How to change your iPhone's app icons - Blog - Creative Collaboration (2024)

If your phone doesn’t convey your personality in every possible way, is it even really your phone?

When iOS 14 came out last year and Apple introduced widgets, the aesthetic home screen trend took the internet by storm. TikTok blew up with suggested phone screen themes and everyone was tweeting their impeccably designed masterpieces for all to ogle.

A key piece of these artful screens? Redesigned app icons. None of the themes could be complete without matching apps, and the default Twitter logo just doesn’t match everyone’s desired vibe. If you, too, are just beginning to cultivate your own home screen, we’ve got the guide on how to make each of your apps fit right in with your new look.

1. Make sure you have iOS 13 or higher.

You’ll need to use the Shortcuts app to make your apps look the way you want, which is only available on iOS 13 or later. If you want to go the full aesthetic route and add in widgets, plus be able to hide your old app icons, you’ll need to have iOS 14.

2. Go to Shortcuts.

This is what the Shortcuts icon looks like.
Credit: Screenshot: Apple

Before I tried to redesign my apps, I had never used my Shortcuts app. If you’re in the same boat, it might be tucked away in the throes off apps you never touch, so I suggest using Spotlight search to find it.

3. Hit the “+” in the upper right hand corner.

You’re creating a new shortcut for each app you want to redesign, so hit the plus sign to add your first one.

4. Hit “Add Action” on the next screen.

It’ll be the big blue button on the next screen. Pretty hard to miss!

5. Search for “Open app.”

The next screen will display suggestions for shortcuts based on the way you use your phone. At the top, tap on the search bar, type in “Open app,” and you’ll get several relevant results under “Actions.” Tap the one you see above.

6. Tap on “Choose.”

This is where you’ll choose which app you’re redesigning. Your whole app library should be present, so just choose which one you want to work with.

7. Once you choose, tap the three blue dots in the upper right corner.

This will bring you further into this specific shortcut’s settings, where you can rename the shortcut (usually the same as the app name, or you can make it something unique to you) and choose the image for your app icon.

8. Once you’ve renamed your shortcut, tap on “Add to Home Screen.”

This will create the new icon on your home screen. It won’t replace the old icon, so you will have to go back and hide that later on.

9. Tap on the icon next to your renamed app on the next screen to change the image.

A popup will appear that will ask you to choose between taking a photo, choosing an existing photo, or choosing a file. If you have an image saved that you want your new app icon to look like, choose an existing photo, and reframe it if necessary.

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10. Hit “Add” in the upper right hand corner.

Once you tap “Add,” you can exit the Shortcuts app and your new app icon should display on your home screen.

You can do this as many times as there are apps you would like to redesign. If you’re like me and have more apps than you really use, i would recommend only doing this for the apps you use most often. If you want to delete the icon, press and hold on it, then select “Delete bookmark.”

Each app you redesign will not delete its old icon, so make sure you go back and find the original, remove it from your home screen, which will relegate it to your App Library (if you have iOS 14).

Every time you use your new icon, a banner will appear at the top of your screen announcing the activation of the shortcut you created. It is slightly annoying, but much less noticeable than the previous version, where the Shortcuts app would launch for a second before taking you to the app. And hey, isn’t it worth it for the perfect home screen?