Launcher Icon Generator in Android Studio

Android Studio has the built in Image Asset utility for generating a new launcher icon. A launcher icon is put on to an Android device when your App is installed. A good icon helps identify your App. It provides the chance to make a first good impression. The Image Asset utility generates several icon sizes to support the wide range of screen densities that exist in the Android world.

To start the Image Asset utility highlight the app folder in the project explorer and use the File menu or context menu (normally right-click). Then select New then Image Asset. The utility can be used to generate Action Bar, Tab and Notification Icons.

The Generate Icons dialog has several options for the launcher icon set. The icon can be generated from several built in cliparts, from entering a simple text string, or by selecting a simple image. If using the in built clipart it is shown on the button next to the Clipart label. Several adjustments can be made: trimming transparent space, padding, foreground and background colors, croping, shape (square, circle, horizontal or vertical rectangle, none), and adding a corner fold (dog ear).

If selecting an external image to use for the icon it will not load if it is too large. If so reduce its size in an external program like paint.net or Gimp. The generated icons are placed into the correct folders in the res directory (overwriting the existing default icons).

The installed App chooses the correct icon for the screen density (the icon for a low-density screen is not generated, if it is required copy one of the generated icon and resize it to 36x36 pixels and save it to a mipmap-ldpi directory).

Archived Comments

az0009990 said in August 2017: How to put external png file?

Dan at Tek Eye said in August 2017 said: Select the Image option. Then use the file browse button that appears. Select the required external PNG file.