Apps change their logos all the time, and not everyone likes the new one. Maybe you preferred the old design, or you want your home screen to match a color scheme. Whatever the reason, people regularly ask how to change an iPhone app icon and get frustrated by the answer, which is: it depends on the app.
Here is what is possible, what isn’t, and how to get the look you want.
Why you can’t just pick any iPhone app icon
An iPhone app icon is part of the app itself. The developer packages it in at build time. The system doesn’t give you a general-purpose ‘change icon’ button for every app, the way you might change a ringtone.
There is one official exception. Developers can include alternate icons inside their apps, and the app can offer a picker in its own settings. Apple supports this feature, and it is how some apps let you choose a classic look, a seasonal design, or a different color.
Method one: check the app’s settings
This is the cleanest option, so try it first.
- Open the app and go to its settings or preferences.
- Look for an entry called App Icon, Appearance, Icon, or Theme.
- Select the one you want from the list.
- The system may show a short confirmation, and the home screen icon changes.
Not every app lets you change its iPhone app icon this way. If you can’t find it, the developer probably didn’t include alternates. A search of the app’s help pages or support forum will tell you for sure. Some apps offer extra icons only for paying subscribers, so you might see choices that are locked.
Also note that if an old logo was retired, the developer may not have kept it as an alternate. In that case, the app won’t offer it, and you will need another method for your iPhone app icon.
Method two: build a shortcut with your own image
If you want a specific picture, there is a well-known workaround using the Shortcuts app that comes with iOS. It doesn’t replace the real iPhone app icon. Instead, it creates a new home screen shortcut that opens the app and wears whatever image you pick.
- Open Shortcuts and tap the plus button to create a new shortcut.
- Choose the action to open an app, then select the app you want.
- Tap the shortcut’s name at the top and choose to add it to the Home Screen.
- Tap the icon preview, pick a photo or file, and give the shortcut a name.
- Add it, and it appears on your home screen.
You will need the image saved in Photos or Files first. Square pictures with a clear subject work best for a replacement iPhone app icon, since iOS will crop and round them.
The trade-offs
This approach has some downsides worth knowing about. The original iPhone app icon still exists in your App Library, so you may want to hide it from the home screen to avoid duplicates. Notification badges generally attach to the real app icon, not to your shortcut, so you may lose the red number. And launching may be a touch slower, since the system runs a small automation first.
On some versions of iOS, opening an app this way briefly shows the Shortcuts app before the target loads. It is a small thing, but it can annoy people who tap often.
Method three: use the system’s own styling
Recent versions of iOS include options for tinting and darkening icons across the home screen. If your goal is a consistent look rather than a specific logo, press and hold an empty spot on the home screen, tap Edit, then Customize, and see which options your version offers. These settings change appearance globally, so they won’t bring back a retired iPhone app icon, but they can calm a loud logo.
This route is the least work for any iPhone app icon, and it never breaks notifications. The cost is that every icon changes together, so you give up control over any single one.
What about downloading old icon packs?
Be careful with third-party websites offering iPhone app icon packs or profile files. Some are simply image collections that work with the Shortcuts method above. Others ask you to install configuration profiles or enter account details, and you should avoid those. A harmless icon pack needs nothing except an image you can save to your photos.
Also remember that logos are trademarks. Using an old logo privately on your own phone is harmless, but you shouldn’t expect an app to restore a design its company has retired.
A quick decision guide
If the app has an icon setting, use it. If you want a custom image and don’t mind a few quirks, use a Shortcuts shortcut. If you just want a calmer look, adjust the system styling. And if none of that satisfies you, the honest answer is that some changes are up to the developer.
Sending a polite feature request through the app’s support page is often the most effective move left. Developers do read those requests, and a retired design sometimes comes back as an optional extra when enough people ask for it. Until then, the methods above will get your iPhone app icon looking the way you like.
For a neutral background reference, the Wikipedia article on IOS is a useful place to start.
Related reading: Seeing Furniture in Your Room First: How Phone AR Shopping Works and When an App Changes Hands: What Users Should Check.
