Android medium density icon specifications include 36x36 as the MDPI baseline size for certain icon types and notification assets. Browser extensions that follow older manifest specifications sometimes include icon sizes at this dimension as part of their asset package. Navigation bar icons and small toolbar elements in desktop applications built on certain frameworks also land at 36x36 in specific configurations. It is a size that rarely comes up on its own but shows up regularly as part of a complete icon set where every density needs its own prepared file.
How to Resize an Image to 36x36
Enter 36 in both the width and height fields and turn the Maintain Aspect Ratio checkbox off before processing. With it on and a non-square original, the output will not be a perfect square. Turning it off forces both dimensions to exactly 36.
At this size only the simplest graphics translate well. Fine lines, small text and detailed illustration all disappear at 36x36. A bold flat icon with clean edges is the only type of image that holds up at this scale. Start from the largest version available and scale down for the sharpest result. For batch work upload everything together and download as a ZIP.
Common Uses for 36x36 Images
Android notification icons and status bar assets use 36x36 as part of the density specific drawable set for MDPI screens. Icon packages for apps that need to cover multiple screen densities include this size alongside the standard set from 48x48 up to 192x192.
Older browser extension manifests that specify icon sizes individually sometimes include 36x36 alongside the more standard 16x16 and 48x48 entries. Small UI elements in custom built web dashboards and admin interfaces also occasionally land at this dimension in compact layout contexts.
Output Format at This Size
PNG is the only format that makes sense at 36x36. Transparency support is essential for icons placed inside app interfaces and system notification areas. JPEG at this scale introduces quality loss that is clearly visible on small detailed icons and removes transparency entirely, making it unsuitable for any icon use case.