Are you feeling a bit tired of seeing the same old app icons on your iPhone or iPad home screen? You know, the ones that come with the device? Well, it's actually possible to give your phone a completely new feel. Iphone app icon customization is a great way to personalize your device, or even hide apps by disguising them, which is pretty neat, you know?
Changing app icons can really make your home screen or desktop feel more like you. You can pick images and colors that truly fit your own interests and what you find pleasing to the eye. It’s like giving your phone a little wardrobe change, and that, in a way, makes it feel fresh and fun.
This trick, you see, lets you change those icons to anything you like! We'll guide you through the steps to change app icons on your iPhone, offering you the freedom to tailor your device to match your style and preferences. It's a simple way to make your device feel more like your own, and honestly, it’s quite satisfying.
Table of Contents
- Why Change Your iPhone App Icons?
- Two Main Ways to Customize App Icons
- Finding Great Custom App Icons
- Common Questions About App Icon Customization
- Making Your iPhone Truly Yours
Why Change Your iPhone App Icons?
You might wonder why someone would want to change their app icons, right? Well, it's pretty simple, actually. For many people, their phone is a very personal item, and they want it to reflect who they are. Customizing the icons is just one more way to do that, so it is.
Personalize Your Device
Your iPhone is something you look at and use every single day, often many times. Making it feel truly yours can really boost how much you enjoy using it. Changing up the app icons is a big part of this personal touch, you know, making it unique to you.
Match Your Style and Interests
Perhaps you have a specific color scheme you love, or maybe you're into a certain aesthetic, like a cozy cottage core vibe or a sleek, modern look. Default icons don't always fit these personal tastes. Custom icons let you bring your personal style right onto your home screen, which is pretty cool, in a way.
A Bit of Fun and Creativity
For some, it's simply a creative outlet. It’s a chance to play around with different looks and see what you can create. It's a bit like decorating a room in your house; you get to pick what goes where and how it all looks together. This can be very rewarding, honestly.
Two Main Ways to Customize App Icons
When it comes to changing app icons, there are, in fact, two primary methods you can use on your iPhone or iPad. One is a relatively simple method built into iOS 18, which is the very latest, and the other is a bit more advanced, using the Shortcuts app. Both have their own good points, you see.
A. The Newer iOS 18 Method (Simple Changes)
With iOS 18, you can finally personalize your device more directly than ever before. This update brings some really neat built-in options for changing how your app icons look. It's a much simpler approach if you only want to change certain things about the icons, and it’s right there in your settings, basically.
Adjusting Colors and Sizes with iOS 18
The newest iOS 18 update lets you change the color of app icons and widgets. You can even match them to your wallpaper, which is a very nice touch. You can also change their size, making them larger or smaller to fit your preference. This is a pretty straightforward way to adjust things, you know.
Here's how you do it, more or less:
Touch and hold the home screen background until the icons begin to jiggle. This means you're in edit mode, apparently.
Tap "Edit" at the top of the screen. It should appear clearly once the icons start moving.
Then, choose "Customize." This option will let you get into the new settings for icons. In large size, the names of the apps might also be visible, which is helpful.
This method is great for quick adjustments and for keeping a consistent look across your whole device. It’s built right in, so you don't need any extra apps for these basic changes, which is quite convenient, honestly.
B. The Shortcuts App Method (Full Customization)
For those who want to change their app icons to completely new images, the Shortcuts app is your friend. This method gives you total freedom to use any picture you like as an icon. It's a bit more involved, but it lets you achieve a truly unique look for your phone, you know?
What You Need Before You Start
Before you jump into using the Shortcuts app, there are a couple of things you'll want to have ready. Having these prepared makes the process much smoother, which is good, right?
Custom Images/Icons
You’ll need the actual images you want to use as your new app icons. These can be anything: photos, drawings, or pictures you find online. Make sure they are saved to your Photos app on your iPhone. With iOS 17, you’ve got the tools to make it fresh, fun, and totally your style. Whether you use the Shortcuts app, grab a design from Canva, or download a cool icon pack, it’s all about what you like, you know?
The Shortcuts App
The Shortcuts app comes free with your Apple device. If you don't see it on your home screen, you can easily find it in the App Store. It’s a very useful tool for many things beyond just icons, too it's almost a hidden gem.
Step-by-Step Guide Using Shortcuts
Here's how to customize app icons with the free Apple Shortcuts app. It's a series of steps, but each one is pretty simple, and you'll get the hang of it quickly, I mean, you will.
1. Open Shortcuts App
Find and open the Shortcuts app on your iPhone. It usually has a blue icon with two overlapping squares. This is where your icon-changing adventure begins, basically.
2. Create New Shortcut
Tap the "+" sign in the top right corner of the screen. This creates a brand new shortcut for you to work with. You're starting fresh, so to speak.
3. Add 'Open App' Action
Tap "Add Action." In the search bar, type "Open App" and select it from the list. This tells the shortcut what you want it to do, which is to open an app, naturally.
4. Choose the App
Tap the word "App" in the "Open App" action. A list of all your installed apps will appear. Select the app you want to customize the icon for. For example, if you want to change the Instagram icon, pick Instagram, you know?
5. Add to Home Screen
Tap the share button (the square with an arrow pointing up) at the bottom of the screen. Then, scroll down and select "Add to Home Screen." This is how you get your custom icon to show up where you want it, on your home screen, that is.
6. Pick Your Custom Icon
On the "Add to Home Screen" screen, tap the icon placeholder next to the app's name. You'll get options like "Choose Photo," "Choose File," or "Take Photo." Pick "Choose Photo" to select your desired image from your camera roll. This is the fun part, really, where you get to pick your picture.
7. Name Your Shortcut
Type in the name you want for your new home screen icon. This will be the text that appears under the icon on your home screen. You can name it the actual app name, or something completely different, it's totally up to you, in a way.
8. Tap 'Add'
Finally, tap "Add" in the top right corner. Your new custom app icon will now appear on your home screen! You’ve done it, honestly. Changing app icons on your iPhone is a simple way to personalize your device and make it feel more like your own. All you need is the Shortcuts app and some custom icons, and you're good to go.
Finding Great Custom App Icons
Now that you know how to customize app icons, you might be wondering where to get those cool images. There are many places to find or create custom icons, so you have plenty of choices, you know.
Online Design Resources
Websites like Canva are fantastic for creating your own unique designs, or for finding pre-made templates. You can play around with colors, shapes, and text to make something truly original. They have a lot of tools that are pretty easy to use, too it's almost like magic.
Icon Packs
Many artists and designers create entire packs of themed app icons. These packs often include icons for many common apps, all in a consistent style. You can find these on various design marketplaces or even through a quick search online. They are a very quick way to get a cohesive look, apparently.
Your Own Photos
Don't forget your own photo library! A favorite picture of your pet, a beautiful landscape, or even an abstract close-up can make a wonderful and very personal app icon. This is perhaps the most unique option, in some respects.
Common Questions About App Icon Customization
People often have a few questions when they first start customizing their app icons. Here are some of the most common ones, and their answers, just a little bit of extra help, you know.
Can I hide the original app icon after changing it?
Yes, you can. After you create a custom icon using the Shortcuts app, the original app icon will still be on your device. You can move the original app icon to your App Library to keep your home screen clean. Just touch and hold the original icon, then choose "Remove App," and then "Move to App Library." This puts it away, but still makes it accessible, which is pretty handy, honestly.
Does changing app icons slow down my iPhone?
When you use the Shortcuts app method, you are creating a shortcut that opens the app. This means there's a tiny, almost unnoticeable, delay when you tap the custom icon because the shortcut needs to run first. For most people, this slight delay is not a problem at all. The iOS 18 native method, however, doesn't add any delay since it's a direct change to the icon's appearance, so it’s very smooth.
Can I go back to the default icons?
Absolutely! If you used the iOS 18 customization features, you can go back into the "Customize" menu and reset the colors and sizes. If you used the Shortcuts app, you simply delete the custom shortcut icon from your home screen just like you would any other app. The original app icon will still be in your App Library or on another home screen page. It's very easy to switch back if you change your mind, you know.
Making Your iPhone Truly Yours
Customizing your iPhone's home screen with personalized app icons is a wonderful way to express yourself. If you're tired of seeing the same old app icons on your iPhone or iPad home screen, you can customize their look by creating new ones and replacing them. The trick is possible using the methods we talked about.
Changing app icons is a creative way to customize your device's appearance and make it uniquely yours. Whether you're aiming for a themed aesthetic or just want to refresh the look, it's a fun project. You can learn more about personalizing your device on our site, and perhaps you'd like to explore other ways to make your phone truly reflect you by visiting this page, too it's almost like a whole new world of options.
For more official information on using the Shortcuts app, you might want to check out Apple's own support pages. They have many helpful guides that explain how to get the most out of the Shortcuts app, which is a very powerful tool. For instance, you could visit Apple's Shortcuts User Guide to get even more ideas, apparently.
