How to Change App Icons on an iPhone’s Home Screen in a Few Simple Steps?

Apple is worldwide known for providing its users, the exceptional privilege of customizing their devices to reflect their personalities. A part of this luxury is the ability to change the app icons present on the home screen of an iPhone or iPad.

Although one cannot replace the original icon of an app, one can still replace the app with a shortcut of itself, acquiring the option of personalization.

Follow till the end to learn how to change app icons iPhone in simple steps. We will also cover ways to add and modify widgets on your home screen.

Also Read:- Learn How to Change Voicemail on iPhone? Record and Set Up Voicemail on iPhone

How To Change Icons On iPhone?

Thanks to the advanced features provided by Apple, iPhone users are highly content with the amount of customization they can perform. This includes ways to make the keyboard bigger or change the icons on the home screen in the simplest manner.

Even though this method does not allow a direct way to alter with any original icon, users can still make a personalized shortcut to that application. Just follow the steps below:

1. Find a photo or create an icon that you wish to replace with the original one.

2. Search and open the Shortcuts app.

3. In the top-right corner, tap on the Plus (+) sign.

   

4. Now, tap on the ‘Open App’ suggestion.

   

5. Click the ‘App’ faintly written beside Open in the text box.

   

6. From the list, choose the app whose icon you want to customize.

   

7. Next, tap on the fourth tab at the bottom of the screen.

   

8. Select the ‘Add to Home Screen’ option.

   

9. On your screen, you can rename the shortcut by tapping on the text box.

   

10. Now, tap the icon in the text box to change it.

11. Select from ‘Take Photo’, ‘Choose Photo’, or ‘Choose File’ to pick your icon.

    

12. Crop the image as per your preference.

    

13. Once picked, tap ‘Add’ in the top-right corner of the screen.

    

14. Your new shortcut with the customized icon will be added to your home screen.

    

Alternate Uses: You can use the same steps when you need to only rename an application instead of changing the icon. These steps come in handy to rename Photos on iPhone as a security measure.

Alternate Steps to Change iPhone App Icons

Depending on the iOS version of your phone, the options may vary from the above-mentioned steps. Thus, here are some alternate steps to change icons on your iPhone:

1. Decide on an image you wish to replace with the original icon.

2. Open the Shortcuts app and tap the Plus (+) sign in the top-right corner.

   

3. Tap the ‘Add Action’ button and search ‘Open app’.

   

4. Tap the ‘Open app’ link and choose the app from the list.

5. At the top of the screen, your shortcut is named ‘New Shortcut 1’. 

6. To change it, tap the down arrow and choose Rename.

7. Tap on the textbox and enter the name.

   

8. Next, click the icon beside the name to change it.

9. To specify your icon, tap ‘Take Photo’, ‘Change Photo’, or ‘Choose File’.

   

10. After selecting the image, tap ‘Add’ in the upper-right corner of the screen.
11. Your home screen will now have a new shortcut with a customized icon.

At this point, you can also remove the original app icon from your home screen and just keep the shortcut. This won’t delete the actual app from your phone as well. 

Quick Steps

To hide the original icon, follow the below steps:

• Long press on the wallpaper to open edit mode.
• Tap the minus (-) sign in the upper-left corner of the app.
• Select ‘Remove from Home Screen’ from the pop-up menu.

With icons that match your wallpaper and the overall theme, you can easily create an aesthetic appearance to suit your sense of style.

Also read:- How to Reset an iPhone? A Complete Guide to Reset, Factory Reset, and Force Restart iPhone

Ways to Add and Customize the Widgets on Your iPhone

iOS offers a simple and easy way to add widgets of supporting apps to your home screen. But, if we’re on to customizing everything, should we not personalize our widgets as well? Although this feature is not directly available, you can still use a third-party application to add a little flavor to the appearance of any widget.

1. Install the Widgetsmith app on your iPhone.

   

2. Open the app and select the size of the widget you’d like to customize — small, medium, or large.

   

3. Browse through the options and select a widget.

   

4.  Tap the widget to change its theme or tap ‘Customize Theme’ to make your own. Once you’re done, hit Save.

   

5. On your home screen, hold and press down anywhere.

6. Once in edit mode, tap the plus icon in the top-left corner.

   

7. Look for Widgetsmith and click the icon.

   

8. Select the widget size to add, then press Add Widget.

   

9. Long-press the widget and select Choose. 

   

10. Choose the widget to add from the options.

    

11. The chosen widget icon will appear on your home screen.

Using this app, you can modify your widgets and adjust them as per the space. Certain functions and apps, such as photos, dates, clocks, weather, health, calendars, reminders, and astronomy, may all be created as widgets.

The entire process of customizing your home screen can be time-consuming, but the satisfaction at the end is worth the effort. You can use some reliable online sources like Flaticon to find a quick, appealing icon as a replacement. This way, you can easily catch up on the time as well as the efforts!

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

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