PixApp Icon Size Guide: Every Platform Spec You Need in 2026
Your app icon is the first thing users see — in the store, on their home screen, in search results. Get the size wrong and you get a blurry mess or a rejected submission. Get it right and your brand looks sharp everywhere.
This guide covers every app icon size you need for iOS, Android, macOS, Windows, and progressive web apps. Bookmark it. You will come back to it.
Why App Icon Size Matters
App stores reject submissions with incorrect icon dimensions. Even when they don't reject outright, a poorly scaled icon signals amateur work. Platform-specific rendering means a 512×512 icon that looks great on Android can appear muddy when upscaled for the App Store's 1024×1024 requirement.
Each platform also applies its own mask — iOS rounds the corners, Android uses adaptive icons with separate foreground and background layers, macOS applies a rounded rectangle with a subtle shadow. Your source asset needs to account for these masks so nothing important gets clipped.
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iOS App Icon Sizes
Apple requires a single 1024×1024 PNG as your source icon in Xcode 15+. The system generates all other sizes automatically. But you still need to know what gets rendered where — especially if you are optimizing for specific contexts.
iOS Icon Dimension Table
| Context | Size (px) | Scale | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| App Store | 1024×1024 | 1x | Required for submission |
| iPhone Home Screen | 180×180 | 3x (60pt) | iPhone 8 Plus and later |
| iPhone Home Screen | 120×120 | 2x (60pt) | Older iPhones |
| iPad Home Screen | 167×167 | 2x (83.5pt) | iPad Pro |
| iPad Home Screen | 152×152 | 2x (76pt) | Standard iPad |
| Spotlight Search | 120×120 | 3x (40pt) | iPhone |
| Spotlight Search | 80×80 | 2x (40pt) | iPad |
| Settings | 87×87 | 3x (29pt) | iPhone |
| Settings | 58×58 | 2x (29pt) | iPad |
| Notifications | 60×60 | 3x (20pt) | iPhone |
| Notifications | 40×40 | 2x (20pt) | iPad |
iOS Icon Requirements
- Format: PNG only. No alpha channel, no transparency.
- Color space: sRGB or Display P3.
- Shape: Square. iOS applies the superellipse mask automatically — do not bake rounded corners into your asset.
- No layers: Unlike Android, iOS icons are flat single-layer images.
Start with a 1024×1024 master file. Use Pixotter's resize tool to generate every variant from that single source — set the exact pixel dimensions and export without quality loss.
Android App Icon Sizes
Android uses adaptive icons (introduced in Android 8.0), which separate foreground and background into two layers. The system applies different masks depending on the device manufacturer — circle, squircle, rounded square, or teardrop.
Android Icon Dimension Table
| Context | Size (px) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Google Play Store | 512×512 | Required for submission |
| Adaptive Icon Layers | 108×108 dp (432×432 px at xxxhdpi) | Foreground and background layers |
| Legacy Icon | 48×48 dp | Scales across densities |
| MDPI | 48×48 | 1x baseline |
| HDPI | 72×72 | 1.5x |
| XHDPI | 96×96 | 2x |
| XXHDPI | 144×144 | 3x |
| XXXHDPI | 192×192 | 4x |
Android Adaptive Icon Safe Zone
The visible area of an adaptive icon is a 66dp circle centered in the 108dp canvas. Keep all critical elements (logo, text, distinctive shapes) within the inner 72×72 dp area to avoid clipping regardless of which mask the device applies.
Your foreground layer should be 432×432 pixels at xxxhdpi with the actual icon content centered in the inner 288×288 pixel region. The background layer is the same size and typically a solid color or simple gradient.
Android Icon Requirements
- Format: PNG (legacy) or vector drawable XML (adaptive).
- Google Play: 512×512 PNG, 32-bit color with alpha channel.
- No baked shadows or masks for adaptive icons — the system adds these.
macOS App Icon Sizes
macOS icons use the ICNS format and require a full set of sizes from 16×16 up to 1024×1024. Unlike iOS, macOS icons include a subtle shadow and rounded rectangle shape that Apple's tooling applies.
macOS Icon Dimension Table
| Size (px) | Scale | Filename Suffix |
|---|---|---|
| 1024×1024 | 2x (512pt) | icon_512x512@2x |
| 512×512 | 1x (512pt) | icon_512x512 |
| 512×512 | 2x (256pt) | icon_256x256@2x |
| 256×256 | 1x (256pt) | icon_256x256 |
| 256×256 | 2x (128pt) | icon_128x128@2x |
| 128×128 | 1x (128pt) | icon_128x128 |
| 64×64 | 2x (32pt) | icon_32x32@2x |
| 32×32 | 1x (32pt) | icon_32x32 |
| 32×32 | 2x (16pt) | icon_16x16@2x |
| 16×16 | 1x (16pt) | icon_16x16 |
macOS Icon Tips
Apple's Human Interface Guidelines encourage macOS icons to have more visual depth than iOS — subtle gradients, a front-facing perspective, and fine detail at larger sizes that simplifies gracefully at smaller ones. Avoid photographic detail at 16×16; use simplified shapes instead.
You can generate every size from a single 1024×1024 master. Resize your icon to each dimension, then bundle them into an .icns file using iconutil on macOS.
Windows App Icon Sizes
Windows uses the ICO format, which bundles multiple sizes into a single file. Windows 10 and 11 pull the appropriate size based on context — taskbar, Start menu, desktop, and the Microsoft Store each use different dimensions.
Windows Icon Dimension Table
| Context | Size (px) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Microsoft Store | 300×300 | Store listing tile |
| Large tile | 256×256 | Start menu large |
| Medium tile | 150×150 | Start menu default |
| Small tile | 71×71 | Start menu small |
| Taskbar | 48×48 | Default DPI |
| Taskbar (high DPI) | 64×64 | 150% scaling |
| Desktop icon | 32×32 | Standard |
| Small icon | 16×16 | Title bar, file explorer |
Windows ICO File Best Practice
Bundle at least these sizes into your ICO file: 16×16, 32×32, 48×48, and 256×256. The 256×256 layer should be PNG-compressed within the ICO container to keep the file size reasonable.
Need to convert your PNG master to ICO? Pixotter's convert tool handles PNG-to-ICO conversion directly in the browser. For a deeper walkthrough, check out the PNG to ICO conversion guide.
Progressive Web App (PWA) Icon Sizes
PWAs define icons in their manifest.json. Browsers and operating systems pull the closest matching size for home screen shortcuts, splash screens, and install prompts.
PWA Icon Dimension Table
| Size (px) | Purpose |
|---|---|
| 512×512 | Splash screen, install prompt |
| 384×384 | Large display |
| 192×192 | Home screen (Android Chrome) |
| 180×180 | Apple touch icon |
| 152×152 | iPad |
| 144×144 | MS tile |
| 128×128 | Chrome Web Store |
| 96×96 | Android Chrome shortcut |
| 72×72 | Medium density |
| 48×48 | Low density |
Include "purpose": "any maskable" in your manifest for icons that support adaptive masking on Android. Keep critical content within the inner 80% of the canvas for maskable icons.
For related browser icon requirements, see the complete favicon size guide.
How to Create App Icons From a Single Source
The workflow is straightforward:
- Design at 1024×1024. This is your master file. Use a vector tool (Figma, Illustrator, Affinity Designer) so you have infinite scaling flexibility.
- Export as PNG. 32-bit color, sRGB color space. Transparency only if the platform supports it (Android yes, iOS no).
- Resize to every required dimension. Use Pixotter's batch resize tool — drop your 1024×1024 PNG, set the target dimensions, and download each variant. No quality loss, no server upload, everything stays in your browser.
- Convert formats as needed. Windows needs ICO, macOS needs ICNS. Convert PNG to ICO directly or use platform tooling (
iconutilfor ICNS, ImageMagick for ICO). - Verify at actual size. View each icon at 100% zoom on the target device or simulator. A 16×16 icon that looks fine at 400% zoom may be an unreadable blob at native size.
If your icons look slightly soft after resizing, it usually means the source had detail that does not survive downscaling. Simplify the design for smaller sizes — reduce fine lines, increase contrast, and remove text below 32×32. For tips on optimizing file size without losing clarity, the image size reduction guide covers the fundamentals.
Common App Icon Mistakes
Baking in platform masks. Do not round the corners of your iOS icon or add a circle mask for Android. The OS does this. Your baked corners plus the system's corners equal double rounding.
Ignoring the safe zone. Android adaptive icons clip aggressively. If your logo extends to the edges, some devices will cut it off.
Using JPEG. Every platform requires PNG (or vector). JPEG compression artifacts are visible at small sizes and transparency is not supported.
One size for all contexts. A 512×512 icon downscaled to 16×16 by the OS looks worse than a 16×16 icon designed for that size. At minimum, optimize the 16×16 and 32×32 variants separately.
Forgetting high-DPI variants. A 48×48 icon on a 3x display renders at 144×144. If you only provide 48×48, the OS upscales it and it looks blurry.
FAQ
What is the required app icon size for the Apple App Store?
Apple requires a 1024×1024 pixel PNG with no transparency and no rounded corners. Xcode 15+ generates all other sizes from this single asset automatically.
What app icon size does Google Play require?
Google Play requires a 512×512 pixel PNG in 32-bit color. Alpha channel transparency is allowed. This is separate from the adaptive icon layers used on the device itself.
Can I use the same icon file for iOS and Android?
You can use the same 1024×1024 source design, but the exported assets differ. iOS needs a flat PNG with no transparency. Android needs separate foreground and background layers for adaptive icons, plus a 512×512 PNG for the Play Store. Design once, export per platform.
What format should Windows app icons use?
Windows app icons use the ICO format, which bundles multiple PNG sizes (16×16, 32×32, 48×48, 256×256 at minimum) into a single file. The 256×256 layer should be PNG-compressed inside the ICO container.
What is the safe zone for Android adaptive icons?
The safe zone is a 66dp circle (264px at xxxhdpi) centered in the 108dp (432px) canvas. Keep all essential elements within this area to prevent clipping on devices that use circle, squircle, or rounded square masks.
Do PWA icons need to be maskable?
Not required, but recommended. Marking icons as "purpose": "maskable" in your manifest lets Android apply adaptive masking. Keep critical content within the inner 80% of the image. You can also provide both a maskable and a standard icon in the manifest for maximum compatibility.
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