Expect more squircles on the Google Play Store

Pocketnow

By Jules Wang

Published Mar 19, 2019

It's an odd aesthetic choice that Google has chosen to adopt for its apps store for Android and Chrome OS, but it'll stick to it from June 24.

App publishers have some work to do over the next couple of months to satisfy new icon specifications for the Google Play Store.

As such, most Android users should expect to see a big change to listing pages: the icon will now be in a squircle shape. Or a square with rounded corners. Your choice what you call it.

Icons will remain at 512 x 512, but design considerations must be made for the new shape. Corners will have a circumference based on a radius of 102 pixels or 20 percent of the icon size. No alpha or transparent backgrounds can be used.

Developers can upload new-style icons — in addition to updating old-style icons — from early April. They will only be able to upload new-style icons from May 1. The squircle aesthetic goes live on June 24 and any apps that aren’t converted will be moved inside a white squircle.

The icons will appear on the Play Store for Android and Chrome OS. Android TV, Android Auto and Wear OS will still stick with the circular app icons, though.