Image Miniaturization Issue

I have three toolbar buttons with images from Assets.xcassets. Initially, I didn't use @1x, @2x, @3x sizes. I just put one size (72 x 72) for all of them. It was never a problem till a few days ago.

The reviewer has reported numerous issues, which all seem to originate from miniaturized toolbar images. They have given me a screenshot from an iPad. Now, each of the three to the left has shrunken to 4 x 4, according to them.

Some lines of code are the following.

import SwiftUI

struct ContentView: View {
    var body: some View {
        NavigationStack {
            ZStack {
                VStack {
                    ...
                    ...
                    ...
                }
                .background(.brown)
                .navigationBarTitleDisplayMode(.inline)
                .navigationBarItems(
                    leading: HStack(content: {
                        Button {
                            
                        } label: {
                            Image("ToolbarImage1")
                                .resizable()
                                .foregroundColor(.red)
                                .aspectRatio(contentMode: .fit)
                                .frame(width: 28)
                        }
                        
                        Button {
                            
                        } label: {
                            Image("ToolbarImage2")
                                .resizable()
                                .foregroundColor(.cyan)
                                .aspectRatio(contentMode: .fit)
                                .frame(width: 28)
                        }
                        
                        Button {
                            
                        } label: {
                            Image("ToolbarImage3")
                                .resizable()
                                .foregroundColor(.gray)
                                .aspectRatio(contentMode: .fit)
                                .frame(width: 28)
                        }
                    }),
                    trailing: HStack(content: {
                        Button {
                            
                        } label: {
                            Text("X")
                                .font(.body)
                                .fontWeight(.semibold)
                                .foregroundStyle(colorScheme == .light ? .white : .black)
                                .frame(width: 28, height: 28)
                                .background {
                                    Circle()
                                        .fill(!disableGroupMenu ? .green : .green.opacity(0.6))
                                }
                        }
                        
                        Button {
                            withAnimation(.easeInOut(duration: 0.2)) {
                                showCopyMenu.toggle()
                                manageMenu()
                            }
                        } label: {
                            Text("Y")
                                .font(.body)
                                .fontWeight(.semibold)
                                .foregroundStyle(colorScheme == .light ? .white : .black)
                                .frame(width: 28, height: 28)
                                .background {
                                    Circle()
                                        .fill(!disableCopyMenu ? .indigo: .indigo.opacity(0.6))
                                }
                        }
                    })
                )
                .toolbar {
                    ToolbarItem(placement: .principal) {
                        Text("App name")
                            .bold()
                            .foregroundColor(.white)
                    }
                }
            }
        }
    }
}

I don't see this minituralization issue on any of my actual devices (iPhone XR, iPhone 14, iPad 9th gen.) on top of various simulator models including iPad A16 with iOS 26. This is my first iOS submission after iOS 26 was released. I don't know if it has something to do with iOS 26. The reviewer hasn't told me about their iPad model or the iOS version. I have the same app for macOS, which was submitted after macOS 26 was released. And they haven't reported the miniaturization issue after 4 or 5 software updates.

If you have any idea as to what's causing it, please let me know. I have submitted a new binary with @3x as a resort. I doubt the issue has been resolved. Thanks.


Initally, I've used Xcode 16.4 to built the app. I have tried building it with Xcode 26. And I don't see the minituralization issue on any of the simulator models (iPad mini, iPad A16...).

Answered by Tomato in 860338022

I have reluctantly upgraded my iPhone 14 to iOS 26 to run the new app that has been rejected. I don't see the 4-by-4 toolbar item image glitch. Meanwhile, I've sent a software update of the brother app with each image having three separate scale versions (@1x, @2x, @3x). So the image of each toolbar button is no longer resized as follows.

Button {
    
} label: {
    Image("ToolbarImage1")
}

Hopefully, I'll find out if a reviewer reports the same 4-by-4 toolbar item image glitch in a few days.

Mr. Gemini who works for Google, Inc. says the following about 'iOS 26 image shrunken to 4 x 4.'


Reports of images being "shrunken to 4x4" in iOS 26 refer to a visual glitch that some users experienced, which was caused by new features like CarPlay's Smart Display Zoom. This was not an intended feature of the new software, and Apple quickly addressed the issue.

Here's an explanation of what happened:

  • A new OS feature caused a visual glitch. With the release of iOS 26 in September 2025, some users reported that photos would be displayed as extremely small, 4x4 pixel images.

  • The bug was tied to CarPlay. This issue appeared when using CarPlay and was related to a new setting called "Smart Display Zoom". Disabling this feature could resolve the problem for some users.

  • Apple fixed it in a software update. The visual bug was never widespread and was resolved by Apple in the early 26.0.1 update, which was released just a few days after the initial public launch.

  • The problem was a bug, not a feature. Unlike the "Liquid Glass" design or new Apple Intelligence features, the 4x4 image display was not an intended part of the iOS 26 experience.

Accepted Answer

I have reluctantly upgraded my iPhone 14 to iOS 26 to run the new app that has been rejected. I don't see the 4-by-4 toolbar item image glitch. Meanwhile, I've sent a software update of the brother app with each image having three separate scale versions (@1x, @2x, @3x). So the image of each toolbar button is no longer resized as follows.

Button {
    
} label: {
    Image("ToolbarImage1")
}

Hopefully, I'll find out if a reviewer reports the same 4-by-4 toolbar item image glitch in a few days.

The brother app went through the review process two days ago. The new app in question went through the review process successfully an hour ago.

So why the toolbar item images from Assets.xcassets were miniaturized into 4-by-by tiny images possibly under iOS 26? I have no clue. As a possible remedy, I have created 3 scale versions for each toolbarItem image at the exact sizes (84 px, 56 px, 28 px) as opposed to just one image having the app resize it. I was pretty much prepared to abandon this new app. I'm kind of surprised that it has gone through the review process without a hitch

Image Miniaturization Issue
 
 
Q