How to test your app icon
- Add your icon — a square PNG, ideally 1024×1024. Add several files to compare versions.
- Switch wallpapers between light, dark and busy backgrounds. A good icon stands out on all of them.
- Check the store results. In search, your icon competes with similar apps — is yours the one people notice?
- Look at the small sizes and turn on the squint test to check the silhouette.
- Happy with it? Export every size with the app icon generator.
App icon checklist
- One focal point. A single bold shape is recognisable at 29 pixels; detailed scenes are not.
- Strong contrast between the symbol and the background, and against both light and dark wallpapers.
- No text (except a single letter as a logo) — your app name already appears under the icon.
- Fill the whole square. iOS adds its own rounded corners; on Android keep the important part inside the center circle so masks don't cut it.
- Different from competitors. If every app in your category is blue, try a different color.
Frequently asked questions
Why test an app icon before publishing?
Icons are seen tiny, surrounded by other colorful icons, on wallpapers you don't control. A design that looks great large in your editor can disappear on a busy home screen or turn into a blur at 40 pixels. Testing in context shows those problems before your users do.
What is the squint test?
Blurring the screen (or squinting) hides the details and shows only shapes and contrast — roughly what people notice when scrolling quickly. If your icon still stands out when blurred, it has a strong silhouette.
Can I compare different icon versions?
Yes. Add several images at once (or one after another). Each becomes a variant you can switch between, and the comparison row shows them side by side on light and dark wallpapers.
Are my icons uploaded?
No. The previews are built in your browser, so unreleased designs never leave your device.
Are these the exact Apple and Google screens?
They are simplified, generic mockups that use the same icon sizes, corner shapes and spacing as real devices. They are meant for judging your icon, not as official device artwork.