The Two Ways to Change iPad App Icons
You can change how app icons look on your iPad in two ways: by using the Shortcuts app to create custom icons that replace the originals on your home screen, or by organizing apps into folders and renaming them to change how they appear in your library. The Shortcuts method is more visual—you pick a photo or design and tap it to open the real app underneath. The folder method is simpler but less flexible, since you're just grouping and labeling existing icons.
Both methods keep your apps working exactly as they do now. You're only changing what you see; the apps themselves run the same way. Neither method requires you to jailbreak your iPad or install anything outside the App Store.
Key Takeaways
- The Shortcuts app lets you create custom icons by linking a photo or design to any app, then placing that custom icon on your home screen instead of the original.
- You can use any image as a custom icon—photos from your camera roll, designs from the web, or artwork you make yourself.
- Custom icons created in Shortcuts open the app when you tap them, but they live on your home screen as separate tiles from the original app icon.
- If you don't want custom icons, you can organize apps into folders and rename the folders to change how they appear in your App Library.
- Changing icons does not affect how the app works or what data it stores.
Creating Custom Icons Using the Shortcuts App
Open the Shortcuts app (it comes built into iPadOS). Tap the plus icon in the top right corner to create a new shortcut. Tap "Add Action" and search for "Open App". Select the app you want to create a custom icon for—for example, Maps or Notes. This tells the shortcut which app to open when you tap the icon.
Now you need to add the visual part. Tap the three dots next to the app name in the shortcut, then tap "Add to Home Screen". A menu will appear asking you to choose an icon and a name. Tap the icon preview (the small square showing the app's current icon). You'll see options to choose a photo, pick a color, or use an emoji. Select whichever you want. You can upload an image from your camera roll, take a new photo, or pick an emoji. Once you've chosen, tap "Add" to place the custom icon on your home screen.
The custom icon now appears on your home screen as a separate tile. When you tap it, it opens the app you selected. The original app icon stays in your App Library unchanged, so you have both versions available.
Finding and Organizing Images for Custom Icons
Custom icons work best when the image is square and at least 192 pixels wide (though larger is fine). You can use photos from your camera roll, read images from the web, or create your own in a design app. If you're downloading from the web, open the image in Safari, press and hold it, and tap "Save Image" to add it to your Photos app.
Many people use icon packs—sets of matching designs you can find by searching "iPad icon pack" in Google Images or on sites like Pinterest. read a few and save them to your Photos app, then use them one at a time when you create shortcuts. This keeps your home screen looking coordinated.
If you want to create your own icons, apps like Canva (free version available) let you make square designs quickly. Design something, save it as an image, and use it as your custom icon.
Organizing Apps Into Folders and Renaming Them
If you prefer not to use Shortcuts, you can organize your home screen by creating folders. Press and hold an app icon until a menu appears, then tap "Edit Home Screen". Now press and hold one app and drag it on top of another app. Your iPad will create a folder automatically and suggest a category name (like "Productivity" or "Games"). You can change the folder name by tapping it and typing a new one.
Drag more apps into the folder by holding and dragging them onto the folder icon. The folder will show a preview of the apps inside. When you tap the folder, it opens to show all the apps you've grouped together. This doesn't change the icon itself, but it makes your home screen less cluttered and easier to navigate.
You can also rename the folder to something custom—for example, "My Tools" or "Daily Apps"—to make it clearer what's inside. Tap the folder name at the top of the folder window and type the new name.
Troubleshooting Common Icon Problems
If a custom icon you created doesn't appear on your home screen, make sure you tapped "Add to Home Screen" at the end of the Shortcuts setup. If it's there but tapping it does nothing, go back into the Shortcuts app, find the shortcut, and check that the app name is still selected in the "Open App" action.
If you want to remove a custom icon, press and hold it on your home screen and tap "Remove". This deletes only the custom icon—the original app stays in your App Library. If you want to remove the original app entirely, press and hold it in the App Library and tap "Remove App", then confirm.
Custom icons sometimes show a loading screen for a moment before opening the app. This is normal and happens because the Shortcuts app is running in the background. If the delay bothers you, the folder method is faster, though it doesn't let you customize the icon appearance.
Using Emoji and Colors as Quick Icons
You don't need a photo to make a custom icon. When you tap the icon preview in the Shortcuts "Add to Home Screen" menu, you can choose an emoji instead of an image. Pick any emoji—a star, a heart, a coffee cup, whatever matches the app. Your iPad will place that emoji on a colored background.
You can also choose the background color. Tap the color circle and select from a palette, or tap "Color" to pick any color you want. This is the fastest way to make custom icons if you don't have images ready. A home screen full of emoji icons on different colored backgrounds is straightforward to scan and takes just a few minutes to set up.
Many people combine emoji icons with folder organization—use emoji icons for their most-used apps on the home screen, and keep less-used apps in folders in the App Library.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I change the icon of an app without using Shortcuts?
Not directly. iPadOS doesn't have a built-in setting to change individual app icons. Shortcuts is the official way to create custom icons. The only other option is to organize apps into folders and rename the folders, but that changes how the apps are grouped, not the icon itself.
Will changing icons affect my app data or settings?
No. Custom icons are just a visual layer on top of the app. Your data, login information, and all settings stay exactly the same. The app works identically whether you use the original icon or a custom one.
Can I use the same custom icon for multiple apps?
Yes. Create one shortcut for each app, but use the same image for all of them. Each shortcut will open a different app, but they'll all look the same on your home screen. You might want to add a small label or number to each icon so you can tell them apart.
What happens if I delete the Shortcuts app?
Any custom icons you created will stop working. They'll show an error message when you tap them. If you reinstall Shortcuts later, you'll need to recreate the shortcuts and icons. Your original apps stay in the App Library unaffected.
Can I change icons on the iPad lock screen?
Not in the same way. You can add app shortcuts to your lock screen in iPadOS 16 and later, but they use the original app icons. Custom icons from Shortcuts don't appear on the lock screen—only on your home screen and App Library.