iOS App Icon Sizes: The Complete 2026 Guide
The complete guide to iOS app icon sizes in 2026. Includes all required sizes for iOS 18+, Xcode asset catalog setup, naming conventions, and Android sizes.
Getting Your App Icon Sizes Right
App icon sizes are one of those details that seem trivial until you get them wrong. Submit the wrong size, and your app is rejected. Export at the wrong resolution, and your icon looks blurry on some devices. Forget a required size, and parts of the iOS system display a blank placeholder where your icon should be.
Apple has simplified the process significantly in recent Xcode versions, but you still need to understand the requirements — especially if you are generating icons outside of Xcode or need to support older iOS versions. This guide covers every icon size you need for iOS 18+ in 2026, along with Android sizes for cross-platform developers.
The Modern Approach: Single 1024x1024 Source
Starting with Xcode 15 (released in 2023), Apple introduced automatic icon generation from a single 1024x1024 pixel source image. This is the default for new projects targeting iOS 17 and later. If you are building a new app in 2026, this is the approach you should use.
Here is how it works:
- Provide a single 1024x1024 PNG image in your asset catalog
- Xcode automatically generates all required sizes at build time
- You do not need to manually export or include individual size variants
However, you should still understand the underlying sizes so you can verify your icon looks good at every dimension.
Complete iOS Icon Size Table
Even with automatic generation, these are the sizes the system uses. Your 1024x1024 source will be scaled down to each of these:
iPhone
| Usage | Size (Points) | Scale | Pixel Dimensions |
|---|---|---|---|
| App Store | 1024x1024 | 1x | 1024x1024 |
| Home Screen | 60x60 | 2x | 120x120 |
| Home Screen | 60x60 | 3x | 180x180 |
| Spotlight Search | 40x40 | 2x | 80x80 |
| Spotlight Search | 40x40 | 3x | 120x120 |
| Settings | 29x29 | 2x | 58x58 |
| Settings | 29x29 | 3x | 87x87 |
| Notification | 20x20 | 2x | 40x40 |
| Notification | 20x20 | 3x | 60x60 |
iPad
| Usage | Size (Points) | Scale | Pixel Dimensions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Home Screen | 76x76 | 1x | 76x76 |
| Home Screen | 76x76 | 2x | 152x152 |
| Home Screen (Pro) | 83.5x83.5 | 2x | 167x167 |
| Spotlight Search | 40x40 | 1x | 40x40 |
| Spotlight Search | 40x40 | 2x | 80x80 |
| Settings | 29x29 | 1x | 29x29 |
| Settings | 29x29 | 2x | 58x58 |
| Notification | 20x20 | 1x | 20x20 |
| Notification | 20x20 | 2x | 40x40 |
Apple Watch
| Usage | Pixel Dimensions |
|---|---|
| Notification Center (38mm) | 48x48 |
| Notification Center (42mm) | 55x55 |
| Home Screen (38mm) | 80x80 |
| Home Screen (42mm) | 88x88 |
| Short Look (38mm) | 172x172 |
| Short Look (42mm) | 196x196 |
| App Store | 1024x1024 |
macOS (Mac Catalyst / Native)
| Size (Points) | Scale | Pixel Dimensions |
|---|---|---|
| 16x16 | 1x | 16x16 |
| 16x16 | 2x | 32x32 |
| 32x32 | 1x | 32x32 |
| 32x32 | 2x | 64x64 |
| 128x128 | 1x | 128x128 |
| 128x128 | 2x | 256x256 |
| 256x256 | 1x | 256x256 |
| 256x256 | 2x | 512x512 |
| 512x512 | 1x | 512x512 |
| 512x512 | 2x | 1024x1024 |
Technical Requirements
Regardless of size, all iOS app icons must meet these technical specifications:
- Format: PNG (no JPEG, no SVG)
- Color space: sRGB or Display P3
- No alpha channel: Your icon must be opaque. No transparency.
- No rounded corners: Do not add rounded corners or masks to your image. iOS applies its superellipse mask automatically. If you include rounded corners, they will conflict with the system mask and create visual artifacts.
- Square: Width and height must be exactly equal.
- No layers: The App Store icon is a flat PNG. (Unlike Android, iOS does not use layered adaptive icons.)
Setting Up Your Xcode Asset Catalog
For the modern single-source approach in Xcode 15+ (recommended for all new projects in 2026):
Step 1: Open Your Asset Catalog
In your Xcode project, open Assets.xcassets (or your custom asset catalog). You should see an AppIcon entry.
Step 2: Select the Single Size Option
In the AppIcon set, the Attributes Inspector should show a single 1024x1024 slot. If your project was created with an older Xcode version, you may see the legacy grid of individual size slots. To switch to the single-source approach:
- Select the AppIcon asset
- In the Attributes Inspector, set "iOS Sizes" to "Single Size"
- Drop your 1024x1024 PNG into the single slot
Step 3: Verify at Build Time
Build your app and check the app bundle to verify that all icon sizes were generated correctly. You can also run the app in the simulator and check different contexts (home screen, settings, spotlight search).
Legacy Projects
If you are maintaining an older project that uses the individual-size approach, you can either:
- Migrate to the single-source approach (recommended)
- Continue providing individual images for each size slot
For the legacy approach, you will need to export your icon at every individual pixel dimension listed in the tables above and place each image in the corresponding slot in the asset catalog.
Naming Conventions
If you are providing individual icon files (for legacy projects, CI/CD pipelines, or manual export), use this naming convention for clarity:
- AppIcon-1024.png — App Store (1024x1024)
- AppIcon-180.png — iPhone Home Screen @3x (180x180)
- AppIcon-120.png — iPhone Home Screen @2x (120x120)
- AppIcon-167.png — iPad Pro Home Screen @2x (167x167)
- AppIcon-152.png — iPad Home Screen @2x (152x152)
- AppIcon-87.png — Settings @3x (87x87)
- AppIcon-80.png — Spotlight @2x (80x80)
- AppIcon-76.png — iPad Home Screen @1x (76x76)
- AppIcon-60.png — Notification @3x (60x60)
- AppIcon-58.png — Settings @2x (58x58)
- AppIcon-40.png — Notification / Spotlight @2x (40x40)
Some teams prefer to include the context in the name (e.g., AppIcon-iPhone-Home@3x.png). The exact convention does not matter as long as it is consistent and your build system can map files to the correct slots.
Android Icon Sizes for Cross-Platform Developers
If you are shipping on both iOS and Android, you will need a separate set of icons for the Play Store and Android devices. Here are the key Android requirements:
Google Play Store
| Asset | Dimensions | Format |
|---|---|---|
| Play Store Icon | 512x512 | PNG (32-bit, no alpha) |
Adaptive Icons (Android 8.0+)
Android uses adaptive icons, which consist of two layers:
- Foreground layer: 108x108 dp (432x432 px at xxxhdpi). The visible safe area is 72x72 dp (the center 66%).
- Background layer: 108x108 dp (432x432 px at xxxhdpi). This layer is fully visible and provides the background fill.
The device manufacturer's mask (circle, rounded square, squircle, etc.) is applied over these layers. Keep all critical content within the 72x72 dp safe zone to prevent clipping.
Legacy Icons (Android 7.1 and Below)
| Density | Pixel Dimensions | Folder |
|---|---|---|
| mdpi | 48x48 | mipmap-mdpi |
| hdpi | 72x72 | mipmap-hdpi |
| xhdpi | 96x96 | mipmap-xhdpi |
| xxhdpi | 144x144 | mipmap-xxhdpi |
| xxxhdpi | 192x192 | mipmap-xxxhdpi |
Common Mistakes
1. Baking in Rounded Corners
This is the most common iOS icon mistake. iOS applies its own superellipse corner mask. If you add your own rounded corners to the source image, you will get a double-masked effect with thin transparent gaps along the edges. Always submit a full square image.
2. Including Transparency
iOS icons must be opaque. If your PNG has an alpha channel with transparent areas, the App Store will reject it or those areas will appear black.
3. Designing at Small Sizes and Scaling Up
Always design at 1024x1024 and scale down. Scaling up a smaller image introduces blurriness and compression artifacts.
4. Using JPEG or SVG Format
Both Apple and Google require PNG format for app icons. JPEG compression introduces artifacts, and SVG is not supported in asset catalogs.
5. Ignoring the Safe Zone on Android
If you place critical elements outside the 72x72 dp safe zone on Android adaptive icons, they will be clipped on devices with circular or tight masks. Always test with different mask shapes.
6. Not Testing at Small Sizes
An icon that looks great at 1024x1024 might be unrecognizable at 29x29 points. Always preview your icon at the smallest sizes used by the system.
Automating Icon Export
Manually exporting icons at every required size is tedious and error-prone. There are several ways to automate the process:
- Xcode Single Source (recommended): As described above, Xcode 15+ generates all sizes from one 1024x1024 image.
- Appilot: When you generate an icon with Appilot, it automatically exports every required size for both iOS and Android. You get a complete set of store-ready assets without any manual resizing or export configuration.
- Figma plugins: Plugins like "App Icon" can export all required sizes from a Figma design.
- Command-line tools: Tools like ImageMagick can batch-resize a source image to all required dimensions using a simple script.
Conclusion
iOS app icon sizes in 2026 are simpler than they have ever been, thanks to Xcode's single-source approach. Provide a well-designed 1024x1024 PNG, follow Apple's technical requirements (no transparency, no rounded corners, PNG format), and Xcode handles the rest.
For cross-platform developers, keep Android's adaptive icon system in mind — it requires separate foreground and background layers with a safe zone for critical elements. Tools like Appilot handle both platforms automatically, so you never have to worry about missing a size or exporting incorrectly.
The key takeaway: design your icon at 1024x1024, verify it looks good at the smallest sizes (29x29 points), and let your tools handle the rest.
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