How To Change The App Icon

8 min read Oct 13, 2024

How to Change the App Icon: A Comprehensive Guide

Want to give your app a fresh look or brand it with your company's logo? Changing the app icon is a simple yet effective way to enhance its visual appeal and user experience. This guide will walk you through the process of changing app icons for various platforms, ensuring your app stands out from the crowd.

Understanding the Importance of App Icons

The app icon is the first visual impression users get of your application. It serves as a key identifier, allowing users to easily locate and launch your app. A well-designed icon should:

Be visually appealing and memorable: Attract users' attention and make your app easily recognizable.
Reflect the app's functionality: Convey the app's purpose and target audience.
Maintain consistency with your brand: Align with your company's branding and color scheme.

Changing App Icons on Different Platforms

The process of changing app icons varies slightly across different platforms. Here's a breakdown of the most common ones:

1. Android:

For Android Studio:
- Navigate to your project's drawable folder (usually located in src/main/res/drawable).
- Replace the existing icon file (typically named ic_launcher.png or ic_launcher_round.png) with your new icon image.
- Ensure your new icon is in the correct format (PNG) and resolution (usually 108x108dp, 48x48dp, and 36x36dp for various screen densities).
- Rebuild and run your project.
For AndroidManifest.xml:
- Open your AndroidManifest.xml file.
- Locate the <application> tag.
- Within <application>, add the following lines:
```
    
```
- Replace @drawable/new_icon with the actual resource name of your new icon file in drawable folder.
For Existing Apps (using Android Studio):
- Open your project in Android Studio.
- Click on Build > Clean Project.
- Click on Build > Rebuild Project.
- After the rebuild, run your app to see the updated icon.

2. iOS:

Using Xcode:
- In your Xcode project, navigate to the Assets Catalog (usually found in the Assets folder).
- Locate the AppIcon set and click on it.
- Replace the existing icon images with your new ones, ensuring they meet the required sizes for different iOS devices.
- Make sure you use the correct size icons for different devices (e.g., 1024x1024 for the largest iPhone models, 2048x2048 for iPad).
- Save your changes and rebuild your project.

3. Windows:

Using Visual Studio:
- Right-click on your project in the Solution Explorer.
- Select Properties.
- Navigate to the Application tab.
- Under Icon and Manifest, click on the Browse button.
- Choose the icon file you want to use.
- Save your changes and rebuild your project.

4. Web Apps:

Using HTML:
- Locate the <link> tag in your HTML file, which usually links to your favicon (usually favicon.ico).
- Replace the href attribute with the path to your new icon file.

Using Manifest (for Progressive Web Apps):

In your manifest.json file, update the icons property with the URLs of your new icon files for various sizes.

{
  "name": "My Web App",
  "short_name": "My App",
  "icons": [
    {
      "src": "new_icon_192.png",
      "sizes": "192x192",
      "type": "image/png"
    },
    {
      "src": "new_icon_512.png",
      "sizes": "512x512",
      "type": "image/png"
    }
  ]
}

5. Other Platforms:

For React Native:
- Replace the image in the android/app/src/main/res/mipmap-hdpi directory with your new icon.
- For iOS: Replace the icon images within the ios/MyApp/Assets.xcassets/AppIcon.appiconset directory.
For Flutter:
- Update the icon images in the android/app/src/main/res/mipmap-hdpi folder.
- For iOS, replace the images in the ios/Runner/Assets.xcassets/AppIcon.appiconset folder.

Important Considerations:

Icon Formats: Use the correct icon format for your chosen platform. PNG is generally preferred.
Icon Sizes: Each platform has specific requirements for icon sizes to ensure optimal display across different devices. Ensure your icons are appropriately sized.
Transparency: Consider using transparent backgrounds for your icons if needed, especially for platforms like Android.
Icon Guidelines: Before designing your icon, refer to the official design guidelines for each platform to ensure your icon adheres to their standards.

Tips for Creating Effective App Icons:

Keep it Simple: Use a clean design that is easy to understand and visually appealing.
Use Relevant Imagery: Choose an image that represents your app's purpose or brand identity.
Choose the Right Colors: Select colors that complement your app's theme and are visually appealing.
Consider Accessibility: Make sure your icon is easily recognizable by users with visual impairments.
Test on Different Devices: Ensure your icon looks good on various screen sizes and resolutions.

Conclusion

Changing your app icon is a straightforward process that can dramatically improve your app's visual appeal and user experience. By following these steps and keeping the above tips in mind, you can create a visually stunning icon that accurately represents your app and enhances its overall brand identity.

How To Change The App Icon