Android Question App Icon appearance

[dagnabitboy]

Happy Holidays everyone!

I changed a setting in my manifest (targetSdkVersion="14") to targetSdkVersion="26" as I had read a recent discussion that Google was going to require this. However when the target is set to 26 the icon doesn't appear as I would have expected. The icon on the left is normal, the one on the right is not. When I change the target back to 14 (the default setting) it works correctly. This is with the latest version 7.8 of B4A. The image source is the same for both apps. Also, the problem only occurs on Android 8.0 (Pixel phone).

If target = 26 is required we may all have icons that look a bit odd!! I don't know if this is an issue with Android, a glitch in B4a, or just something we have to live with!

Thanks for any input!

 

[Erel]

See this tutorial: android.jar / targetSdkVersion / minSdkVersion

Can you upload the icon file?

 

[Peter Simpson]

Make sure that your icon is about 300*300 square and re-upload it into your project, that should help you.

To tell you the trust you shouldn't be having this issue in the first place. You can use smaller dimensions if you wish to do so but first try 300*300...

 

[dagnabitboy]

I've attached the icon file in question. It's 500 x 500, a png file with a transparent background. I've used this style image before with no issues. For what it's worth, I did try a 300 x 300 size but it made no difference. Also, when I set the target sdk to 23 the icon appears normal. As you say, Erel, in your target sdk tutorial, to not panic until October 2018!

 

[dagnabitboy]

A little more info: I noticed (on my Pixel, Android 8.0) that several other app's icons have also changed. Icon images that used to have a transparent background like mine now also have a white background and the icon image reduced in size. This includes Scan and Go, Play Store, Drive, Zillow, Easy Voice Recorder, and my Camera app. Perhaps this is just how Google has decided they want thing to look. The icons on my other devices (Android 7, 4) still look as they should.

 

[Peter Simpson]

Hmm that's strange as I've been using SDK 27 for a while now and all my app icons look perfect in the apps drawer, it was also perfect on 26 for me.

Have you got a link to your app whilst it's running SDK 26? Let me install it and see with your SDK set to 26.

I'm currently developing on a 6P. If you assemble

 

[dagnabitboy]

Hi Peter, I've sent you a PM with a link. Thank you!

 

[klaus]

I use only square icon images without any transparent part.
One question, why do you have a transparent border on top and below?
I'm afraid that the problem is here, new version new stuff.
I see that the icons in Android 7 are rounded squares looking differently than those in previous versions.

 

[dagnabitboy]

The transparent parts of the image are on the sides, left and right. It was just the look I was going for. Personal preference! And yes, I'm now seeing other complain of icons with reduced size with white backgrounds, some square, some round, depending on specific phone setting. Peter replied to me that my app icon looks fine on his phone running 8.1. I can change the icon settings on my phone for icon shape, but I cannot get rid of the white background.

 

[Peter Simpson]

I use only square icon images without any transparent part.

I use transparent app icons all the time with no issues whatsoever, they are square though as you say.

I installed your app and it looks perfect on my devices running Android 8.1.0.

Have a look at this link, it may help you or it may not http://iconhandbook.co.uk/reference/chart/android/

 

[Peter Simpson]

Hmm a quick search on Google and there are references to other developers having the exact same issues but it's apparently dependent on the device, which seems strange to me...

 

[NJDude]

Why a 300 x 300 icon? 72 x 72 works fine on any SDK level.

 

[Peter Simpson]

Why a 300 x 300 icon? 72 x 72 works fine on any SDK level.

No reason, 72*72 is perfect are you are 100%. I was just seeing as I quickly checked my apps and all were 72*72 except for one that was 300*300 so I went with that number because it was the largest.

No real reason though NJ. Opps sorry I almost typed MJ heehee, smooth criminal . No but seriously, I have one app with that size, so I gave 300...