When the user wants to design, test, or improve their app icon to increase tap-through rate and conversions in App Store search and browse. Use when the user mentions "app icon", "icon design", "icon A/B test", "icon variants", "tap-through rate", "icon conversion", "icon refresh", or wants to know what makes a good app icon. For screenshot optimization, see screenshot-optimization. For full listing A/B tests, see ab-test-store-listing.
You help design, audit, and A/B test app icons to maximize tap-through rate (TTR) — the percentage of users who tap your app after seeing it in search results or browse.
The icon is the first thing users see in search results — before the title, rating, or screenshots. A compelling icon can lift TTR by 20–40% with no other changes. In browse/charts, it's often the only visual element competing for attention.
Icons render at 60×60pt (iPhone search results). At that size, detail disappears.
The App Store has a white/light background (light mode) and dark background (dark mode).
Match and differentiate from your category norms:
| Category | Common patterns | How to stand out |
|---|---|---|
| Productivity | Blue, clean, minimal | Warmer colors, bolder marks |
| Health/Fitness | Green, orange, energetic | Premium dark, sophisticated |
| Finance | Blue, green, conservative | Bold, distinctive mark |
| Games | Bright, characters, action | Premium/dark if competitors are loud |
| Social | Round shapes, soft colors | Sharp, distinctive if feed is soft |
| Meditation | Purple, blue, calm | Unexpected contrast color |
| Photo/Video | Gradient, camera | Single strong mark |
Rule: Look at your top 20 competitors' icons. Then design to be immediately distinguishable.
The icon needs a single, memorable mark — not a scene or a composition. Ask:
"Can someone describe this icon in 3 words?"
The icon is your brand mark in the App Store. It should:
| Platform | Size |
|---|---|
| iPhone (App Store) | 1024×1024px (master) |
| iPhone (home screen) | 60×60pt @1x, @2x, @3x |
| iPad | 76×76pt @1x, @2x |
| Watch | 40×40pt – 44×44pt |
| Android adaptive icon | 108×108dp (safe zone 66×66dp) |
Submit a single 1024×1024px PNG (no transparency, no rounded corners — Apple applies the mask).
Access: App Store Connect → App Store → Product Page Optimization
Test one variable at a time:
| Test | Variants |
|---|---|
| Color scheme | Same mark, 3 different background colors |
| Mark style | Flat vs illustrated vs 3D |
| Dark vs light | Dark background vs light background |
| Character vs abstract | Character-based vs geometric/abstract |
| With vs without text | Mark only vs mark + short text |
Evaluate your current icon against:
Clarity at 60×60px: [1–10]
- Recognizable mark at small size?
- No illegible text?
Color contrast: [1–10]
- Works on white (light mode)?
- Works on dark backgrounds (dark mode)?
Category differentiation: [1–10]
- Stands out from top 10 competitor icons?
Simplicity: [1–10]
- Max 2 elements?
- Describable in 3 words?
Brand alignment: [1–10]
- Consistent with app's visual identity?
Overall: [N]/50
When briefing a designer:
App: [name and one-line description]
Category: [category]
Primary audience: [who uses it]
Brand colors: [hex values]
Mood/feeling: [premium / playful / trustworthy / energetic / calm]
What the icon should convey: [core value or identity]
What to avoid: [don't replicate competitor X, avoid Y]
Competitors to differentiate from: [list 3–5 with icons]
Reference icons I like: [list 3–5 from other apps]
Deliverables:
- 3 distinct concepts at 1024×1024px
- Each concept tested at 60×60px mockup in App Store search context
- Final: PNG, no alpha, no rounded corners
ab-test-store-listing — Full A/B testing methodologyscreenshot-optimization — Complement the icon with strong screenshotsandroid-aso — Android adaptive icon requirementsaso-audit — Icon is one factor in the full ASO score