An icon that lifted conversion six months ago can become invisible through familiarity—or vulnerable when category peers converge on a similar metaphor.
Watch relative performance, not absolute. If category installs rise while yours flatten, the icon may no longer differentiate at glance distance on a crowded search results row.
Retire winners on a planned cadence with a controlled challenger, not a sudden brand refresh. Keep enough continuity that existing users still recognize you on the home screen after update.
Document the reason for retirement. Teams that only celebrate launches forget why the previous icon worked—and recreate the same plateau.