Users discussed inconsistencies and confusion regarding logo and icon configuration in Discourse admin settings. nathank praised the visual improvements to the /admin/config/logo page but offered four suggestions: using the term “Square icon” instead of “large_icon” in descriptions, adding a separate Android icon option to avoid cropping issues, clarifying when transparent icons are used, and including push_notifications_icon in the settings. Lilly and hugh acknowledged the feedback, with nathank later noting that the Manifest icon suggestion appeared to already be implemented.
stephtara highlighted that the term “large_icon” remains confusing in the “Appearance → Logo” descriptions, as it is not clearly defined there despite being visible in “All Site Settings → Branding.” ToddZ confirmed the setting exists in the Branding section, but stephtara argued that using technical names like “large_icon” instead of human-readable terms creates friction for new users. ToddZ agreed, noting the inconsistency where the same file is labeled “Large icon” in one section and “Square icon” in another, suggesting a unified “Logo and Branding” section might be clearer. Moin added that while the separate “Appearance → Logo” page aims to improve accessibility, it currently suffers from conflicting hints regarding logo sizes compared to the general site settings. stephtara and stephtara reiterated the need to update text explainers to reflect the new “Square icon” terminology to resolve this confusion.
I’ve just set up a new site, and hit a few hiccoughs.
First, I love the new admin settings (/admin/config/logo) - they are a vast improvement and visually very nice.
Suggestion 1
That the new term “Square icon” be used instead of large_icon in the text explainers.
The old name has been changed, but this hasn’t been followed through with in the text.
Suggestion 2
That there is a separate Android icon under Mobile, as there is for iOS.
At present, the Square Icon is used for the Android home screen. This is high value!
As Android crops this icon a fair bit, it is often necessary to have quite a bit of padding around it. This then makes that icon less than ideal for other circumstances when Square Icon is used.
Alternatively, we could have the Manifest icon used to generate the Android home screen icon (instead of Square Icon).
Suggestion 3
That it is made clearer when a transparent icon is used.
This isn’t directly visible in the admin page or obvious unless one switchs light/dark mode.
Suggestion 4
That the push_notifications_icon is added to the (/admin/config/logo) page.
In the description for the fallback logo format when certain sizes aren’t provided, it’s written that large_icon will be used in nothing more specific is provided.
But what is large_icon? It’s not specified anywhere on the page which one it is.
I’m not sure what admin view or keyword result you’re viewing here, but if you go to All Site Settings → Branding you should see the Large icon setting in there:
I’m in Appearance → Logo, it’s in the texts that appear in that admin screen.
Would be worth replacing the string name by “human language”?
I can see it when I go through Site Settings → Branding, and it has been “set” by something I uploaded in the Appearance → Logo screen, although that screen does not list it as such.
For me this is typically the kind of “little thing” that makes the admin interface confusing for the first-time Discourse user, by the way.
I hadn’t noticed before, but I also have the same file appearing as Large icon in one place and Square icon in another. Now I’m not sure if I uploaded them separately, or if one was derived from the other.
It is confusing that the contents of All Site Settings → Branding and Appearance → Logo overlap partially but aren’t named & described consistently. Maybe one section of Logo and Branding would be easier to manage.
I think Appearance → Logo was added when many settings were grouped into config pages and made directly accessible in the admin sidebar. So, I think this is kind of the place where it should be easier for admins to configure that because it’s a separate place compared to it being hidden in all site settings. But in the end, it just looks a little different, but you edit the same site settings. Most site settings are also part of one of the config pages.
I reported before that the hints on which size each logo should be differ between site settings and config page. This also makes it more confusing.
