How to design an app icon
The icon must be 512×512 px, 32-bit PNG, no transparency; Play applies the mask itself, so do not round the corners yourself. Use one object, two colours and high contrast — the icon shrinks to about 48 px in listings.
Sizes and technical rules
Google Play: 512×512 px, 32-bit PNG, no transparency — the store rounds the corners for you, so ship a square. App Store: 1024×1024 px, no alpha channel. Never put a screenshot inside the icon.
The readability test
Scale the design down to 48 px and look at it on a phone. Whatever survives is your icon. Two colours and one shape pass this test; thin strokes and gradient detail disappear.
Do not write the app name inside the icon: the name already sits underneath and at small sizes the text becomes a blurred smudge.
Choosing colour
Put your category competitors' icons on one screen. Avoid the dominant colour — the icon that gets noticed is the one that differs from its neighbours. Check that contrast holds in both light and dark theme.
Frequently asked questions
What size should an app icon be?
512×512 px, 32-bit PNG, no transparency. Play applies the mask itself.
Should I round the corners myself?
No. Play crops the icon with its own mask; rounding it yourself leaves gaps at the edges.
Should the icon contain text?
Usually not. The icon shrinks to about 48 px in listings, where text is unreadable. One object with high contrast works better.
Does changing the icon affect installs?
Yes, the icon is one of the strongest conversion levers — test it on its own in a Play Console experiment.
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