Changing alternate icon for iPad

Question

I have a problem with changing app's icon on iPad. Everything is working fine on iPhone but on iPad I get this error :

[default] Failed to set preferredIconName to AI-Gorgosaurus for ...:0> error: Error Domain=NSCocoaErrorDomain Code=4 "The file doesn’t exist." UserInfo={NSUnderlyingError=0x600000248a30 {Error Domain=LSApplicationWorkspaceErrorDomain Code=-105 "iconName not found in CFBundleAlternateIcons entry" UserInfo={NSLocalizedDescription=iconName not found in CFBundleAlternateIcons entry}}} App icon failed to due to The file doesn’t exist.

I searched ad found that I need to add ~ipad in CFBundleIconFiles but still get the same error!.

Here is the code:

  func changeIcon(to name: String?) {
        //Check if the app supports alternating icons
        guard UIApplication.shared.supportsAlternateIcons else {
            return;
        }

        //Change the icon to a specific image with given name
        UIApplication.shared.setAlternateIconName(name) { (error) in
            //After app icon changed, print our error or success message
            if let error = error {
                print("App icon failed to due to \(error.localizedDescription)")
            } else {
                print("App icon changed successfully.")
            }
        }
    }

I just tested on another project and works fine !!! but not on my current project why ?! have you any idea?

Dave Wood · Accepted Answer · 2019-11-04T06:34:53.430

42

Your info.plist is structured incorrectly.

You have:

- CFBundleIcons
  - CFBundleAlternateIcons
    - Icon Name
      - CFBundleIconFiles
      - CFBundleIconFiles~ipad

But it should be:

- CFBundleIcons
  - CFBundleAlternateIcons
    - Icon Name
      - CFBundleIconFiles
- CFBundleIcons~ipad
  - CFBundleAlternateIcons
    - Icon Name
     - CFBundleIconFiles

Basically, once you have it working with iPhone icons, CFBundleIcons, duplicate the entire tree as CFBundleIcons~ipad. The iPad files shouldn't be nested under CFBundleIcons at all.

You're mixing up CFBundleIcons~ipad and CFBundleIconFiles~ipad (which isn't a valid key).

edited Nov 04 '19 at 06:34

answered Nov 27 '18 at 06:36

Dave Wood

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As this defines the primary icon, what should be done with CFBundleIconName in MyApp.plist and what with the Asset Catalog App Icon Set Name Xcode target build setting? I ask this [here](https://stackoverflow.com/questions/56112802/what-to-do-with-cfbundleiconname-and-asset-catalog-app-icon-set-name-build-setti). – meaning-matters May 13 '19 at 12:57
3

What are the images sizes for iPad? – Jun 02 '19 at 00:13
iPad Pro: 167px × 167px (83.5pt × 83.5pt @2x); iPad, iPad mini 152px × 152px (76pt × 76pt @2x) – Matthew Barker Aug 11 '19 at 17:47
Shouldn't "...FilesIcons" be "IconFiles"? It also seems that more keys have changed since. Please update the screenshot as it's impossible to compare. Thanks! – Nov 04 '19 at 05:33
2

Thanks for sharing this Dave, saved me a lot of time. – CristianMoisei May 09 '20 at 17:28
1

This works, thansk a lot – onmyway133 Dec 06 '21 at 22:13

score 23 · Answer 2 · answered Mar 16 '20 at 15:31

Attempting to give a more re-useable (easy to copy/paste) version of this answer.

1) You need images of the following names and sizes added as regular .png files (no asset catalogues)

.../AppIcon-Dark/iPad-app.png
  pixelWidth: 76
.../AppIcon-Dark/iPad-app@2x.png
  pixelWidth: 152
.../AppIcon-Dark/iPad-pro@2x.png
  pixelWidth: 167
.../AppIcon-Dark/iPhone-app@2x.png
  pixelWidth: 120
.../AppIcon-Dark/iPhone-app@3x.png
  pixelWidth: 180

you can then add/insert the following in your info.plist

<key>CFBundleIcons</key>
<dict>
    <key>CFBundleAlternateIcons</key>
    <dict>
        <key>AppIcon-Dark</key>
        <dict>
            <key>CFBundleIconFiles</key>
            <array>
                <string>iPhone-app</string>
            </array>
        </dict>
    </dict>
    <key>CFBundlePrimaryIcon</key>
    <dict>
        <key>CFBundleIconFiles</key>
        <array>
            <string>AppIcon</string>
        </array>
    </dict>
</dict>
<key>CFBundleIcons~ipad</key>
<dict>
    <key>CFBundleAlternateIcons</key>
    <dict>
        <key>AppIcon-Dark</key>
        <dict>
            <key>CFBundleIconFiles</key>
            <array>
                <string>iPad-app</string>
                <string>iPad-pro</string>
            </array>
        </dict>
    </dict>
    <key>CFBundlePrimaryIcon</key>
    <dict>
        <key>CFBundleIconFiles</key>
        <array>
            <string>AppIcon</string>
        </array>
    </dict>
</dict>

I then set my icon with the following

func updateIcon() {
    if #available(iOS 13.0, *) {
        let dark = window?.traitCollection.userInterfaceStyle == .dark

        let currentIconName = UIApplication.shared.alternateIconName
        let desiredIconName:String? = dark ? "AppIcon-Dark" : nil

        if currentIconName != desiredIconName {
            UIApplication.shared.setAlternateIconName(desiredIconName) {
                (error) in
                print("failed: \(String(describing: error))")
            }
        }
    }
}

Thank you for this! It was impossible to find this information in articles on the topic. They just sorta ignore the fact there's multiple icon sizes — Jacob, Dec 06 '20 at 17:08

score 6 · Answer 3 · answered Nov 27 '18 at 06:23

6

Please make these changes to your plist file for setting alternate icons for iPhone and iPad.

answered Nov 27 '18 at 06:23

Rizwan Shaikh

273
3
8

What does `UIPrerenderedIcon` do and why do you have one `NO` and the other `YES`? – meaning-matters May 13 '19 at 12:11

D1mers0n · Answer 4 · 2023-03-04T18:24:44.977

With Xcode 13+ no need to work with files/plist manually anymore. You just need to set to YES the “Include All App Icon Assets” setting under build settings. Or click on "Your Target" - General - App Icons and Launch Screen - Include All App Icon Assets.

After that just add icons to xcassets catalog. (For some reason it doesn't always work on iPad with a Single Size icons, so you should better use Icon Set with all icon sizes).

Better avoid using symbols in the name of icons. It didn't work for me on iPad with icon name "Icon-Red", but it worked fine with "IconRed"

Use the code provided in the previous answers.

Swift sample

UIApplication.shared.setAlternateIconName("IconRed", completionHandler: nil)

Obj-C sample

[[UIApplication sharedApplication] setAlternateIconName:@"IconRed" completionHandler:nil];

score 0 · Answer 5 · edited Nov 15 '18 at 06:08

0

What I have noticed is that your plist has UIPrerenderedIcon set to NO

Change it to YES

It might be that the issue is with the rendering

Edit 1: add the .png extension to see if it helps

EDIT 2: Try changing the new icon's filename to ipadAlternate.png. Then change to the same name in the plist as it looks like there is some kind of mismatch with your plist and the icon file itself

EDIT 3: Have you cleaned the DerivedData folder? I had an issue a while ago and nothing helped including cleaning the project etc. But I tried deleting everything in the /Users/YOURUSERNAME/Library/Developer/Xcode/DerivedData/ folder and it started working again. It is worth giving it a go.

EDIT 4: Try doing step from EDIT 3. Then restart your project and delete all the alternative icon files from it. Choose move to trash and then CMD+SHIFT+K to clean. Then select CMD+B to build. Next add the icons back where they were. Check that the target is selected correctly and copy items if needed to be selected. For some reason Xcode lost track of your file and it is showing an error, no file.

If that will not help then try the above steps. But first try moving the whole project to a different folder.

EDIT 5: There is one more idea which you might try for yourself. Try deleting the plist file in the current project (keep a backup copy of it before deleting) then start a new project where the icon changing works fine. Add the plist from that project to this one. Check if the icon changing works. If yes then add all the missing keys you had in the previous project.

WARNING: This is a last resort but this may work. Start a new project and set it up with the icons which you want alternating. Check if they work first then add all the code and dependencies from the project where it doesn't work. Just don't override the PLIST files.

EDIT 6: Try deleting the app from the simulator or the device you are trying it on and reinstall it. The whole issue might be with the update and the leftovers from the previous version of the app.

EDIT 7: Try copying the project to another mac and see if the problem persists. Which xcode version are you using?? If it is Xcode 9, perhaps try using the Xcode 10 beta.

edited Nov 15 '18 at 06:08

Marcy

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answered Aug 25 '18 at 08:24

AD Progress

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Add the .png extension see if it helps – AD Progress Aug 25 '18 at 08:36
Try changing the new icons filename to ipadAlternate.png and then change to the same in the plist as it looks like there is some kind of mismatch with your plist and the icon file itself – AD Progress Aug 25 '18 at 08:41
Could you share your code on github or somewhere so I could either fork it or contribute?? – AD Progress Aug 25 '18 at 14:00
It's a big project, it works if I create a new project but not work on my current project !!! that's my problem. !!! – iOS.Lover Aug 25 '18 at 14:02
Just share a part of it that will compile and have the error then or you can make another branch on which I could try to help. – AD Progress Aug 25 '18 at 14:59
OK, here is the source code and plist file, please download it: https://www.dropbox.com/s/vamtcibp1jpkeht/CFbundleIcons.zip?dl=0 – iOS.Lover Aug 27 '18 at 05:14
Check my edit, try cleaning /Users/YOURUSERNAME/Library/Developer/Xcode/DerivedData/ – AD Progress Aug 27 '18 at 16:06
Check my latest Edit 4: might help xcode can be weird sometimes – AD Progress Aug 28 '18 at 12:10
THIS IS CRAZY !!!!! Nothing changed. Why does this happen? I did whatever other people said still nothing changed – iOS.Lover Aug 28 '18 at 14:16
Check my edits either EDIT 5: or the last resort should work. – AD Progress Aug 28 '18 at 15:22
can you share the whole world of dinosaurs project somewhere so that I can try to contribute? Also have you tried opening the project on another mac to see if it works? – AD Progress Aug 29 '18 at 09:04

Brian Nezhad · Answer 6 · 2018-08-28T23:54:02.087

-1

The error is showing a different file name than the one in .plist CFBundleAlternateIcons. Make sure you assign a correct Filename in and it actually exists in the project folder.

Error Shows AI-Gorgosaurus as the file name. .plist screenshot shows AI-Diabloceratops~ipad, also please remove ~ symbol from the file name.

Do a clean and build the project after you're sure file is correct. Make sure you have @2x and @3x version of your Icons in your project folder.

Read Kaiyuan Xu answer for a more clear picture on how to use CFBundleAlternateIcons.

edited Aug 28 '18 at 23:54

answered Aug 28 '18 at 23:47

Brian Nezhad

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9
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The image is old, I checked everything. – iOS.Lover Aug 29 '18 at 07:45
Ok, let’s do screen sharing, I need to get a more clear view of the problem. – Brian Nezhad Aug 29 '18 at 11:02

score -2 · Answer 7 · answered Aug 21 '18 at 13:52

-2

With below structure i'm able to change icon in iPad:

    if #available(iOS 10.3, *) {
        let newAppIconName = "Icon2"

        guard UIApplication.shared.alternateIconName != newAppIconName else { return }

        UIApplication.shared.setAlternateIconName(newAppIconName)
    }
}

Plist Code:

<key>CFBundleIcons</key>
<dict>
    <key>CFBundlePrimaryIcon</key>
    <dict>
        <key>CFBundleIconFiles</key>
        <array>
            <string>AppIcon</string>
        </array>
        <key>UIPrerenderedIcon</key>
        <true/>
    </dict>
    <key>CFBundleAlternateIcons</key>
    <dict>
        <key>Icon2</key>
        <dict>
            <key>CFBundleIconFiles</key>
            <array>
                <string>icon60</string>
            </array>
            <key>CFBundleIcons~ipad</key>
            <array>
                <string>iTunesArtwork80.png</string>
            </array>
            <key>UIPrerenderedIcon</key>
            <true/>
        </dict>
    </dict>
</dict>

answered Aug 21 '18 at 13:52

iVarun

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Thank you but I am doing exactly like this but what I get is the error! – iOS.Lover Aug 21 '18 at 13:56
`CFBundleAlternateIcons entry" UserInfo={NSLocalizedDescription=iconName not found in CFBundleAlternateIcons entry}}} App icon failed to due to The file doesn’t exist. ` – iOS.Lover Aug 21 '18 at 13:57
1

You can see i am using `CFBundleIcons~ipad` and you are `CFBundleIconsFiles~ipad`. – iVarun Aug 21 '18 at 13:59
Could you please try to change your code with my code. Coz it is working for me. – iVarun Aug 21 '18 at 14:02
I replace your code. But not working !!!!!!!!!! Why !!!! I 100% sure the image is ok on iPhone. the is size `700 × 700` & `png` format – iOS.Lover Aug 21 '18 at 14:04
1

Actually i left the office but can surely help tomorrow. – iVarun Aug 21 '18 at 14:13
I just tested on another project and works fine !!! but not on my current project why ?! have you any idea? – iOS.Lover Aug 21 '18 at 18:55
Let us [continue this discussion in chat](https://chat.stackoverflow.com/rooms/178498/discussion-between-ivarun-and-mc-lover). – iVarun Aug 22 '18 at 04:40
here is the source code and plist file, is it possible to check it ?? https://www.dropbox.com/s/vamtcibp1jpkeht/CFbundleIcons.zip?dl=0 – iOS.Lover Aug 27 '18 at 05:14
@Mc.Lover Download this project and check. Tap on cell index 5 - `Gorgosaurus`. You will see alternative icon. I have used my icon. https://www.dropbox.com/s/xxij4xlbj2fpybn/ChangeIcon.zip?dl=0 – iVarun Aug 27 '18 at 06:45
@Mc.Lover icon size maybe creating problem for you. – iVarun Aug 27 '18 at 06:48
Still not work on my project !!!!!! but no problem with your project!!! I have no idea why this happens :| – iOS.Lover Aug 27 '18 at 07:06
@Mc.Lover Did you tried to use app icon that i am using in my demo? – iVarun Aug 27 '18 at 07:10
Yes I imported your file – iOS.Lover Aug 27 '18 at 07:16
Let us [continue this discussion in chat](https://chat.stackoverflow.com/rooms/178831/discussion-between-ivarun-and-mc-lover). – iVarun Aug 27 '18 at 07:17

Changing alternate icon for iPad

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