What does the ic_launcher-web.png in my project root do?

Question

Unbelievably enough, I couldn't find an answer when Googling for this very basic question!

I noticed that since I upgraded from Eclipse Helios to Eclipse Juno and updated the Android SDK, Eclipse places a file called ic_launcher-web.png in the project root whenever I create a new Android project. The file is the same as the application icon selected in the project creation dialog, but what does it do? As mentioned, it's in the project root, not in any of the /res/ folders. So is it included in the finished .apk file, and what is it's purpose?

Answer 1

It's for the Play Store, which accepts 512x512 high-resolution icons:

• High Resolution Application Icon (Required):
  • Use: In various locations in Google Play.
  • Specs: 512x512, 32-bit PNG with alpha; Max size of 1024KB.

-- Google Support

(A more tutorial like explanation can be found here.)

It is not used in your actual app or the launcher, so it is not packaged in the APK.

Answer 2

This is the icon for the google play store. You need to provide a 512 x 512 icon.

Answer 3

There is a little bit of an explanation here on this page:

http://developer.android.com/guide/practices/ui_guidelines/icon_design_launcher.html#size