tvOS icon missing layers

I have an AppleTV app which I released in 2016. I've updated it and released a new version every year without much hassle.

This year, with tvOS 17.2, the layered app icon isn't working right. This is a two-layer image made with PNGs.

When it's selected, it looks right and the layers move correctly:

But when it's not selected, the background layer disappears:

Screenshots are from the simulator but it also happens on the device. It's inconsistent; sometimes it's the front layer that disappears. Occasionally both layers work, but I can't tell why.

I've spent a day trying everything. Very frustrated.

  • The icon previews correctly in Xcode and in Parallax Viewer.
  • The image sizes are correct: 400 x 240 for Small, 800 x 480 for Small@2x, 1280 x 768 for Large.
  • The back layer is a non-transparent PNG.
  • I tried adding a Large@2x set. Didn't help.
  • Originally I had a three-layer image with no middle layer PNG. I deleted the empty middle layer, but that didn't help.
  • All the PNG files are from GnuIMP. Same color space, even.
  • I was using the filenames tvicon-back-s.png and tvicon-back-s@2x.png. I tried taking out the @ sign in case that was confusing Xcode. (It never has before, but I am flailing here.)

Anybody have any clues? If it's an Apple bug and there's nothing I can do, I'm going to just push the release button and hope it fixes itself someday.

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erkyrath
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Yes, yes, yes. On all accounts except that my images come (came) from Affinity Photo. My 3-layer images have worked for years, but now fail, in various, inconsistent, mysterious ways. Thank you for reporting this. The version on the App Store works, with the identical assets. (Aside: I've stopped working on this and moved on to my screen saver, but its location services no longer work. So I stopped working on that and moved onto a Mac catalyst app, but it also no longer works either, been a rough week here.) I spent a lot of time working on this but have no good news for you, it previews just fine in Xcode and Parallax Viewer. I tried even more layers to no avail.

I don't have the nerve to put the tvOS App up for review, I want the iOS and macOS versions to be consistent.

Posted by
pabugeater
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  • Forgot to mention, I'm not a Swiftie, this is Obj-C, although I'll note that the sample Xcode ATV project written in Swift appears to work just fine.

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    pabugeater
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Well, it's nice to have a new friend, in the xkcd-2881 sense. :)

My app is also ObjC (as you can tell from the fact that it dates from 2016!) I doubt that has any effect on how the app icon is treated, anyhow.

tvOS 17.3 release notes (https://feedbackassistant.apple.com/news/7213) make no mention of this.

I guess I will file a bug report, I mean a Feedback, and then submit the app as is.

Posted by
erkyrath
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  • I'd be interested to know if it passes Review muster.

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    pabugeater
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It passed this morning.

(Also, I checked the behavior after installing 17.3 on the device. No change.)

Posted by
erkyrath
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  • Thanks for your update - time to upload my App, hopefully all goes well.

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    pabugeater

  • My Apps passed yesterday - layered icons look perfect when loaded from the tvOS Store.

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    pabugeater
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