PWA Icon Requirements and Safe Areas Explained

Understanding PWA Icons

Progressive Web Apps (PWAs) have revolutionized how web applications integrate with operating systems. A crucial aspect of this integration is the app icon - your brand's visual representation on users' devices. Unlike traditional app icons, PWA icons must adapt to various shapes and contexts across different platforms.

The Two Types of PWA Icons

1. Standard Icons

Standard PWA icons are straightforward:

• Display your full logo with transparency
• Used in app stores, settings, and traditional square contexts
• Similar to regular website favicons but in larger sizes

2. Maskable Icons

Maskable icons are where things get interesting:

• Must include extra padding for platform-specific masking
• Adapt to circles, squircles, teardrops, and other shapes
• Require careful consideration of safe areas

The Critical Safe Area Concept

What is a Safe Area?

The safe area is the central portion of your icon that's guaranteed to be visible regardless of the mask shape applied by the platform. Everything outside this area might be cropped.

The 40dp Radius Rule

Android's adaptive icon specification defines the safe area as a circle with a 33dp radius within a 108dp viewport. For web standards, this translates to approximately 80% of the icon's width and height.

Practical Safe Area Guidelines

Full Icon Size: 512x512px
Safe Area: 410x410px (80%)
Margin on each side: 51px (10%)

Visual representation:

• Outer square: Full 512x512 icon area
• Inner circle: Safe area where critical content must fit
• Margin zone: May be cropped by platform masks

Design Best Practices for Maskable Icons

1. Center Your Critical Elements

Place your logo mark or most important visual element in the center 80% of the icon. This ensures it remains visible across all mask shapes.

2. Extend Background Elements

While critical content stays within the safe area, extend background colors or patterns to the full icon bounds. This prevents awkward cropping or white edges.

3. Test with Multiple Masks

Your icon should look good when masked as:

• Circle (most restrictive)
• Rounded square (iOS style)
• Squircle (Android style)
• Teardrop (some Android launchers)

4. Avoid Text Near Edges

Text elements are particularly vulnerable to cropping. Keep all text well within the safe area, preferably in the center 60%.

Technical Implementation

Manifest.json Configuration

{
  "icons": [
    {
      "src": "/icon-192.png",
      "sizes": "192x192",
      "type": "image/png",
      "purpose": "any"
    },
    {
      "src": "/icon-512.png",
      "sizes": "512x512",
      "type": "image/png",
      "purpose": "any"
    },
    {
      "src": "/icon-maskable-192.png",
      "sizes": "192x192",
      "type": "image/png",
      "purpose": "maskable"
    },
    {
      "src": "/icon-maskable-512.png",
      "sizes": "512x512",
      "type": "image/png",
      "purpose": "maskable"
    }
  ]
}

Key Points:

• Provide both "any" and "maskable" purpose icons
• Minimum sizes: 192x192 and 512x512
• PNG format for maximum compatibility
• Separate files for standard and maskable variants

Common Mistakes to Avoid

1. Using the Same Icon for Both Purposes

❌ Wrong approach: Using your standard logo as a maskable icon ✅ Correct approach: Create a specific maskable variant with proper padding

2. Ignoring Platform Differences

Different platforms apply different masks:

• Android: Various shapes depending on launcher
• iOS: Rounded square (when added to home screen)
• Windows: Square tiles with potential transparency

3. Over-Padding Maskable Icons

While safe area padding is crucial, excessive padding makes your icon appear too small. Stick to the 10% margin guideline.

Testing Your PWA Icons

Online Tools

1. Maskable.app: Preview your icon with different mask shapes
2. PWA Asset Generator: Test complete icon sets
3. Logo Foundry: Automatic validation and safe area compliance

Device Testing

1. Install your PWA on various devices
2. Check appearance in app drawers/home screens
3. Verify icon in task switchers and notifications
4. Test on both light and dark themes

Platform-Specific Considerations

Android Adaptive Icons

• Foreground and background layers
• 108dp total size, 72dp visible area
• Dynamic visual effects possible

iOS Web Apps

• Added to home screen uses webkit meta tags
• Falls back to apple-touch-icon if PWA icons unavailable
• No transparency support (adds white background)

Windows PWA

• Tile-based system with various sizes
• Supports transparent backgrounds
• Can include live tile functionality

Best Practices Summary

✅ Design with safe areas in mind from the start
✅ Create separate standard and maskable icon variants
✅ Test across multiple platforms and mask shapes
✅ Extend backgrounds to full icon bounds
✅ Keep critical content centered
✅ Validate using online tools before deployment

Using Logo Foundry for PWA Icons

Logo Foundry automatically handles the complexity of PWA icon generation:

1. Automatic safe area calculation: Ensures your logo fits perfectly
2. Multiple variant generation: Both standard and maskable versions
3. Platform-specific optimizations: Tailored for each OS
4. Validation reports: Identifies potential issues before deployment

Conclusion

Creating proper PWA icons requires understanding the nuances of safe areas and platform requirements. By following these guidelines and leveraging tools like Logo Foundry, you can ensure your PWA looks professional and recognizable across all devices and contexts.

Ready to generate PWA-compliant icons? Try Logo Foundry and let us handle the technical complexities while you focus on your brand.