The app launcher icon is not just a tiny image on a user’s screen; it’s often the very first interaction they have with your app. In a world full of apps, having an eye-catching app launcher icon can significantly increase your app’s visibility and attractiveness. This tutorial provides a straightforward, step-by-step guide on how to update the app launcher icon in Flutter, ensuring your app stands out in the crowded app markets.

Step-by-Step Guide to Updating Your App Launcher Icon

Design Your Icon

Start by creating a new icon. The icon should be a 512×512 pixel square PNG file. This resolution ensures that your icon looks sharp across all devices.

Replace the Default Icon in Android

Navigate to the android directory in your Flutter project. Find and replace the ic_launcher.png file located in various mipmap folders under android/app/src/main/res. These folders might include different resolution versions like mipmap-hdpi, mipmap-mdpi, mipmap-xhdpi, mipmap-xxhdpi, and mipmap-xxxhdpi. Replace each version with the appropriate resolution of your new icon.

Update Icon Configuration in Android

Ensure that the Android manifest is pointing to the correct icons. This step typically doesn’t require changes unless you’ve altered the naming convention of your icons.

Add the Icon to Your Flutter Project

For Flutter to recognize and use the new icon, update your pubspec.yaml file by adding the following lines under the flutter section:

yamlCopy codeflutter:
  assets:
    - images/ic_launcher.png

Make sure the path matches where you have stored your new icon in the Flutter project.

Testing Your New Icon

Run your app to see the new icon in action. If done correctly, your new icon should now display on the home screen of your device when the app is installed.

By following these steps, you can refresh your app’s look with a new launcher icon, potentially improving your app’s initial user impression.