Guide · mobile
iOS app icon sizes and App Store rules
October 23, 2026 · 10 min read
Apple wants a 1024×1024 marketing icon that is opaque and square. Xcode can derive many notification and settings slots from an asset catalog; you need a clean master that passes App Store Connect validation. Rounded corners, alpha, and glossy overlays still cause rejections.
App Store 1024×1024 rules
Upload a square PNG (or the catalog equivalent) at 1024×1024 with no transparency. The store and iOS apply the mask and shine. If you bake rounded corners into the file, you get double-rounded corners or a validation error.
Flatten logos that started as web favicons with alpha onto your brand background before you build the App Store master.
- 1024×1024 pixels
- No alpha / no transparency
- No pre-rounded corners in the artwork
- No layers that only look opaque in one editor
Xcode AppIcon.appiconset
Contents.json maps filenames to idioms (iphone, ipad, ios-marketing) and scales. Generating the whole set from one master keeps padding consistent from 20pt notification icons up to the 1024 marketing slot.
If you maintain icons by hand, one mismatched 40pt asset is enough to make the home screen look off next to competitors. Prefer a generator that writes the catalog in one ZIP.
From web logo to iOS
Web logos often ship with transparency and thin strokes for 32px tabs. iOS icons need heavier weight and an opaque plate. Adjust padding so the mark is large enough at small notification sizes without touching the mask edge.
Watch and Mac icons are separate catalogs when you ship those targets. Do not reuse a squeezed iPhone marketing asset for Mac without checking the larger canvas.
Before you upload
Open the 1024 in a viewer that shows alpha. Confirm every corner pixel is opaque and the glyph is centered. Watch App Store Connect for icon-related emails during launch week; they are easy to miss.