Design Tool
App Icon Generator
Get icon design concepts tailored to your app's category and style — with exact sizing specs for both App Store and Google Play.
Guide: App Icon Design Principles
Your app icon is the first visual impression users have — before they read your name or description. A strong icon increases tap-through rate on search results and improves brand recognition.
Design at 1024×1024px
Always design your master icon at 1024×1024px. The OS and stores will downsample to smaller sizes. If it looks good at 1024px but not at 60px, simplify your symbol.
iOS Human Interface Guidelines
Apple's HIG says icons should be 'focused, easily recognizable, and not overly detailed'. Avoid text, faces of real people, and screenshots in your icon. Apple will reject icons that violate these guidelines.
Android Adaptive Icons
Android 8+ uses adaptive icons: a foreground layer + background layer. The OS applies different shapes (circle, squircle, teardrop) depending on the device. Design within the 72dp safe zone to avoid clipping.
Color Psychology
Color sets the tone before users read a single word. Blue = trust (finance, productivity). Orange/red = energy (food, fitness). Green = health/growth. Purple = creativity/premium. Choose intentionally.
Test at Real Sizes
Your icon appears at 20×20px in Spotlight search. Open your 1024px icon, scale it to 20px, and screenshot it. If you can't tell what it is, simplify the symbol.
Stand Out on the Store
Most icons in any category use similar colors and shapes. Pick up your category's top 20 icons and find the visual gap — the color, shape, or style that nobody else is using. That's your opportunity.
Comparison: Icon Styles on iOS vs Android
The same icon style behaves differently across platforms. Here's what works where.
| Icon Style | iOS App Store | Google Play |
|---|---|---|
| Flat | Highly recommended — most iOS icons use flat style | Works great, pairs well with Material You dynamic color |
| Gradient | Very popular on App Store — especially for B2C apps | Supported, but ensure gradient bakes into the foreground layer |
| Material You | Not applicable to iOS | Best for Android-first apps targeting Android 12+; requires monochrome variant |
| Skeuomorphic | Allowed but rare — works for premium or creative tools | Uncommon, test adaptive masking carefully |
| Minimal / Wordmark | Popular for SaaS and productivity apps | Excellent as adaptive icon — clean on all device shapes |
| Illustrated | Works for games, kids apps, and character-driven brands | Test that character face stays within safe zone after masking |
App Icon Design Glossary
Essential terms for app icon design and store submission.