Designing a clean, sharp Android launcher icon looks simple until the first time a build hits a real device. Edges get clipped, logos shift off‑center, and some devices show a different icon shape than expected. All of that traces back to one core topic: android app icon size and how Android actually renders icons.

This guide walks through adaptive vs legacy icons, all required resolutions, shape masks and safe zones, and export presets for popular tools. It finishes with common mistakes that cost teams time at release.

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How Android Renders App Icons

Android does not just place a flat PNG on the home screen. The system applies masks, shadows, and sometimes animated effects. The way it does this depends on whether the icon is adaptive or legacy.

A practical example: install the same app on a Google Pixel and a Samsung Galaxy. On the Pixel, the icon appears round. On the Samsung device, it may appear squircle or rounded square. The underlying art stays the same, but the system mask changes.

Two key concepts drive this behavior:

1. Adaptive icons use separate foreground and background layers. The launcher crops and animates them.
2. Legacy icons are flat bitmaps. They are still used on older devices and in some system surfaces.

If the exported assets do not match the expected android launcher icon dimensions, Android either scales them or pads them with transparent pixels. That almost always softens edges and can introduce blur.

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Adaptive Icons: Core Sizes and Structure

Adaptive icons were introduced in Android 8.0 (API 26). They use a logical base size of 108 × 108 dp, which the system then masks into a 72 × 72 dp visible area.

In practice, designers work in pixels, not dp. The baseline asset for Play Store and xxxhdpi devices is 432 × 432 px. This maps as follows:

• 108 dp × 4 (xxxhdpi) = 432 px total artboard
• 72 dp × 4 (xxxhdpi) = 288 px visible area after masking

A concrete example: a weather app icon with a sun and cloud.

• The full artboard is 432 × 432 px.
• The sun rays extend slightly beyond the final circle mask.
• The cloud sits centered, fully inside the 288 × 288 px safe zone.

On a Pixel device, the user sees a circular icon. On another device, the same icon might appear as a squircle, but the sun and cloud remain centered and unclipped because they respect the safe zone.

Adaptive Icon Layers

An adaptive icon consists of two layers:

1. Foreground layer
   • Contains the main symbol or logo.
   • Can have transparency.
   • Moves slightly during subtle system animations (parallax, pull effects).
2. Background layer
   • A flat color, gradient, or soft pattern.
   • Must fill the entire artboard with no transparency.

For the weather app example:

• Foreground: sun and cloud illustration with transparent background.
• Background: a simple blue gradient from top to bottom, no visible noise at small sizes.

Exporting both layers at the correct adaptive icon size avoids scaling artifacts when Android composes the final icon.

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Legacy Icons: Why They Still Matter

Legacy icons are still required for:

• Devices running Android 7.1 and earlier.
• Some OEM launchers that do not fully support adaptive icons.
• Certain internal tools, debug builds, or side‑loaded APKs.

A legacy icon is a single flattened bitmap. It does not respond to dynamic masks or animations. On older devices, this is the only icon users see.

Imagine the same weather app installed on an older Android 6.0 device. The user sees only the legacy bitmap. If that asset is missing or too small, the system scales up a smaller density, resulting in a soft, fuzzy icon next to crisp icons from other apps.

For a polished experience, treat legacy icons as first‑class assets, not as an afterthought.

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Required Android App Icon Size by Density

Android organizes launcher icons by density buckets. Each density corresponds to a pixel size for the same logical dp size.

For adaptive icons, the logical size is 108 × 108 dp. For legacy icons, the logical size is 48 × 48 dp.

Adaptive Icon Export Sizes (Foreground and Background)

Each layer (foreground and background) must be exported at the full logical size.

• mdpi (1×): 108 × 108 px
• hdpi (1.5×): 162 × 162 px
• xhdpi (2×): 216 × 216 px
• xxhdpi (3×): 324 × 324 px
• xxxhdpi (4×): 432 × 432 px

Example workflow for the weather app:

• Design master artboard at 432 × 432 px.
• Scale down to 324, 216, 162, and 108 px for other densities.
• Export both foreground and background sets, preserving alignment.

Legacy Launcher Icon Export Sizes

Legacy icons use a base logical size of 48 × 48 dp.

• mdpi (1×): 48 × 48 px
• hdpi (1.5×): 72 × 72 px
• xhdpi (2×): 96 × 96 px
• xxhdpi (3×): 144 × 144 px
• xxxhdpi (4×): 192 × 192 px

For the same weather app:

• Start from a 192 × 192 px master legacy icon.
• Keep the same core symbol as the adaptive icon but without extended bleed.
• Scale to 144, 96, 72, and 48 px.

Google Play Store Icon Size

The Play Store listing uses a separate icon asset:

• 512 × 512 px PNG
• 32‑bit with alpha
• No rounded corners baked in

This icon does not replace launcher icons. It is purely for the Play Store. However, many teams create the Play Store icon first, then derive launcher icons from it.

Example: the 512 × 512 px weather app icon keeps the same composition as the adaptive foreground and background, but with more detail and slightly refined gradients because it appears larger on high‑resolution screens.

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Shape Masks, Safe Zones, and Bleed

Understanding how Android masks icons is essential to avoid clipping.

Shape Masks

Android launchers apply a shape mask over the full 108 × 108 dp area. Common masks include:

• Circle
• Squircle
• Rounded square
• Teardrop (on some OEM launchers)

The mask defines the visible region (roughly 72 × 72 dp centered) and discards pixels outside this area. The full 108 × 108 dp artboard still matters, because it carries the bleed and background.

Example: on a Pixel device, the weather app icon appears circular. On another device, the same asset is cut into a rounded square. The sun rays that extend into the outer region are partially hidden, but the core sun and cloud remain visible.

Safe Zone

The safe zone is the area guaranteed to remain visible across all mask shapes. Android documentation defines an inner region where important content must stay.

Working from the xxxhdpi size:

• Full artboard: 432 × 432 px
• Recommended safe zone: ~288 × 288 px centered

Treat the safe zone as the area for:

• Logos
• Key symbols
• Text (if text is absolutely necessary)

For the weather app example:

• The sun’s core circle and the cloud both fit entirely within the 288 × 288 px center.
• The rays and subtle glow can extend beyond, into the outer ring.

If the main logo crosses the safe zone boundary, some devices will clip it.

Bleed and Background

The outer region between the safe zone and the artboard edge is the bleed. Use it for:

• Background gradients
• Large soft shapes that can be safely cropped
• Highlight effects that do not contain essential details

Avoid placing text or small icons in the bleed. For the weather app, the blue sky gradient fills the entire 432 × 432 px area, while the detailed sun and cloud stay inside the safe zone.

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Practical Export Presets for Popular Design Tools

Efficient export presets save time and keep the android app icon size consistent across builds. Below are practical setups for Figma, Adobe Illustrator, and Sketch.

Figma Presets

1. Master Frames

• Create a 432 × 432 px frame named icon-master.
• Inside, create two nested frames:
  • icon-foreground
  • icon-background
• Lock the alignment so both share the same center.

2. Export Settings

For each nested frame:

• Add export presets:
  • 1x → 432 × 432 px (xxxhdpi)
  • 0.75x → 324 × 324 px (xxhdpi)
  • 0.5x → 216 × 216 px (xhdpi)
  • 0.375x → 162 × 162 px (hdpi)
  • 0.25x → 108 × 108 px (mdpi)
• Format: PNG, transparent background for foreground; solid background for background layer.
• Naming convention:
  • ic_launcher_foreground_xxxhdpi.png
  • ic_launcher_background_xxxhdpi.png

For legacy icons, set up another frame at 192 × 192 px and export the standard 192, 144, 96, 72, and 48 px sizes.

Adobe Illustrator Presets

1. Artboards

• Create artboards:
  • adaptive-xxxhdpi → 432 × 432 px
  • adaptive-xxhdpi → 324 × 324 px
  • adaptive-xhdpi → 216 × 216 px
  • adaptive-hdpi → 162 × 162 px
  • adaptive-mdpi → 108 × 108 px
• For legacy:
  • legacy-xxxhdpi → 192 × 192 px
  • legacy-xxhdpi → 144 × 144 px
  • legacy-xhdpi → 96 × 96 px
  • legacy-hdpi → 72 × 72 px
  • legacy-mdpi → 48 × 48 px

2. Asset Export

• Place foreground and background on separate layers.
• Use Export for Screens and map each artboard to the correct drawable folder name.
• Ensure Anti-aliasing: Art Optimized to keep edges sharp at small sizes.

Example: The weather app icon uses a single 432 × 432 px vector. Illustrator scales it to all adaptive artboards without manual resizing.

Sketch Presets

1. Symbols

• Create a symbol Icon / Master at 432 × 432 px.
• Add two nested symbols: Foreground and Background.

2. Slices

• Add slices for each density:
  • 432, 324, 216, 162, 108 px for adaptive.
  • 192, 144, 96, 72, 48 px for legacy.
• Use naming patterns that match Android’s resource folders.

Example: exporting ic_launcher_foreground@432.png maps directly to mipmap-xxxhdpi/ic_launcher_foreground.png in the Android project.

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Common Mistakes When Setting Android App Icon Size

Even experienced teams run into recurring problems with android launcher icon dimensions. Most issues fall into a few patterns.

1. Designing Only for One Shape

Designs that look perfect as a circle often break when shown as a squircle or rounded square.

Example mistake:

• A logo that touches the circle edge on a Pixel device.
• On a Samsung device with a squircle mask, the same logo appears cropped or too close to the corners.

Fix: always preview your icon in at least three masks: circle, squircle, and rounded square. Keep essential shapes inside the safe zone.

2. Ignoring the Safe Zone

Placing text or logos too close to the edge causes clipping.

Example mistake:

• A food delivery app places a small wordmark near the bottom edge of the 432 × 432 px canvas.
• On some launchers, the bottom letters disappear behind the mask.

Fix: treat the 288 × 288 px center as the strict content area. Anything outside should be decorative only.

3. Exporting Only One Density

Some teams export only xxxhdpi assets and let Android scale them down. This technically works but produces blurry icons on lower density devices.

Example mistake:

• Only mipmap-xxxhdpi is populated.
• On a low‑end device with hdpi density, the system continuously scales down, softening details.

Fix: export all density buckets. Use vector sources and batch export to minimize effort.

4. Baking in Background Shapes for Adaptive Icons

Adaptive icons expect separate foreground and background layers. Flattening them into one PNG removes the system’s ability to animate and mask cleanly.

Example mistake:

• The foreground PNG already includes a circular color background.
• When the launcher applies a squircle mask, the circle within the squircle looks awkward and off‑brand.

Fix: keep the background layer pure and full‑bleed. Keep the foreground transparent outside the main symbol.

5. Adding Manual Drop Shadows and Borders

Android launchers often add their own shadows or subtle outlines. Manual effects can stack with system effects.

Example mistake:

• A strong inner shadow baked into the icon.
• On some devices, the system adds an outer shadow, making the icon appear muddy and overly heavy.

Fix: use simple, clean shapes. Let the system handle global shadows and elevation cues.

6. Inconsistent Legacy and Adaptive Icons

If legacy and adaptive icons do not share the same core symbol, the app looks inconsistent across devices.

Example mistake:

• Adaptive icon: minimal monogram.
• Legacy icon: full logo with brand name and tagline.

Fix: keep the same primary symbol for both. Adjust only details that depend on size, such as stroke thickness or tiny highlights.

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FAQs About Android App Icon Size

What is the standard Android app icon size?

For launcher icons, the standard logical size is 48 × 48 dp for legacy icons and 108 × 108 dp for adaptive icons. In pixels, the largest common export sizes are 192 × 192 px for legacy xxxhdpi and 432 × 432 px for adaptive xxxhdpi.

What is the adaptive icon size in pixels?

The full adaptive icon size is 108 × 108 dp, which corresponds to:

• 108 × 108 px (mdpi)
• 162 × 162 px (hdpi)
• 216 × 216 px (xhdpi)
• 324 × 324 px (xxhdpi)
• 432 × 432 px (xxxhdpi)

Designers typically work at 432 × 432 px and scale down.

What size should the Google Play Store icon be?

The Google Play Store icon must be 512 × 512 px, 32‑bit PNG with alpha. It is separate from launcher icons and should not include rounded corners or device‑specific masks.

Do adaptive icons still need legacy icons?

Yes. Legacy icons are still used on older devices and some OEM launchers. For a consistent user experience, always provide both adaptive and legacy icon sets.

Can SVG or Vector Drawable replace all PNG sizes?

Vector assets help for in‑app icons, but launcher icons still rely on rasterized PNGs in specific sizes. Design in vector, then export PNGs at each required density.

How can developers verify that icon sizes are correct?

Install a debug build on multiple physical devices or emulators with different densities. Check that the icon appears sharp, centered, and unclipped on the home screen, in the app drawer, and in recent apps. Comparing it side by side with well‑designed apps from large publishers is an effective sanity check.

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Getting android app icon size right is less about memorizing numbers and more about respecting masks, safe zones, and consistent exports. Once the adaptive and legacy sets are wired into a reliable export pipeline, teams can iterate on style and branding without worrying that the next release will ship with a cropped or blurry icon.