Use of 64pt and 68pt iOS App Icon Sizes

Developer Tools & Services Xcode
alexander216 OP
Created Jun ’23
Replies 3
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Hi there!

Back with Xcode 14 and iOS 16 there were two new app icon sizes introduced to iOS:

  • 64pt @2x (128x128px)
  • 64pt @3x (192x192px)
  • 68pt @2x (136x136px)

What are those icons used for?

Neither the Xcode 14 release notes nor the Human Interface Guidelines are mentioning those sizes and what they are used for.

In previous Xcode versions the asset catalog had labels for each icon size. As Xcode 15 still doesn’t bring that feature back I’m still puzzled when those icon sizes are visible to the user.

Best! – Alex

Answered by alexander216 in 800798022

I finally figured it out by using the asset catalog to color the different sizes. Would be great if the HIG would clarify that in the first place!

So as of Xcode 16.0 beta 5 the sizes are used the following way:

64pt Size

  • Home Screen of iPhone Pro Max
  • iOS 18’s small size only

68pt Size

  • Home Screen of iPad Pro 13-inch
  • iOS 18’s small size only

Overview of all sizes

iOS 18’s Sizing

Replies  3
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Participants  2
Claude31 OP
Jun ’23

You're not the only one to wonder about this size and a few others: https://useyourloaf.com/blog/xcode-14-single-size-app-icon/

0
alexander216 OP
Jun ’24

Even after the WWDC 24 announcements, I can’t find the sizes in the HIG specifications or anywhere else for that matter.

As of iOS 18 beta 1 and Xcode 16 beta 1 my measurements show that the new small and large icon modes use the following icon sizes:

iPhone 15 Pro

  • Normal/Small: 60pt
  • Large: 71pt

iPad Pro 11-inch

  • Normal/Small: 60pt
  • Large: 76pt

iPad Pro 13-inch

  • Normal/Small: 68pt
  • Large: 83.5pt

(The sizes are all in @1x size and apply for their respecting device size categories)

Interestingly the previous iPad icon sizes are now used for the large icon mode. The large mode on iPhone uses a totally new size, that we can’t even define directly.

At least that shows what the 68pt icon is used for (iPad Pro 13-inch small mode)! Which makes sense, because we can’t define a @3x size which is only available on iPhone.

0
alexander216 OP
Aug ’24
Accepted Answer

I finally figured it out by using the asset catalog to color the different sizes. Would be great if the HIG would clarify that in the first place!

So as of Xcode 16.0 beta 5 the sizes are used the following way:

64pt Size

  • Home Screen of iPhone Pro Max
  • iOS 18’s small size only

68pt Size

  • Home Screen of iPad Pro 13-inch
  • iOS 18’s small size only

Overview of all sizes

iOS 18’s Sizing

0
Use of 64pt and 68pt iOS App Icon Sizes
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