When developing an Android app using Android Studio, one of the key tasks is placing app icons in the correct locations. App icons are essential as they represent your app on the user’s home screen, app drawer, and other places. In this tutorial, we will explore where to put app icons in Android Studio.
1. The ‘res’ Folder
The first step is to locate the ‘res’ folder in your Android Studio project. This folder contains all the resources used by your app, including icons.
To find the ‘res’ folder, navigate to your project directory in Android Studio’s Project view. Open the ‘app’ folder and you will see the ‘res’ folder inside it.
2. The ‘mipmap’ Folder
Inside the ‘res’ folder, you will find a subfolder named ‘mipmap’. This is where you should place your app icons.
- Note: It’s important to use the ‘mipmap’ folder instead of other folders like ‘drawable’. The ‘mipmap’ folder is specifically designed for storing launcher icons while other folders are used for different types of images.
- Reason: Using the ‘mipmap’ folder ensures that your app icons have proper resolution and scaling on different devices.
3. Icon Sizes
Android devices come in various screen densities, so it’s essential to provide multiple versions of your app icon to ensure crisp and clear display on all devices.
- xhdpi: 96×96 pixels (0.75x)
- xxhdpi: 144×144 pixels (1.5x)
- xxxhdpi: 192×192 pixels (2x)
To ensure compatibility, it’s recommended to provide icons in these three sizes. Place each version of the icon in the respective density-specific ‘mipmap’ folders:
- Example: Place the xhdpi version in ‘mipmap-xhdpi’, xxhdpi version in ‘mipmap-xxhdpi’, and xxxhdpi version in ‘mipmap-xxxhdpi’.
4. Naming Convention
In addition to placing the icons in the correct folders, it’s crucial to follow a specific naming convention for Android Studio to recognize and use them.
- Standard Naming: The default name for your app icon should be ‘ic_launcher.png’.
- Rename if Necessary: If you have multiple app icons for different purposes, you can append additional information to the file name.
Example:
If your app has an alternative icon for a specific feature or holiday, you can name it ‘ic_launcher_alt.png’ or ‘ic_launcher_holiday. This way, you can easily reference and use these icons within your code.
5. Implementing App Icons
To actually implement your app icons, you need to modify the ‘AndroidManifest.xml’ file located in the root of your project directory.
In this file, look for the ‘
- android:name: Set this attribute to ‘android.intent.category.LAUNCHER’.
- android:resource: Set this attribute to ‘@mipmap/ic_launcher’ or any other specific icon name you used.
Once you have made these changes, save the file and your app icons will be applied to your Android app.
Congratulations! You now know where to put your app icons in Android Studio.
Remember to follow the correct folder structure, provide multiple sizes, use the proper naming convention, and modify the ‘AndroidManifest.xml’ file. These steps ensure that your app icons are displayed correctly on different devices.
Happy coding!