My app has a generic Android icon when I download it from Google Play

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around issues related to app icons displaying incorrectly after downloading from Google Play. Participants explore potential reasons for the generic Android icon appearing instead of the custom icon, addressing both development-related concerns and user experiences across different devices and apps.

Discussion Character

  • Technical explanation
  • Debate/contested
  • Experimental/applied

Main Points Raised

  • One participant notes that their app shows a generic Android logo when downloaded from Google Play, despite having a custom icon in Android Studio.
  • Another participant suggests checking for missing app icons and provides links to resources for troubleshooting.
  • It is mentioned that the issue persists across multiple devices, indicating a potential developer issue related to icon specifications.
  • Concerns are raised about the configuration of the icon in the Manifest.xml file, with a participant confirming they have set the icon correctly.
  • Suggestions include verifying the icon's pixel dimensions and file type, as well as ensuring the correct adaptive icon format is used for Google Play.
  • A participant shares their experience of resolving the issue by changing a line in the XML file but cannot recall the exact solution.
  • Another participant raises a separate issue regarding a major app (Samsung "SmartThings") displaying a generic icon, despite the correct icon showing in the Play Store, and describes various troubleshooting steps taken without success.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express various viewpoints on the causes of the icon issue, with no consensus reached. Some focus on developer-related configurations, while others share user experiences with different apps. The discussion remains unresolved regarding the specific reasons for the icon discrepancies.

Contextual Notes

Limitations include potential missing assumptions about icon specifications and configurations, as well as the dependence on device-specific behaviors and Android versions.

Darkmisc
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TL;DR
I've uploaded an app to Google Play with its own icon. When I download it, the icon that shows on my phone for my app is the generic Android one.
Hi everyone

I've uploaded an app to Google play with its own icon. This icon shows on my phone when I run the app from Android Studio. However, when I download my app from Google play, is appears on my phone with a generic Android logo instead.

Does anyone know why this happens and how to fix it? I've seen it happen with other apps too. They'll appear on the Store listing with a custom icon, but appear on my phone with the generic Android icon.

Thanks
 
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No, it shows up on other phones with the generic Android icon too.
 
Okay that kind of implies that it’s a developer issue like the pixel dims, or color depth or file name or directory placement of the icon or even some install step. You will need to compare your install setup with other working examples to discover why.
 
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Darkmisc said:
No, it shows up on other phones with the generic Android icon too.
Have you set the icon properly in your Manifest.xml file?

New Android projects in AS have that default icon. You need to change it, and link it properly in the Manifest file.
 
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I think so.

I have these lines in the manifest, and the icon appears next to those lines.

[CODE lang="java" title="manifest"] android:icon="@mipmap/ic_launcher"
android:roundIcon="@mipmap/ic_launcher_round"[/CODE]
 
Hmm. If your app is on Google Play, can you link to it so that we can do some testing?

Is this occurring only on certain Android versions? Can you reproduce the behaviour on other (physical) devices and other Android versions (physical/emulator)?
 
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Also, if you are on Linux, can you show the output of the following command, executed inside the res directory?
Bash:
tree -R -P "ic_launcher*" --prune
 
Thanks. I've uploaded it again with new dimensions. Just waiting for Google Play to update to see if it works.

I'm not on Linux.
 
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  • #10
divyamiller said:
Your app's Google Play listing and the downloaded version may display different icons due to an incomplete icon configuration. Google Play requires an "adaptive icon" format, which includes various shapes and sizes to adapt to different device interfaces. Ensure you've uploaded all necessary variations in the correct format, then revisit the Play Store after a few hours for the update to propagate. If the generic icon persists, contact Google Play support for further troubleshooting.
I ended up fixing it, although I can't remember exactly how. I think I just needed to change one line in the xml file. I've been using only Godot for a few months, so I forgot a lot of what I used to do with Android Studio.
 
  • #11
I understand you guys are probably working with your own or 3rd party apps.
But what might be the problem if a major app is showing the wrong icon?
My Samsung "SmartThings" app is showing a generic icon; (not the android robot icon) specifically it is 3 dots connected by 2 lines, almost like the share symbol that is located on the blue date headers on this page. It's on the right side of the headers, right next to a number (#10, #9, etc.). It looks just like that symbol, except the dots are solid, not an outline. All my other apps on my phone are fine; it's just this one app.

I have tried everything I can think of to fix it. I've uninstalled & reinstalled the app; I've restarted my phone; I've cleared the storage data from my "Microsoft Launcher" & "SmartThings" apps, restarted my phone again; and nothing fixes it. It shows correctly in the play store when I re-downloaded the app; but the icon on my phone is still that symbol. I think it's a share symbol or something; looks like a chemistry symbol to me; IDK.

Can anyone tell me what else I could try to fix it? It doesn't impact the app's performance, but I have a little OCD and it's killing me inside, lol.
 

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