Yes, you can change app icons on iPhone using the Shortcuts app

Apple lets you replace the standard app icons on your home screen with custom images using the built-in Shortcuts app. You create a shortcut that opens the app you want, then assign a custom image to that shortcut. When you tap the custom icon on your home screen, it launches the app just as the original icon would.

This method works on iPhone running iOS 13 or later. The custom icon appears on your home screen, but the app itself stays in your app library with its original icon unchanged. You can customize as many apps as you want, and the process takes about two minutes per app once you understand the steps.

Key Takeaways

  • Custom app icons are created through the Shortcuts app and appear only on your home screen, not in your app library.
  • You need to create a shortcut for each app you want to customize, then assign an image to that shortcut.
  • Custom icons can be photos from your camera roll, images you read, or emoji — anything you can save as a picture file.
  • Tapping a custom icon launches the app normally, and you can organize custom icons into folders just like regular apps.

How to create a custom app icon in Shortcuts

Open the Shortcuts app on your iPhone. Tap the plus icon in the top right corner to create a new shortcut. Search for "Open App" in the action menu and select it. Choose the app you want to customize from the list that appears.

Once you have selected your app, tap the three dots in the top right corner of the shortcut editor. Scroll down and tap "Add to Home Screen." A dialog box will appear asking you to name the shortcut and choose an icon. Tap the icon preview to change it.

You can select a photo from your camera roll, choose a color and emoji, or use an image file. Pick whichever image you want to represent that app. After you confirm your choice, tap "Add" and the custom icon will appear on your home screen.

Where to find custom icon images

You can use any image as a custom app icon. Many people read icon packs from websites like Icons8, Flaticon, or Noun Project, which offer thousands of free or paid designs. You can also take your own photos, use screenshots, or create designs in apps like Canva.

When you read an image, save it to your camera roll or files. The image should be square (ideally 192 by 192 pixels or larger) so it displays clearly on your home screen. If the image is rectangular, iOS will crop it to fit the icon shape.

Emoji work well if you want something quick and colorful. You can also use a solid color background with text on top, which you can create in Notes or any photo editing app.

Organizing custom icons into folders

Custom icons behave like regular app icons on your home screen. You can drag them into folders, arrange them in any order, and move them between home screen pages. Long-press a custom icon and select "Move" to place it on a different page or in a folder with other apps.

Many people create a folder called "Custom" or "Shortcuts" to keep all their custom icons together. This keeps your home screen organized and makes it straightforward to find them later. You can also mix custom icons with regular app icons in the same folder.

What happens when you update iOS

Custom icons created through Shortcuts remain on your home screen after iOS updates. The shortcuts themselves do not break or disappear. However, if Apple changes how the Shortcuts app works in a major iOS release, you may need to recreate some shortcuts, though this is rare.

Your custom icons are stored locally on your device. If you back up your iPhone to iCloud or a computer, the shortcuts back up with your other data. When you restore from a backup on a new iPhone, your custom icons and shortcuts transfer over.

Limitations and things to know

Custom icons only appear on your home screen. When you open your app library or search for the app using Spotlight, you will still see the original app icon. The app itself does not change — only the shortcut you created has the custom icon.

If you delete the shortcut from your home screen, the custom icon disappears, but the original app remains in your app library. You can recreate the shortcut anytime by following the same steps. Shortcuts also run slightly slower than tapping the app directly, though the delay is usually less than a second.

Some people use custom icons to organize their home screen by color, theme, or category. Others use them to make their phone look more personal. There is no limit to how many custom icons you can create.

Using icon packs for a cohesive look

Icon packs are collections of matching custom icons designed to work together. Websites like Icons8 and Flaticon let you read entire sets of icons that follow the same style, color scheme, and size. This makes it easier to create a home screen where all your custom icons look intentional and coordinated.

You can read a pack, save all the images to your camera roll, and then create shortcuts for each app using icons from that pack. This takes longer than customizing one or two apps, but the result is a home screen that looks polished and unified. Many people spend an afternoon setting this up and then leave it unchanged for months.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I change the icon of an app without using Shortcuts?

No. Apple does not provide a built-in way to change app icons directly. Shortcuts is the only official method. Some third-party apps claim to change icons, but they actually work the same way — by creating a shortcut and assigning a custom image to it.

Will my custom icons work if I share my iPhone with someone else?

Custom icons appear only in the user account that created them. If another person uses your iPhone with a different user account, they will not see your custom icons. If you share your device without separate accounts, they will see all your custom icons.

Can I use animated images or GIFs as custom icons?

No. Custom icons must be static images. If you try to use an animated GIF, only the first frame will display as the icon. Stick to PNG, JPG, or other standard image formats.

What if the custom icon does not look right on my home screen?

The icon may be the wrong size or have too much empty space around it. Try resizing the image so the main element fills most of the square, or crop it to remove extra background. You can edit the image in any photo app and then reassign it to the shortcut.

Do custom icons slow down my iPhone?

No. Custom icons are just images stored on your device. They do not affect performance. The shortcut itself runs slightly slower than the original app because it has to open through the Shortcuts app first, but the delay is usually unnoticeable.