iOS App Icon Sizes: Source Images and Legacy References

For the standard modern iOS raster workflow, use a 1024×1024 source image. Other appearances and Apple platforms have separate configuration requirements. The copyable manifest below is iOS-only; the legacy tables are references, not a universal package.

Apple's icon requirements have evolved significantly. With iOS 26 introducing the Liquid Glass design language and Xcode 26 adding the new Icon Composer tool, it's more important than ever to get your icon sizes right from the start.

This guide distinguishes the modern iOS asset workflow from legacy reference slots and other platform requirements. Use the actual target configuration and current Apple documentation before submitting.

The Single Source Icon

Use the iOS Single Size configuration for a standard 1024×1024 source. Other platforms and layered workflows have their own configuration. Apple’s asset-catalog guidance distinguishes those workflows.

To enable it: open Assets.xcassets, select AppIcon, and choose "Single Size" in the Attributes Inspector (Apple Docs).

However, understanding the full size matrix is still critical for quality control, marketing assets, and platforms that don't use asset catalogs.

The Contents.json — Copy-Paste Ready

This copyable example is for one standard iOS source image named icon-1024.png. It is not a combined watchOS or macOS manifest. Add and validate appearance variants or other platform assets in the target’s own configuration.

{
  "images": [
    {
      "filename": "icon-1024.png",
      "idiom": "universal",
      "platform": "ios",
      "size": "1024x1024"
    }
  ],
  "info": {
    "author": "xcode",
    "version": 1
  }
}

The size calculator offers reference tables and copyable dimension data. Its Contents.json example is specifically an iOS catalog; it is not a manifest for every platform.

Legacy Icon Size Reference

Prefer to work the numbers yourself? Our free iOS icon size calculator lists selected reference slots and calculates @1x, @2x and @3x pixel values for a base point size. The condensed iOS app icon sizes 2026 reference is handy to keep open while you build.

iPhone & iPod Touch

iPad

Apple Watch

These are selected legacy pixel-size examples, not a verified mapping to current Watch case sizes. Use the actual watchOS target’s Single Size configuration or its named image wells; prepare a layered Icon Composer document separately when that is your chosen workflow.

App Store

iOS 26 & Liquid Glass: What Changed

Apple introduced the Liquid Glass design language at WWDC 2025. For icon preparation, distinguish the layered workflow from an existing raster catalog:

• Layered artwork — Icon Composer supports separate elements and configurable rendering properties. A flat PNG does not retain those editable layers.
• Appearance review — Check the previews available in your toolchain and the installed app's actual Home Screen choices. The raster light, dark and tinted files are appearances, not the depth layers of a Composer document.
• System mask — use the current platform template and inspect the crop; do not assume a fixed percentage inset or corner radius.

Apple Icon Composer: The New Tool

Alongside iOS 26, Apple introduced Icon Composer — a dedicated tool bundled with Xcode 26 for creating multi-layered, Liquid Glass icons (Apple Documentation).

To launch it: Xcode → Open Developer Tool → Icon Composer.

Key features:

• Layered design — Import SVG or PNG layers from Figma, Sketch, or Photoshop and arrange them with depth effects
• Real-time preview — See how your icon looks on iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch across all appearance modes
• Single .icon file — Icon Composer outputs a single .icon file that you configure for the platforms supported by that workflow
• Marketing export — Export flattened versions for App Store listings and marketing materials

Drag the .icon file into your Xcode project navigator, then set it in Target → General → App Icons and Launch Screen.

Best Practices for 2026

1. Design at 1024×1024, Test at 60×60

Inspect the required exported pixel dimensions and compare a small preview of the artwork. Keep the editable source separately if you need to revise shapes or prepare layers.

2. Avoid Text in Icons

Text becomes illegible at small sizes (29×29pt Settings icon). Use symbols and shapes instead. Apple explicitly discourages text in app icons unless it's essential to the brand.

3. Use the Squircle Mask

Don't add your own rounded corners — iOS applies the continuous corner radius (squircle) mask automatically. Provide a square image with content extending to all edges.

4. Preview the crop

Use the current target template and inspect the composition under the system mask; do not assume a universal inset is an Apple requirement.

5. Verify the Color Profile

Use an appropriate supported color profile and inspect the actual exported image. Do not infer a color profile merely from how vibrant a preview looks.

6. Test Against Wallpapers

Compare light, dark and colorful wallpapers in the Home Screen appearance modes your supported OS offers. Keep the relevant settings and build in the review record.

How to Add Icons to Xcode

Xcode 14+ (single-size approach):

1. Open your project's Assets.xcassets file
2. Select the AppIcon icon set
3. In the Attributes Inspector, choose "Single Size" for iOS
4. Drag your 1024×1024 image into the slot
5. Build and run — Xcode generates the iOS sizes for that target

Xcode 26+ (Icon Composer approach):

1. Design your layers in Figma, Sketch, or Photoshop (see our Figma to Xcode app icon export tutorial)
2. Open Icon Composer (Xcode → Open Developer Tool → Icon Composer)
3. Import layers, apply Liquid Glass effects
4. Save as a .icon file and drag into your Xcode project

For more control (or compatibility with older Xcode versions), check our Xcode AppIcon.appiconset tutorial. If you're targeting the new design language, our guide to iOS 26 Liquid Glass app icons walks through the layered Default, Dark, Clear, and Tinted modes.

Common Mistakes

• Uploading a non-square image — The standard iOS source is square; other platform assets can differ
• Wrong opacity for the selected asset — The standard iOS raster appearance needs an opaque master. Other appearances and layers have separate requirements.
• Rounded corners baked in — Don't round the corners yourself; iOS handles this
• Too much detail — If it looks great at 1024px but becomes a blob at 60px, simplify

Several of these mistakes are also the most common causes of a binary getting bounced — see our breakdown of App Store icon rejection reasons and fixes before you submit.

Summary

Choose the icon workflow for your target, keep its manifest aligned with the source files and review the built result. IconBundlr exports iOS raster appearances; a layered Icon Composer document or another platform package requires separate preparation.

Sources

• Apple Human Interface Guidelines — App Icons
• Apple Developer Documentation — Configuring Your App Icon
• Apple Developer Documentation — Icon Composer
• WWDC 2025 — Liquid Glass Design Sessions