Display P3	Yes	Auto-applied

Pro tip: Export your master file at 1024x1024 in PNG-24 with no interlacing. This gives you maximum compatibility across all platforms.

What Size Should App Icons Be for iOS?

For iOS in 2026, every app needs a single 1024x1024 pixel master icon submitted to App Store Connect. The iPhone home screen renders your icon at 180x180 (@3x) on Super Retina displays and 120x120 (@2x) on older Retina screens. iPad Pro uses 167x167 (@2x) while standard iPads use 152x152 (@2x).

Beyond the home screen, iOS uses your icon in smaller contexts. Spotlight search shows it at 120x120 or 80x80. The Settings app displays it at 87x87 or 58x58. Notifications use 60x60 or 40x40. Each size matters for clarity.

Apple's Human Interface Guidelines recommend designing at 1024x1024 and verifying readability at the smallest sizes. If fine details disappear at 40x40, simplify your design.

Tips for Sharp Icons at Every Size

Use simple shapes. Complex illustrations break down at small sizes. One strong symbol beats a detailed scene.
Limit your palette. Two to three colors keep icons readable at 40x40 pixels.
Avoid text in icons. Letters become unreadable below 80x80.
Test on device. Simulator rendering differs from physical screens. Always check real hardware.
Mind the safe zone. iOS clips corners with a superellipse. Keep critical elements away from edges — use at least 10% padding.

[INTERNAL LINK: App icon design best practices for 2026 → /blog/app-icon-design-best-practices]

What Are Android App Icon Requirements?

Android uses a density-independent system for icon sizes. You provide icons at multiple density buckets. Google also requires a 512x512 icon for the Play Store listing.

Android App Icon Sizes Table

Density	Size (px)	Scale
mdpi	48x48	1x (baseline)
hdpi	72x72	1.5x
xhdpi	96x96	2x
xxhdpi	144x144	3x
xxxhdpi	192x192	4x
Play Store	512x512	—

Adaptive Icons (Android 8.0+)

Since Android 8.0 (Oreo), Google requires adaptive icons. These consist of two layers:

Foreground layer: 108x108 dp (432x432 px at xxxhdpi) — your icon artwork
Background layer: 108x108 dp — a solid color or simple pattern

The system applies different masks depending on the device manufacturer. Samsung uses circles. Pixel uses squircles. Others use rounded squares. Your foreground content should fit within a 66x66 dp safe zone centered in the 108x108 dp canvas.

Google's Material Design guidelines (updated for Material You in Android 15) emphasize that adaptive icons should look good in any mask shape. Test with circular, squircle, and rounded rectangle masks before shipping.

How Do You Export App Icons for All Platforms at Once?

Exporting app icons for all platforms requires generating 10+ sizes for iOS, 6+ for Android, plus favicons and PWA manifest icons. Manual export in Figma or Sketch takes 20-30 minutes per icon and must be repeated with every design change. Automated tools like IconikAI export every required size for iOS, Android, and web in one click from a single 1024x1024 master design.

Exporting icons for every platform manually is tedious. You need 10+ sizes for iOS alone, another 6+ for Android, plus favicons and web manifests. Here is how most developers handle it:

Manual Export (Figma / Sketch / Photoshop)

Design your icon at 1024x1024 in your tool of choice.
Create export presets for each required size.
Export each size as PNG with the correct naming convention.
Place files in the correct Xcode asset catalog or Android res/mipmap folders.

This works but takes 20-30 minutes per icon. Change your design? Repeat the entire process.

Automated Export with IconikAI

IconikAI generates every required icon size for iOS, Android, and web in one click. Upload or generate your design, and the platform exports a complete asset pack — ready to drag into Xcode or Android Studio.

No manual resizing. No missed sizes. No rejected submissions because you forgot the 87x87 Settings icon.

This is especially useful during early development when your icon changes frequently. Generate, test, iterate — all in seconds instead of minutes.

[INTERNAL LINK: Generate platform-ready app icons with AI → /tools/ai-app-icon-generator]

How Do You Set Up an iOS App Icon Template?

A proper iOS app icon template uses a 1024x1024 pixel canvas in PNG-24 format with sRGB or Display P3 color space, no transparency, and a 10% safe zone margin from all edges. For iOS 18+, you need three variants: standard (full color), dark mode (deeper colors for dark backgrounds), and tinted (monochrome layer iOS can colorize to match the user's home screen theme).

Setting up a proper icon template saves time and prevents mistakes. Here is what your template should include:

Template Specifications

Canvas size: 1024x1024 pixels
Format: PNG-24, no transparency
Color space: sRGB (for widest compatibility) or Display P3 (for newer displays)
Grid: Enable Apple's icon grid overlay for balanced proportions
Safe zone: Mark a 10% margin from all edges to account for corner masking
Background: Always fill the entire canvas — no transparent areas

Icon Grid and Proportions

Apple provides an icon design grid in their Human Interface Guidelines. This grid uses circles, rectangles, and diagonal lines to help you position elements with visual balance. Following the grid is not mandatory, but icons that align to it tend to look more "at home" on iOS.

The grid centers a primary circle at roughly 80% of the canvas width. Secondary shapes align to specific intersection points. Apple's own first-party icons follow this system closely.

Dark Mode and Tinted Variants

For iOS 18+, prepare three variants of your icon:

Standard — your regular full-color icon
Dark — adjusted for dark backgrounds, often with deeper colors
Tinted — a single-layer version that iOS can tint to the user's chosen color

Design all three at 1024x1024 and include them in your Xcode asset catalog. If you skip the dark and tinted variants, iOS generates them automatically — but the results are often suboptimal.

What Are the Most Common App Icon Mistakes to Avoid?

The 5 most common app icon mistakes are: including transparency in iOS icons (causes App Store rejection), manually adding rounded corners (creates a double-radius effect), using the wrong color space (causes color shifts on device), ignoring how the icon looks at 40x40 pixels (leads to unreadable notification icons), and forgetting platform differences between iOS superellipse masking and Android adaptive icon clipping.

After helping thousands of developers create icons, these are the most frequent errors we see:

1. Including Transparency

iOS app icons cannot have transparent pixels. If you submit a PNG with an alpha channel, your App Store submission will be rejected. Always flatten your icon onto a solid background before export.

2. Adding Rounded Corners Manually

Do not bake rounded corners into your icon asset. iOS applies its own superellipse mask. If you add corners manually, you will get a double-radius effect that looks wrong on every device.

3. Using the Wrong Color Space

If your icon looks different on device than it does in your design tool, check your color space. Design in sRGB for consistent results. Display P3 is fine if you specifically need wider gamut colors, but test on actual hardware.

4. Ignoring Small Sizes

Your icon might look great at 1024x1024 but become an unreadable blob at 40x40 in notifications. Always preview at the smallest rendered size. Simplify if needed.

5. Forgetting Platform Differences

An icon that works on iOS may not work on Android. Android's adaptive icon system clips differently than iOS's superellipse. Always test both platforms separately.

[INTERNAL LINK: Common app icon design mistakes and how to fix them → /blog/app-icon-design-mistakes]

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the required iOS app icon size for the App Store?

The App Store requires a single 1024x1024 pixel PNG icon. This master asset must use the sRGB or Display P3 color space, have no transparency, and include no rounded corners. Apple uses this file for the App Store listing and generates smaller variants as needed.

Can I use one icon size for all Apple devices?

Technically, Xcode 16 can derive all sizes from a single 1024x1024 asset. However, for the sharpest rendering at every size, Apple recommends providing individually optimized assets. Fine details visible at 1024px may not translate well at 40x40px for notifications.

What is the difference between @2x and @3x icons?

The @2x and @3x designations refer to pixel density. A @2x icon has twice the pixels of a @1x baseline, and @3x has three times. For example, a 60x60 point icon renders at 120x120 px on @2x Retina screens and 180x180 px on @3x Super Retina displays. Higher density means sharper icons on newer hardware.

Do I need separate icons for iPhone and iPad?

Yes. iPhone and iPad use different icon sizes. iPhone home screen icons are 180x180 (@3x) or 120x120 (@2x). iPad Pro uses 167x167 (@2x) and standard iPad uses 152x152 (@2x). Providing the correct size for each device ensures crisp rendering without scaling artifacts.

How do I generate all app icon sizes at once?

The fastest method is to use a tool like IconikAI that exports every required size for iOS, Android, and web from a single design. Upload your 1024x1024 master icon (or generate one with AI) and download a complete asset pack. This eliminates manual resizing, naming errors, and missing sizes.

Generate Every App Icon Size in One Click

Manually resizing icons for every platform is a solved problem. IconikAI generates platform-ready icons for iOS, Android, and web — all from a single design.

Here is what you get:

All iOS sizes — iPhone, iPad, App Store, Spotlight, Settings, Notifications
All Android sizes — mdpi through xxxhdpi, plus Play Store 512x512
Web assets — favicons, PWA manifest icons, Open Graph images
Dark mode variants — optimized for iOS 18's automatic theming
Correct naming — files named exactly as Xcode and Android Studio expect

Stop wasting build time on icon exports. Generate Your Icon and get back to shipping your app.

Sources: Apple Human Interface Guidelines — App Icons, Google Material Design — Adaptive Icons. Last updated March 2026.