Apple's new Icon composer for liquid glass UI

In a world where your app icon is the first impression, Apple's new Icon Composer is a game‑changer. This intuitive, visual tool empowers designers and developers to craft Liquid Glass‑powered icons that shine across iOS, macOS, watchOS, and more. Through layered effects, dynamic lighting, and dark/light mode adaptability, it’s the toolkit you need to elevate your app’s identity in 2025.

1. What Is the New Icon Composer? 🧩

Icon Composer, introduced at WWDC 25, is Apple’s official visual editor for crafting multi‑platform app icons using the new Liquid Glass design system (developer.apple.com). It allows you to import artwork, adjust specular highlights, blur, translucency, and preview in real time—then seamlessly export to Xcode.

2. Why It Matters: Visual Impact with Data

First Impressions: App icons boost engagement—well-designed icons can contribute to a 5–10% uplift in conversions, according to UX studies.
Cross‑Platform Harmony: A single creator tool ensures consistent branding across devices—no more ad-hoc manual resizing.
Standards Alignment: Apple’s new macOS Tahoe, iOS 26, and associated platforms rely on Liquid Glass iconography—Icon Composer is now essential

3. Key Features & Workflow 🎨

a. Multi-Platform, Single Design

Start from one design and tailor output for iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch—using rounder enclosures and platform-specific grids for perfect consistency (developer.apple.com).

b. Liquid Glass Layer Control

Layer, annotate, and adjust blur, tint, specular lighting, translucency, and shadow. Use rendering modes—Default, Dark, Mono—to see icon adaptations in real time

c. Live Previews

See icons at different sizes, on different backgrounds, with dynamic lighting. No guesswork; what you see is exactly what users get

d. Xcode Integration

Drop the completed icon directly into Xcode—automated sync on save ensures smooth workflows

Next Steps:

Download Icon Composer from Apple Developer