iOS App Icon Sizes: The Complete Guide for 2025

If you're submitting an iOS app, you need a lot of icons. Apple requires different sizes for different devices, screen densities, and contexts. Miss one and Xcode will complain. This guide covers every size you actually need.

The Quick Reference

Here's what you need for a typical iOS app:

That's the minimum for an iPhone-only app. If you support iPad, you need more.

iPad Sizes

iPad uses @1x and @2x scales (no @3x). Here's what you need:

The 1024x1024 App Store Icon

This is the big one. It shows up on the App Store listing page and needs to look good at that size. A few things to know:

• It must be exactly 1024x1024 pixels
• No transparency allowed (use a solid background)
• No rounded corners (Apple adds those automatically)
• PNG format, RGB color space
• No alpha channel

Apple will reject your submission if the 1024px icon has transparency. This catches people all the time.

What About the Rounded Corners?

You might notice iOS icons have rounded corners. Do not add these yourself. Apple applies the corner radius automatically, and it varies by device and context. If you bake in your own corners, you'll end up with a weird double-rounded effect.

Design your icon as a square. Apple handles the rest.

File Naming Convention

Xcode expects icons in an Asset Catalog with specific names. The standard format is:

AppIcon-20@2x.png
AppIcon-20@3x.png
AppIcon-29@2x.png
...

But honestly, if you're using Xcode's Asset Catalog (which you should be), you just drag the images into the right slots. The naming matters less than having the correct dimensions.

Common Mistakes

Using the same icon at all sizes. A complex icon that looks great at 1024px becomes an unreadable blob at 40px. Simplify details for smaller sizes, or use a simpler version of your logo.

Forgetting the Settings icon. The 29pt icon shows up in iOS Settings. If you skip it, your app looks unfinished next to others.

Adding text to the icon. Your app name already appears below the icon. Text inside the icon is redundant and becomes illegible at small sizes.

Transparency in the App Store icon. iOS will let you use transparency in device icons, but the App Store icon must have a solid background. Check your export settings.

Starting From a Single Image

If you have a high-resolution source (at least 1024x1024), you can generate all sizes from it. The math is straightforward:

• 1024 / 1024 = 1024px (App Store)
• 1024 * (180/1024) = 180px (iPhone @3x)
• 1024 * (60/1024) = 60px (iPhone Notification @3x)

And so on. Most design tools can batch export these. Or you can use a generator that handles it for you.

Dark Mode and Tinted Icons

iOS 18 introduced tinted app icons that adapt to the user's wallpaper. You can provide alternate versions:

• A dark mode variant
• A tinted variant (monochrome silhouette)

These are optional but make your app feel more polished on iOS 18+. The tinted version should be a single-color shape that works as a silhouette.

Testing Your Icons

Before submitting, test your icons:

1. On device. Simulators don't show the exact rendering. Use a real iPhone.
2. On the home screen. How does it look next to other apps?
3. In folders. Icons shrink in folders. Does yours still read?
4. In Settings. Check the small Settings icon.
5. In Spotlight search. The Spotlight icon appears during search.

If something looks off at any of these sizes, you might need a simplified version for smaller contexts.

Summary

For a universal iOS app, you need roughly 18 icon files. The sizes range from 20x20 to 1024x1024. Design as a square, don't add rounded corners, and pay attention to how your icon looks at small sizes.

The 1024px App Store icon is the most important one since it's what people see when deciding to download. But the 60pt home screen icon is what they see every day. Both matter.