[v2]When using the Tauri Icon to generate icons, it is always larger than other icons in Mac

[nongyehong]

Do I need to generate icons separately for Mac and package them? I've tried to fix this problem after modifying the icon so that the icon has a transparent border, but it will be much smaller in windows or the system tray, what is the solution to it?

[FabianLars]

Yeah, that's one of the cross-platform problems i'm not sure how to solve.

On macOS the icon indeed needs transparent padding in the icon file itself. Can't remember if it also requires manual shadows or not 🤔
Then there's iOS that doesn't support transparency in the icon.

If you only support macOS then simply replacing icon.icns with the macos-specific icon should work. If you're also targetting iOS then this may get tricky. I can't remember what it uses but if it also uses the icon.icns then replacing that with the iOS icon, then running tauri ios init and then changing it back to the macOS icon should work (afaik the ios project icons will only be replaced on init).
The tray icon should be derived from the png, not the icns file so unless i missed some other use of the icns file you should be fine then.

---

If you have any ideas on how to solve this, whether it's on a config level, in tauri icon or in the docs, please tell me 🙃

[FabianLars]

Actually, i think we don't use the .icns file on iOS at all. Checking it rn...

[nongyehong]

Yeah, that's one of the cross-platform problems i'm not sure how to solve.

On macOS the icon indeed needs transparent padding in the icon file itself. Can't remember if it also requires manual shadows or not 🤔 Then there's iOS that doesn't support transparency in the icon.

If you only support macOS then simply replacing icon.icns with the macos-specific icon should work. If you're also targetting iOS then this may get tricky. I can't remember what it uses but if it also uses the icon.icns then replacing that with the iOS icon, then running tauri ios init and then changing it back to the macOS icon should work (afaik the ios project icons will only be replaced on init). The tray icon should be derived from the png, not the icns file so unless i missed some other use of the icns file you should be fine then.

If you have any ideas on how to solve this, whether it's on a config level, in tauri icon or in the docs, please tell me 🙃

I think there should be an api to set all of the mac ICONS or set the Dock icon individually, because not only the Dock icon will be bigger, but also the app Center display will be bigger.🤔

[nongyehong]

You can refer to the previous discussion to lead to the solution: #11040, because the Mac icon needs to be configured separately, so we can set the icon for the Mac separately, but first make sure that your Mac icon follows the Mac icon standard: https://developer.apple.com/cn/design/human-interface-guidelines/app-icons#macOS

[setoelkahfi]

I might not be following clearly. What's the problem with replacing the icon.icns with the square one?

[nongyehong]

I might not be following clearly. What's the problem with replacing the icon.icns with the square one?

I don't understand that my problem is related to the square icon you set. My problem is to solve the icon size problem.

[setoelkahfi]

Ah, ok.

Now I see the problem with my solution of changing the icon.icns file directly with the square one:

2025-08-20 15:19:22.431 *** Error: ERROR: [ContentDelivery.Uploader] Validation failed (409) Missing required icon. The application bundle does not have an icon in ICNS format containing a 512pt x 512pt @2x image. For further assistance, see the Human Interface Guidelines at https://developer.apple.com/design/human-interface-guidelines/foundations/app-icons/. (ID: ece3e2b9-8d99-4062-ad76-18c88bde0d9e)
2025-08-20 15:20:06.052  INFO: [ContentDelivery.Uploader]
=============
UPLOAD FAILED with 1 error.
=============
2025-08-20 15:20:06.059 *** Error: Error uploading 'NotWallet.pkg'.
2025-08-20 15:20:06.059 *** Error: Validation failed Missing required icon. The application bundle does not have an icon in ICNS format containing a 512pt x 512pt @2x image. For further assistance, see the Human Interface Guidelines at https://developer.apple.com/design/human-interface-guidelines/foundations/app-icons/. (ID: ece3e2b9-8d99-4062-ad76-18c88bde0d9e) (409)
 {
    NSLocalizedDescription = "Validation failed";
    NSLocalizedFailureReason = "Missing required icon. The application bundle does not have an icon in ICNS format containing a 512pt x 512pt @2x image. For further assistance, see the Human Interface Guidelines at https://developer.apple.com/design/human-interface-guidelines/foundations/app-icons/. (ID: ece3e2b9-8d99-4062-ad76-18c88bde0d9e)";
    NSUnderlyingError = "Error Domain=IrisAPI Code=-19241 \"Validation failed\" UserInfo={status=409, detail=Missing required icon. The application bundle does not have an icon in ICNS format containing a 512pt x 512pt @2x image. For further assistance, see the Human Interface Guidelines at https://developer.apple.com/design/human-interface-guidelines/foundations/app-icons/., id=ece3e2b9-8d99-4062-ad76-18c88bde0d9e, code=STATE_ERROR.VALIDATION_ERROR, title=Validation failed, NSLocalizedFailureReason=Missing required icon. The application bundle does not have an icon in ICNS format containing a 512pt x 512pt @2x image. For further assistance, see the Human Interface Guidelines at https://developer.apple.com/design/human-interface-guidelines/foundations/app-icons/., NSLocalizedDescription=Validation failed}";
    "iris-code" = "STATE_ERROR.VALIDATION_ERROR";
}

[setoelkahfi]

So what are the sizes for your macOS icns icon? I put 1024x1024 png and simply renamed it to icon.icns, it fits perfectly on debug app. but got those error while uploading it to the appstore.

[FabianLars]

https://github.com/tauri-apps/tauri/blob/dev/crates/tauri-cli/src/helpers/icns.json these are the sizes tauri icon uses

[LorenzoBloedow]

For people trying to do this with Icon Composer, make sure you export with this option and change the file extension to icns:

[olimexsmart]

Still something is not clear to me: why this is not integrated into the npm run tauri icon script?

Having worked with quite a few other app frameworks, IMHO this script that starts from a single png and just works, is just a dream.

Making it perfect is adding a step where it resizes the icon fro macOS, adds rounded corners, copies the current tauri config, creates the macos folder and that's it

[FabianLars]

I tried that in #11037 but couldn't make it not look super uncanny yet.

IMHO this script that starts from a single png and just works, is just a dream.

And a very unrealistic dream because resizing a single png to these very different sizes typically looks horrible on at least one end of the spectrum. Of course easily fixable by just giving devs the option to provide more than one input icon but i still didn't get to that.

[olimexsmart]

First and foremost: thanks for your work.

I think that most people would be happy to have a decent icon on every OS. At the moment on macOS is not acceptable, it has to be fixed by hand, and that's a pity because the script is otherwise great. If an app is being developed for a project with tons of manpower and resources, the use of the npm run tauri icon is out of scope, they will prefer to personalize by hand for each OS anyway. Just a personal opinion.

[setoelkahfi]

I've published 10+ apps on the Mac AppStore with this semi-autonomous steps to generate macOS icns file. Assuming you already have the 1024x1024 app icon you use for running cargo tauri icon :

1. Convert to macOS layout here: https://www.candyicons.com/free-tools/app-icon-assets-generator
2. Download the files, unzip, and pick the 1024-mac.png.
3. Then generate icns icon here.
4. Download the file and replace the one in the src-tauri/icons/icon.icns.

[olimexsmart]

Thanks, just awesome. This should be the accepted answer.

[giray123]

I have just tried this and it does not work. The icon is still bigger without that selection paddings as well.

[timwehrle]

So for me it did work, but I need to find a way to make it more visually appealing besides the other MacOS icons. Especially the glass effect.