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Android Adaptive Icon Size and Safe Zone (108dp / 66dp)
Why launchers “eat” your logo
Since Android 8, adaptive icons split art into foreground + background layers (plus optional monochrome). OEMs mask them as circles, rounded squares, and more, and may parallax the layers. If the mark sits in the corners, a circular launcher will clip it — that is what the safe zone is for.
This article is the size / safe-zone checklist for design and release. Broader dual-platform specs: iOS / Android icon guidelines. HarmonyOS layered icons: HarmonyOS layered icon guide.
Three numbers to memorize
| Concept | Value | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Layer canvas | 108 × 108 dp | Full size of each foreground / background layer |
| Safe zone | Centered ~66 × 66 dp | Keep critical art here; outer ring may be masked away |
| Mask inset | ~18 dp per side | Half of (108 − 66), reserved for shaped masks |
Common 4× raster exports:
| Asset | Typical pixels | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Foreground / background | 432 × 432 px | 108dp × 4 |
| Safe-zone guide | ~264 × 264 px | 66dp × 4 |
| Google Play store icon | 512 × 512 px | Separate: 32-bit PNG, full square; Play adds mask/shadow — do not reuse adaptive layers as-is |
Foreground vs background
| Layer | Do | Don’t |
|---|---|---|
| Background | Full-bleed color, soft gradient, or simple texture | Brand type in corners; busy photos |
| Foreground | Centered mark inside the 66dp safe zone | Hairlines on the edge; shapes that only read with corners |
| Transparency | Foreground alpha reveals background | Hollow foreground that leaves odd masked holes |
Parallax can shift the foreground slightly — another reason not to hug the edges.
Do not confuse with Play’s 512 icon
| Use | Spec | Corners |
|---|---|---|
| Launcher adaptive icon | 108dp FG + BG layers | Launcher / system mask |
| Play store listing icon | 512×512, ≤1024KB, sRGB | You ship a square; Play applies mask + shadow |
Classic failure: circular-cropped 512 dropped into the adaptive foreground, or adaptive export with baked round alpha used as the store icon. Screenshot alpha rules are different again — see transparent screenshot rejected.
Export / engineering notes
- Build a 108dp (or 432px) two-layer template; hide safe-zone guides before export.
- Foreground as transparent PNG; background usually opaque.
- Generate
mipmap-anydpi-v26adaptive XML via Android Studio Image Asset (or equivalent) and verifyforeground/backgrounddrawables. - Install on Pixel (circle), Samsung (squircle), and one odd OEM mask.
- Provide monochrome where required so notification trays stay legible.
Self-check
- Critical art inside ~66dp safe zone
- Both layers are 108dp logical (or 432px equivalent)
- No OEM-specific circle baked into adaptive layers
- Play 512 is a sharp full square without hand-drawn corners/shadows
- Still recognizable at notification size
- No iOS preview radius pasted onto Android FG (iOS corner mask guide)
Practical split: one logo → three deliveries
Most teams have a single mark but need launcher layers, Play’s 512, and small tray icons:
- Compose inside the 66dp guide on a 108dp canvas; verify under a circular crop.
- Design the background layer separately — patterns baked into the foreground tear under parallax.
- Derive Play 512 from a centered adaptive foreground, then re-check bleed while keeping orthogonal corners.
- Export a flat small size for notifications and confirm monochrome/legibility.
Have QA install on at least two OEM launchers plus Pixel and paste failed crops back onto the safe-zone guide.
Symptom → fix table
| Symptom | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Transparent ring on launcher | FG not covering / hollow BG | Full-bleed BG; transparency only around the mark |
| Pale edge outside round mask | Pre-cropped circle used as layer | Re-export orthogonal layers |
| Muddy Play icon | Hand-drawn shadow + Play shadow | Remove baked shadows |
| Adaptive XML ignored | Bad anydpi-v26 wiring | Regenerate via Image Asset and diff |
Vector vs raster layers
Prefer vector foregrounds when the mark is simple geometry — they scale cleanly into mipmaps. Use raster when you need soft illustration, but author at 432px (or higher) and keep the safe zone honest. Do not upscale a 192px legacy icon into 432px and hope launchers forgive blur; redraw or export from the vector source.
Takeaway
Android adaptive icons are not “draw a circle once.” They are 108dp layered canvases with a 66dp safe zone, plus a separate 512 Play store icon. Keep the safe zone honest and the two pipelines apart, and launcher masks stop surprising you in review builds.