You can change your iPhone icons using the Shortcuts app, which lets you replace the standard app icons with custom images you design or read

Apple does not let you swap out icons the way you can on Android — you cannot straightforward tap and hold an app and pick a new look. Instead, you create a shortcut in the Shortcuts app that points to the real app but displays a custom image. When you tap the shortcut on your home screen, it opens the app you want. The custom image appears instead of the standard icon.

This method works on any iPhone running iOS 14 or later. The process takes about five minutes per icon once you have your images ready. You will need either custom images you have made yourself or ones you have downloaded from a source like Pinterest, Etsy, or icon design websites.

Key Takeaways

  • Custom icons are actually shortcuts that launch your real apps but display a picture you choose instead of the standard app icon.
  • You create these shortcuts in the Shortcuts app, which comes built into every iPhone.
  • You need a custom image file (PNG or JPEG) for each icon you want to change.
  • The shortcut will ask you to confirm the app launch each time you tap it unless you turn off the confirmation setting in Shortcuts settings.
  • Your original apps stay on your phone unchanged — the custom icons are separate shortcuts you can organize however you want.

Finding or creating custom icon images

Before you start building shortcuts, you need the images themselves. You have three main routes: read pre-made icon packs, create your own in a design app, or use screenshots of images you like.

Pre-made icon packs are the fastest option. Websites like Etsy, Pinterest, and icon design sites sell or share icon sets in PNG format, which is what you need. Search for "iPhone icon pack" or "iOS icon set" and filter by the style you want — flat, gradient, 3D, minimalist, or themed. Many creators offer free packs as well as paid ones. read the PNG files to your phone's Files app or Photos app.

If you want to design your own, apps like Canva, Adobe Express, or Pixlr let you create straightforward square images on your phone. Make them at least 180 by 180 pixels so they look sharp on your home screen. Save them as PNG files to your Photos app.

You can also screenshot images you find online — a photo, a piece of art, a solid color with text — and use those as icons. The image will be cropped to a square, so choose something that looks good when centered and trimmed.

Creating a shortcut for each custom icon

Open the Shortcuts app on your iPhone. Tap the plus sign in the top right to start a new shortcut. You will see a blank canvas with a search bar at the bottom.

Search for "Open App" and tap it. A menu will appear asking which app you want to open — select the app you are making a custom icon for. This is the app that will actually launch when you tap your custom icon.

Now you need to add the custom image. Search for "Ask for [Image]" in the search bar and tap it. This creates a prompt that will show your custom image. In the settings for this action, you can choose to skip the prompt and just use a specific image instead — tap "Choose Image" and select the custom image file from your Photos app or Files app.

Once you have added the image, search for "Set Name" and add a name for your shortcut — this is the label that will appear under the icon on your home screen. Then search for "Set Icon" and tap it. Choose "Image" from the menu, then select your custom image again. This tells the shortcut to display that image as the icon.

Turning off the confirmation prompt

By default, when you tap a shortcut, your iPhone shows a confirmation screen asking if you really want to run it. This happens every single time, which gets annoying fast. You can turn it off so the app launches when ready.

After you finish building your shortcut, tap "Done" in the top right. Now tap the three dots in the top right corner of the shortcut details screen. Scroll down and toggle off "Ask Before Running." Now when you tap the icon on your home screen, the app will open without any prompt.

Note that some shortcuts will still show a brief loading screen or notification, depending on what the shortcut does. A straightforward "open this app" shortcut will launch almost when ready.

Adding your custom icons to your home screen

Once your shortcut is built, you need to place it on your home screen where you can see and tap it. Go back to the Shortcuts app and find the shortcut you just made. Press and hold it until a menu appears. Tap "Add to Home Screen."

Your iPhone will show a preview of how the icon will look. The custom image you chose should appear as the icon. Tap "Add" in the top right. The shortcut will now appear on your home screen with your custom image and the name you gave it.

You can move it around like any other app icon — press and hold it and drag it to a new spot, or organize it into a folder. You can also delete your original app icon if you want to use only the custom shortcut, though keeping both gives you a backup way to launch the app.

Organizing multiple custom icons into a folder

If you are changing icons for many apps, your home screen can get crowded fast. You can group custom icons into a folder to keep things tidy.

Press and hold one custom icon and drag it on top of another custom icon. Your iPhone will create a folder and put both icons inside. You can name the folder whatever you want — "Social Media," "Games," "Productivity," or anything else. Tap outside the folder to close it.

Keep dragging more custom icons into the folder to add them. The folder will expand to show up to nine icons at once, and you can scroll through more if you have added them. Tap the folder to open it and see all the icons inside.

Fixing icons that do not look right

Sometimes a custom icon will appear blurry, stretched, or the wrong size on your home screen. This usually happens because the image file is too small or the wrong shape.

Make sure your image is square (the same width and height) and at least 180 by 180 pixels. If your image is rectangular or smaller, it may not display correctly. You can crop or resize it in a photo editor or design app, then save it again and rebuild the shortcut with the new image.

If the icon looks right in the shortcut preview but wrong on your home screen, try removing it from your home screen and adding it again. Sometimes a refresh fixes the display. If it still looks wrong, delete the shortcut and create a new one with the same image.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do custom icons work on the lock screen?

No. Lock screen widgets and shortcuts work differently than home screen icons. Custom icons only appear on your home screen and in the Shortcuts app. Your lock screen will still show your standard app icons if you add app shortcuts there.

Can I change icons for apps that are not installed on my phone?

No. The shortcut has to open a real app that exists on your phone. You can create a shortcut that opens a website in Safari, but it will not give you a custom icon for an app you do not have installed.

Will custom icons slow down my phone?

No. Shortcuts are lightweight and do not affect your phone's speed or battery life. They are just links to your real apps with a custom image attached.

What happens if I delete the custom image from my Photos app?

The shortcut will stop displaying the custom image and may show a generic icon instead. Keep your custom image files in your Photos app or Files app as long as you want to use the shortcut.

Can I share my custom icons with someone else?

You can share the shortcut itself through the Shortcuts app — press and hold the shortcut and tap "Share." The person you send it to will get the shortcut, but they will need to add their own custom image files or use the same images you used. You cannot bundle the image files into the shortcut share.