Icon Composer questions...

Question

Created Jun ’25

Replies 5

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This is the Icon Composer from Xcode 26.0 Beta 1 (not the really old one Xcode6? 😆 that I find when I search here) Is there a way to show the really cool 3D that they showed off during demos? Maybe all we get is which level is on top.

Upon export it only seems to be able to do 2x? - is there some way to get it to take 1x? Every time I change it - it jumps back to 2x and iOS wants 1x... maybe a feedback.

Also Xcode seems to want 3 icons - but there are 6 iOS ones exported. How do I get the other 3 in there?

It does seem pretty easy to import PNG's from Sketch and order them and move pieces around. I guess you can save individual lighting for each icon mode.

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Answer 1

dxzdb OP

Jun ’25

I figured it out: click on the document icon at the top of the right sidebar, then under platforms turn on iOS only. ( I turned off watchOS too) Then in the Export (⌘⇧E) pick iOS and change the Scale from 2x to 1x (and hit return - or it won't take effect) Then hit Export and pick your name & location. Do this again for the other 2 icons. Drag them individually into Xcode.

Still doesn't answer why I don't get a .icon file. Maybe this only works on macOS 26. I'm still on macOS 15.

You can store individual art and setting in each of the icons which is great. I don't see how to get the simulator to show tinted icons but I do see it switching to my Dark one.

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Answer 2

cypher OP

Jun ’25

I'd like to see a step by step process for this. It all seems mismatched with reality. Icon Composer wants to export 2X. Xcode doesn't accept 2X. Icon Composer has things like "tinted dark" and "tinted light" but Xcode only has spots for "tinted". They should just have Xcode read the .icon file. I nuked my old AppIcon asset, but creating a new one in Xcode doesn't match up with what Icon Composer is doing.

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Answer 3

dxzdb OP

Jun ’25

They said Xcode will just read the .icon file so I assume this is only on macOS 26. I'd love to hear a confirmation of that - I'm not going to load Beta macOS. Beta Xcode was a big enough step for me.

Someone asked in the group lab if the .icon files were back portable. The answer was "Yes" but I think what they meant was you can use the output of the Icon Composer back in older Xcode because they are just PNG or SVG files. (whatever you imported)

I seem to remember never coming back from deleting the AppIcon asset. It's in the back of my mind as a "Bad Idea"! I think I created a new project and copied all my files back in. Probably I didn't have a recent enough commit.

Xcode 26 Icon Composer Any Appearance Default Dark Dark Tinted Mono

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Answer 4

dxzdb OP

Jun ’25

OK I found out how to do it - but it doesn't fully work.

When you save the file in Icon Composer - THAT is the .icon file! 😲seems obvious after you know that.
Don't drag it into the Asset Catalog - like you have for years and years. Just drag it into where your other files are. It will turn into an .icon.

Unfortunately, All I see is the main icon. The Dark one is definitely NOT what I saved.

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Answer 5

dxzdb OP

Jun ’25

When I went back to this - it doesn't seem like the .icon ever never worked at all. For now exporting the 3 files and putting them in the 3 spots in Xcode works for me. When I go to customize in the simulator (I don't have a device on iOS26!) it does pick up the right icons.

Looks like my attempt above to match up file names failed, trying again.

Icon Composer button = IC file name = Xcode name

Default =*-iOS-Default-1024x1024(at)1x.png = Any Appearance

Dark =*-iOS-Dark-1024x1024(at)1x.png =Dark

Mono=*-iOS-ClearLight-1024x1024(at)1x.png=Tinted

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