As website owners strive to enhance user experience, the Apple touch icon, specifically the apple-touch-icon.png file, has become a key element for optimising sites on Apple devices. This small but impactful image ensures that websites look polished when saved to an iPhone or iPad’s home screen, offering a branded, app-like appearance.
With WordPress powering nearly half of all websites, understanding how to implement this feature is a must for developers and site owners alike. The Apple touch icon is a custom image, typically a square PNG file, that represents a website when users bookmark it or add it to their home screen on iOS devices.
Unlike a generic favicon, the apple-touch-icon.png is designed specifically for Apple’s ecosystem, displaying in sizes like 180×180 pixels for modern iPhones. According to Apple’s developer guidelines, this icon enhances site recognition, with over 80% of iOS users reportedly adding bookmarks to their home screens in 2024 alone.
Why does this matter? A well-crafted Apple touch icon boosts professionalism and brand consistency. Without one, iOS devices may default to a low-resolution screenshot of the site, which can look pixelated or unappealing.
For WordPress users, adding this icon is straightforward, requiring no advanced coding skills, yet it significantly elevates the mobile experience. To add an Apple touch icon in WordPress, start by creating a high-quality image.
Designers recommend a 180×180-pixel PNG file, ideally matching your site’s logo or theme. Ensure the image has no transparency, as iOS applies its own effects, like rounded corners, automatically.
Save the file as “apple-touch-icon.png” for simplicity, though custom naming is possible with additional code. Next, upload the image to your WordPress media library or directly to your theme’s root directory via FTP.
The easiest method for beginners is using a plugin like “Favicon by RealFaviconGenerator”. After installing, navigate to the plugin’s settings, upload your apple-touch-icon.png, and let it generate the necessary code.
The plugin automatically adds the required <link> tag to your site’s header, ensuring iOS compatibility.
For those comfortable with code, manually add the icon by editing your theme’s header.php file.
<link rel="apple-touch-icon" sizes="180x180" href="/path/to/apple-touch-icon.png"> within the <head> Insert <link rel=”apple-touch-icon” sizes=”180×180″ href=”/path/to/apple-touch-icon.png”> within the <head> section. Alternatively, use a child theme to avoid losing changes during updates.
Test the icon by adding your site to an iOS home screen to confirm it displays correctly. Recent data from W3Techs shows that 43% of websites use WordPress, yet only a fraction optimise for Apple touch icons.
With mobile traffic surpassing desktop in 2025, this small tweak can set your site apart. Whether you’re running a blog, e-commerce store, or portfolio, adding an Apple touch icon ensures your WordPress site shines on every iOS device, keeping users engaged and your brand sharp.
