Incorrect macOS app icon size

I understand your inquiry about the icon requirements for your macOS app on the App Store.

I believe there is a confusion on the icon on Xcode assets and the icon uploaded to the App Store with the metadata. The dock icon for your app is determined by the icon set up in your app, while the App Store icon is uploaded to the App Store. When you create a macOS app or any other app on the App Store, you must provide metadata for the app, including the App Store and screenshots. The dock icon and the App Store icon can be different.

Dock Icon: The dock icon for your app is derived from the icon set included in your app's bundle. This icon should be visually appealing and represent the essence of your app. App Store Icon: The App Store icon is a separate image used for representation on the App Store. It must be visually aligned with your dock icon but should adhere to the specific size requirements provided by Apple.

For the macOS App Store, the correct size for the App Store icon is 1024x1024 pixels with a transparent border. It's essential to use this precise size to avoid any display issues.

Please review your App Store icon upload and ensure it meets the specified size requirement. You don’t have to change the App Icon on your Xcode assets, that one seems the correct size, only the one in the App Store. Once you've confirmed that your App Store icon complies with the size and guidelines, please submit your macOS app for review again by changing the version number and build number.

https://developer.apple.com/design/human-interface-guidelines/app-icons#Specifications

The dock icon for your app is determined by the icon set up in your app, while the App Store icon is uploaded to the App Store. When you create a macOS app or any other app on the App Store, you must provide metadata for the app, including the App Store and screenshots.

To clarify this part. As far as I know, it is not possible to upload the App Store icon separately. It is actually a part of the icon set configured in the app in Xcode. There is one icon called "App Store - 2x" (1024x1024) for that. Here is the reference:

@DTS Engineer thank you for the clarification. However, I think that both the documentation and Apple Design Resources are missing information about the App Store icon.

I couldn't find any of the following information:

• Specification for the App Store icon (besides the information that its size should be 1024x1024)
• Whether the App Store icon should be rounded or rectangular
• Whether the App Store icon should contain padding like the app icon or not
• Template for the App Store icon

As I mentioned, there is only one template for macOS Sonoma icons, called "Production Templates" at https://developer.apple.com/design/resources

The official template is quite misleading because it has 1024x1024 version as presented here:

But as you can see in the first screenshot, there is only one icon 1024x1024 in the set and it is for the App Store only. So if you use the one from the template, you'll get the incorrect result as described in the main post.

I think the 1024x1024 icon should be removed from the template to avoid confusion between app icon & App Store icon.

Thanks again for sending the old icon, on the level-code request, that has a transparent border of approximately 100 pixels, which made the icon appear smaller in scale compared to your other icons from your App Store.

To answer your second question, you are correct, the requirement for the App Store is a 1024x1024 pixel icon.

https://developer.apple.com/design/resources

There is no requirement for the icon to be round or any specific shape; that is up to the developer to decide. The App Store will not modify your App Icon submitted as you have experienced.