Free The Icons: Apple should end their prohibition on shapes in macOS app icons
The blog argues that Apple should remove its restriction on using shapes in macOS app icons, calling the rule outdated and inconsistent with modern design practices. It contends that allowing shapes would give developers more creative freedom and improve icon clarity and differentiation on the Mac platform.
Background
Rogue Amoeba is a long-time Mac software developer known for audio tools like Audio Hijack and Loopback. Apple's Human Interface Guidelines (HIG) currently prohibit app icons from containing shapes (squares, circles, rounded rectangles) because such icons could be confused with default app templates or system UI elements. The author argues this rule is outdated and harmful — it forces developers into abstract or ugly designs, while Apple's own apps (like Settings, Safari, and Calendar) routinely break the rule without consequence. The piece calls on Apple to either scrap the restriction or enforce it equally.