App Icon Sizes: IOS And Android Cheat Sheet

Creating app icons can feel like navigating a maze of resolutions and specifications. Getting the sizes right is crucial for ensuring your app looks polished and professional on both iOS and Android devices. This comprehensive guide provides a detailed cheat sheet, simplifying the process and helping you optimize your app icons for various devices and platforms.

Understanding App Icon Requirements

Before diving into the specific sizes, let's understand why different sizes are needed. App icons aren't just for your home screen; they appear in various places, including the App Store, Google Play Store, settings menus, and search results. Each of these locations might require a different resolution to ensure the icon looks crisp and clear.

iOS: Apple devices need a range of sizes to cater to different iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch models. The icons must be optimized for the Retina and Super Retina displays, which have higher pixel densities.
Android: Android, with its diverse range of devices and screen densities, requires an even more flexible approach. Adaptive icons were introduced to handle this fragmentation, allowing icons to adjust to different shapes and sizes according to the device's theme.

Understanding these nuances is the first step in creating app icons that look great on every device. Ignoring these specifications can lead to blurry or distorted icons, negatively impacting the user experience and potentially affecting the app's credibility. It's essential to stay updated with the latest guidelines from both Apple and Google, as they occasionally introduce new requirements with updated OS versions and devices.

Key Considerations for Icon Design

Apart from the technical specifications, the design of your app icon plays a significant role in attracting users. A well-designed icon should be:

Recognizable: Easily identifiable and memorable.
Simple: Avoid overcrowding with too many details.
Consistent: Aligned with your app's branding.
Scalable: Looks good in various sizes without losing clarity.

By keeping these principles in mind, you can create an app icon that not only meets the technical requirements but also effectively represents your app and attracts users.

iOS App Icon Sizes

Apple has specific size requirements for app icons, and these vary depending on the device and the purpose of the icon. Here’s a detailed breakdown to help you get it right.

iPhone App Icon Sizes

For iPhones, you'll need to provide several sizes to cover different models and screen resolutions. These sizes are specified in pixels (px).

20x20 px: Used for the Spotlight search results and Settings app on older devices.
29x29 px: Used for the Spotlight search results and Settings app on newer devices.
40x40 px: Used for the Spotlight search results and Settings app on newer devices.
58x58 px (29x29 @2x): Used for the Spotlight search results and Settings app on Retina displays.
60x60 px (20x20 @3x): Used for the Spotlight search results and Settings app on newer devices with higher resolution displays.
80x80 px (40x40 @2x): Used in the App Store.
87x87 px (29x29 @3x): Used on iPhone devices with Retina displays.
120x120 px (40x40 @3x): Used on iPhone devices with Retina displays.
120x120 px (60x60 @2x): Used on iPhone devices with Retina displays.
180x180 px (60x60 @3x): The largest iPhone app icon size, used for the home screen on iPhone devices with the highest resolution displays.

iPad App Icon Sizes

For iPads, the app icon sizes differ slightly from those used for iPhones. Here's a detailed list:

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20x20 px: Used for the Spotlight search results and Settings app on older devices.
29x29 px: Used for the Spotlight search results and Settings app on newer devices.
40x40 px: Used for the Spotlight search results and Settings app on newer devices.
58x58 px (29x29 @2x): Used for the Spotlight search results and Settings app on Retina displays.
76x76 px: Used on iPad devices.
80x80 px (40x40 @2x): Used in the App Store.
152x152 px (76x76 @2x): Used on iPad devices with Retina displays.
167x167 px (83.5x83.5 @2x): Used on iPad Pro devices.

App Store Icon Size

In addition to the app icons used on devices, you also need a specific size for the App Store listing. This is crucial for the visual appeal of your app in the store.

1024x1024 px: This is the largest size you'll need, and it's used for the App Store. This icon should be of high quality and accurately represent your app.

Android App Icon Sizes

Android app icons have their own set of requirements, primarily focusing on adaptive icons to ensure they look good on various devices with different screen densities. Here’s a breakdown of the sizes and adaptive icon specifications.

Adaptive Icons

Adaptive icons are a key feature in modern Android development. They allow the icon to adapt to different shapes and sizes, providing a consistent look across various devices and launchers. Adaptive icons consist of two layers:

Background Layer: This is the layer that fills the shape defined by the device. It can be a color or an image.
Foreground Layer: This is the main icon that is displayed on top of the background layer.

Android Icon Size Specifications

512x512 px: This is the high-resolution icon used for the Google Play Store. It’s the largest size you’ll need and should be of high quality.
48x48 px (mdpi): This is the baseline density. Other densities are calculated relative to this.
72x72 px (hdpi): This is 1.5 times the baseline density.
96x96 px (xhdpi): This is 2 times the baseline density.
144x144 px (xxhdpi): This is 3 times the baseline density.
192x192 px (xxxhdpi): This is 4 times the baseline density.

Considerations for Android Icon Design

When designing Android app icons, keep the following in mind:

Safe Zone: Ensure that the important parts of your icon are within the safe zone (48 dp radius circle centered in the icon). This ensures that the icon isn't clipped when the device applies a mask.
Visual Layers: Use the foreground and background layers effectively to create depth and visual interest.
Simplicity: Keep the icon simple and recognizable.

Creating App Icons: Tools and Best Practices

Creating app icons that meet all the size and resolution requirements can be challenging. Here are some tools and best practices to help you streamline the process.

Design Tools

Adobe Photoshop: A powerful tool for creating and editing raster graphics. It allows you to create icons in various sizes and formats.
Adobe Illustrator: Ideal for creating vector-based icons that can be scaled without losing quality.
Sketch: A popular design tool among UI/UX designers, offering features specifically for app icon design.
Figma: A collaborative web-based design tool that's great for teams working on app icon design.
Icon Generators: Online tools that automatically generate app icons in various sizes from a single source image.

Best Practices

Start with a Vector: Vector-based designs are scalable, making it easier to create icons in various sizes without losing quality.
Use a Template: Create a template with all the required sizes to ensure consistency and accuracy.
Test on Real Devices: Always test your icons on real devices to see how they look in different contexts.
Follow Platform Guidelines: Adhere to the latest design guidelines from Apple and Google.
Optimize for Different Screen Densities: Ensure your icons look crisp and clear on different screen densities.

Step-by-Step Guide to Creating App Icons

Here's a step-by-step guide to help you create app icons that meet all the requirements:

Create a Base Icon: Start with a high-resolution vector-based icon (e.g., 1024x1024 px).
Scale Down: Scale down the base icon to the required sizes for iOS and Android.
Optimize: Optimize each icon size for its specific purpose (e.g., home screen, App Store, Google Play Store).
Test: Test the icons on real devices to ensure they look good in different contexts.
Export: Export the icons in the required formats (e.g., PNG for iOS, PNG or WebP for Android).
Implement: Add the icons to your app project.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Ignoring Platform Guidelines: Not following the latest design guidelines from Apple and Google can result in your app being rejected.
Using Low-Resolution Images: Using low-resolution images can result in blurry or pixelated icons.
Overcomplicating the Design: Overcrowding the icon with too many details can make it difficult to recognize.
Not Testing on Real Devices: Failing to test the icons on real devices can result in unexpected issues.
Forgetting the Safe Zone: On Android, neglecting the safe zone can lead to important parts of your icon being clipped.

Conclusion

Creating app icons that look great on both iOS and Android devices requires careful attention to detail and adherence to platform-specific guidelines. By understanding the size requirements, using the right tools, and following best practices, you can create app icons that not only meet the technical specifications but also effectively represent your app and attract users. Remember to stay updated with the latest guidelines from Apple and Google to ensure your app icons always look their best. Getting your app icon sizes right is a small detail that can make a big difference in the overall success of your app. So, take the time to get it right, and your users will thank you for it!