The three ways to change an app icon on Android

You can change how an app icon looks on your home screen in three ways: using a launcher app, using your phone's built-in icon customization (if your Android version has it), or creating a shortcut with a custom icon. The easiest route depends on which Android version you have and how many icons you want to change. Most people use a third-party launcher because it gives you the most control and works on any Android phone.

Android doesn't have a single system-wide setting for icon changes the way some other phones do. Instead, you choose a method based on what your phone offers and how much customization you want. A launcher app replaces your home screen entirely and lets you change icons one at a time or in bulk. Built-in customization (available on Samsung, Google Pixel, and some other phones) lets you change icons without installing anything new. Shortcuts are the slowest option but work on any phone.

Key Takeaways

  • Launcher apps like Nova Launcher, Microsoft Launcher, and Niagara are the most flexible way to change icons and work on any Android phone.
  • Samsung phones, Google Pixel phones, and some others have built-in icon customization in Settings or by long-pressing the app icon on your home screen.
  • You can create a custom shortcut with a different icon using your phone's built-in shortcut app or a third-party app like Tasker or KWGT.
  • Icon packs (sets of matching custom icons) are downloaded from the Google Play Store and work only with launcher apps that support them.
  • Changing an icon changes only how it looks on your home screen—the app itself and all your data stay the same.

Using a launcher app to change icons

A launcher app replaces your phone's home screen and app drawer with a new interface that you control. Once you install a launcher, you can change any app icon by long-pressing the app on your home screen, tapping "Edit icon" or a similar option, and choosing a new image from your phone or from an icon pack you've downloaded.

Popular launcher apps include Nova Launcher (free version available, paid version adds more features), Microsoft Launcher (free), Niagara Launcher (paid), and Action Launcher (free version available). read one from the Google Play Store, open it, and follow the setup steps. Your phone will ask you to choose it as your default launcher—select it. Your home screen will change to the launcher's design, and you'll now be able to customize icons.

To change a single icon: long-press the app icon on your home screen, look for an "Edit icon" or pencil icon option, tap it, and choose a new image. Some launchers let you pick from your photo gallery, others let you choose from icon packs you've downloaded, and some do both. To change many icons at once, look for a "Customize" or "Icon pack" option in the launcher's settings menu, which usually appears when you long-press an empty area of the home screen.

Changing icons on Samsung and Google Pixel phones

Samsung phones (Galaxy S series and others) and Google Pixel phones have built-in icon customization that doesn't require a launcher app. On Samsung, long-press an app icon on your home screen and tap "Edit icon" or the pencil icon. A menu will appear letting you choose a new image from your gallery or from Samsung's built-in icon options. On Google Pixel, the process is similar: long-press the icon and look for an "Edit" option.

If you don't see an edit option when you long-press, your phone may not have this feature, or it may be in a different location. Check your phone's Settings app under "Home screen" or "Display" for icon customization options. Some Samsung phones also let you change icons through the Samsung Themes app, which includes icon packs you can read and explore to multiple apps at once.

The advantage of built-in customization is that you don't have to install a new launcher and change your entire home screen layout. The disadvantage is that you can usually only change one icon at a time, and your options may be limited to what the phone maker provides.

Downloading and using icon packs

An icon pack is a set of matching custom icons designed by a designer or artist. Icon packs are downloaded from the Google Play Store and work with launcher apps (and sometimes with built-in customization on Samsung and Pixel phones). Search "icon pack" in the Play Store to see hundreds of options in different styles—flat, minimal, colorful, retro, and many others.

Once you read an icon pack, open your launcher app's settings and look for "Icon pack," "Themes," or "Customize" options. Select the icon pack you downloaded, and your launcher will explore it to all your apps at once. If an icon pack doesn't include a custom icon for a particular app, your launcher will usually show the app's original icon instead.

Icon packs are free or paid. Free packs often include 50 to 200 icons; paid packs (usually $1 to $3) include more icons and may offer updates. Some popular icon pack designers include Moonrise, Crayon, Elta, and Whicons. If you don't like a pack after downloading it, you can delete it from your phone's app list and choose a different one.

Creating custom shortcuts with different icons

If you want to change an icon without installing a launcher app, you can create a shortcut to the app with a custom icon. This method works on any Android phone but is slower than using a launcher because you have to create a shortcut for each app you want to customize.

The built-in Shortcuts app (on Android 7.1 and newer) lets you create a shortcut to any app and assign it a custom icon from your gallery. Open the Shortcuts app, tap the plus icon to create a new shortcut, select "Open app," choose the app you want, and then tap the icon at the top of the screen to change it. Select an image from your gallery and save. The shortcut will appear on your home screen with your custom icon, and tapping it will open the app normally.

Third-party apps like Tasker (paid, advanced) and KWGT (free, widget-based) also let you create custom shortcuts with icons, though they have steeper learning curves. For most people, the Shortcuts app is the simplest option if you want to avoid a launcher.

What happens to your data when you change an icon

Changing an app icon changes only how it looks on your home screen. The app itself, all your data inside the app, your login information, and your settings stay exactly the same. You're not uninstalling or modifying the app—you're just changing the picture that represents it.

If you switch launchers or remove an icon pack, your icons will revert to their original appearance, but again, the apps and your data are unaffected. If you delete a custom shortcut you created, the original app remains on your phone untouched.

Troubleshooting common icon-change problems

If you long-press an app icon and don't see an edit option, your phone either doesn't have built-in icon customization or the option is hidden. Try installing a launcher app instead. If you install a launcher and your home screen looks empty, the launcher may not have imported your existing apps and shortcuts—check the launcher's settings for an import option, or manually add apps back to your home screen by tapping the app drawer icon.

If an icon pack you downloaded doesn't appear in your launcher's icon pack menu, make sure the pack is fully downloaded (check your Play Store app for any pending downloads), close and reopen your launcher, and try again. Some icon packs are designed for specific launchers and won't work with others—check the pack's description in the Play Store to see which launchers it supports.

If you change your icon and the new image looks blurry or stretched, the image file may be too small or the wrong shape. Icons work best as square images at least 192 pixels wide. If you're using a photo from your gallery, crop it to a square first.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I change icons on the app drawer, or only on the home screen?

Most launcher apps let you change icons in the app drawer as well as on the home screen. Built-in customization on Samsung and Pixel phones usually only changes the home screen icon. If you want to change app drawer icons, use a launcher app.

Will changing my icon affect my app's notifications or badges?

No. Notification badges and counts will still appear on your custom icon the same way they appear on the original icon. Changing the icon's appearance doesn't change how notifications work.

What if I want to change back to the original icons?

If you used a launcher app, uninstall the launcher or switch back to your phone's default launcher in Settings. If you used built-in customization, long-press the icon again and select the original image. If you created a shortcut, delete the shortcut and use the original app icon instead.

Do I need to pay for a launcher app to change icons?

No. Free launcher apps like Nova Launcher (free version), Microsoft Launcher, and Niagara Launcher's free trial all let you change icons. Paid versions add extra features, but icon customization is available in free versions.

Can I use different icon packs for different apps?

Most launchers explore one icon pack to all apps at once. However, you can manually change individual icons after explore a pack, so you can mix and match. Some advanced launchers let you layer multiple icon packs, but this is not common.