---
title: "apple-touch-startup-image · Link relation · zhead"
canonical_url: "https://zhead.dev/link/apple-touch-startup-image"
last_updated: "2026-08-19T02:35:55.719Z"
meta:
  description: "An Apple extension that supplies a launch image for a web app opened from the Home Screen."
  "og:description": "An Apple extension that supplies a launch image for a web app opened from the Home Screen."
  "og:title": "apple-touch-startup-image · Link relation · zhead"
---

Link

# apple-touch-startup-image

An Apple extension that supplies a launch image for a web app opened from the Home Screen.

## Code examples

Good example

```
<link rel="apple-touch-startup-image" href="/launch-portrait.png" media="(orientation: portrait)">
```

Limits this launch image to portrait orientation. Production sites usually need more specific size queries.

Avoid this example

```
<link rel="apple-touch-startup-image">
```

Has no href, so Safari has no launch image to load.

## Recommendations

- 01 Match the target display Use media queries to provide images for the intended viewport, pixel ratio, and orientation. Apple requires the launch image to match the device dimensions.
- 02 Prefer a designed launch screen A static launch image can become stale as the interface changes. Keep it visually simple and test every declared device variant.

## Related documentation

- [Apple Developer: ConfiguringWebApplications](https://developer.apple.com/library/archive/documentation/AppleApplications/Reference/SafariWebContent/ConfiguringWebApplications/ConfiguringWebApplications.html)
- [IANA: Link Relations](https://www.iana.org/assignments/link-relations/link-relations.xhtml)