The Apple Shortcuts app lets you create and use custom icons for any app on your iPhone or iPad, but it doesn’t actually replace any icons. If your goal is to change the official icon for the app itself without any redirects, it’s possible, but only for some third-party apps found on the App Store.
While the Shortcuts option works well and gives you full control over the icon design, the custom icons you create are just shortcuts to real apps that you’ve (hopefully) hidden from the home screen. This clutters up your list of shortcuts and gives you duplicate entries for the app in your app library.
Go to list:
- Absolutely free
- Free apps with free and paid icons
- Free apps only with paid icons
- Paid Apps
- combo box
- Apps that used to have icons but no longer have them
User-selectable application icons
To make an app’s icon different from the official one, the developer must include this feature directly in the app using the setAlternateIconName method. The built-in alternate designs are called user-selectable app icons, and have been available to developers since March 2017 when iOS 10.3 was introduced.
Many developers avoid implementing user-selectable app icons because each alternate app icon must follow the same rules that the primary icon must follow. Each placeholder needs a set of images of different sizes in order to display correctly on the system – on the home screen and in the app library, Spotlight, settings, notification center, etc.
For apps that include alternative designs and app icon themes, you are the only one who can change their icons on your device. Each time you do this, iOS or iPadOS will confirm the change. However, some developers have found ways around this requirement. For example, when you apply a new theme in SwiftScan, the app’s icon will match the theme’s colors, but no icon change confirmation will appear.
- Don’t Miss: How to Use Shortcuts to Create New Icons for All Your Apps
Examples of confirmation in CARROT (left), working copy (center) and NHL (right).
The extra work involved with user-selectable icons means that few apps include them. For many of them, the new icons are locked behind paywalls (in-app purchases, revolving subscriptions) to help offset the extra work. However, some apps have free app icon replacements while others offer free and paid options.
How to change app icons
Although the list of apps that allow you to change their icons is relatively small, developers can implement this option in any of the following ways.
- Change through the settings menu in the application
- Change via settings in the Settings app
- Edit with quick actions on the home screen or in the app library (long press on the app icon)
Developers can also get creative with implementing icon changes. For example, settings can be hidden behind a secret menu or unlocked by moving the device in a certain way.
Most apps will use the in-app settings menu, but sometimes you’ll see a different implementation. As you can see below, the MyLight option is in the Settings app and HQ once tucked it away in the home screen quick actions.
Cake app settings (left); MyLight settings for iOS (middle); Quick action headquarters (right).
Each iOS app with user-selectable app icons
The lists below are short, but we consistently find apps that offer user-selectable app icons. Also, you can help! Let us know if we are missing any apps and we will confirm and add them.
Absolutely free
- Bandsintown Concerts – via the Settings app
- Buffer: Social Media Manager – via account settings in the app
- Cake Web Browser – via the in-app settings menu
- DuckDuckGo Privacy Browser – Through the in-app settings menu.
- Emoji Me Sticker Maker – via the “More”menu in the application
- Etsy: Custom & Creative Goods – via the in-app settings menu
- Habit Tracker++ – Through the app settings menu in the app.
- Hushed – 2nd phone number – via app settings menu in the app
- Microsoft Outlook – via the appearance settings menu in the application
- MiLB First Pitch – via the settings menu in the application
- MLB – through the account settings menu in the application.
- MyLight – flashlight – through the Settings app
- Narwhal for Reddit – through the advanced settings menu in the application.
- NHL – through the settings menu in the application.
- Twitterrific: Tweet Your Way – Using the Subject Button in the App
- WordPress – Website Builder – Through the Application Settings Menu in the Application
Free apps with free and paid icons
- Bear – Markdown Notes – via the Themes menu in the app (there are 7 free icons; need to pay $19.99/year for a Premium subscription or $39.99/year for an Ultra subscription)
- BuzzFeed – quizzes, trivia, and news – via the in-app settings menu (there are 3 free icons; to get the rest, you need to pay $2.99 per month for a BuzzFeed+ subscription).
- CARROT Weather: Alerts & Radar – Through the in-app settings menu (there are 3 free icons; to get the rest, you need to pay $1.49 per month or $14.99 per year for a Pro subscription).
- Pocket Casts – via the Appearance menu in the app (there are 8 free icons; you need to pay $0.99/month or $9.99/year for a Plus subscription to get the rest)
- PCalc Lite – via in-app settings menu (there are 2 free icons; need to pay $0.99, $1.99, $4.99 or $9.99 or switch to the full app for $9.99 to get the rest)
- Reddit – via the in-app settings menu (some of them are free for a limited time; the rest require you to pay $6.99/month or $59.99/year for a premium subscription).
- Working copy – Git client – via in-app settings menu (there are 2 free icons; need to pay $19.99 for the Pro version to get the rest)
Free apps only with paid icons
- Anybuffer – via in-app settings menu (must pay $4.99, $6.99, or $9.99 for Pro version)
- Apollo for Reddit – via in-app settings menu (must pay $4.99 for Pro version; $4.99 to unlock community badges; $4.99 to unlock SPCA badge; and/or $0.99 per month, 9, $99 per year or $39.99 one time for Ultra subscription and badges)
- GameTrack – Through the in-app settings menu (needs to pay $0.99 per month, $7.99 per year, or $40.99 one time for a GameTrack+ subscription)
- Hello Weather – Through the in-app settings menu (must pay $1.99 per month, $12.99 per year, or $44.99 one time for a Pro subscription)
- Overcast – via Premium menu in the app (need to pay $9.99/year for Premium subscription)
- SwiftScan – Document Scanner – via in-app settings menu (Needs to pay $7.99 per month, $39.99 per year, or $199.99 one time for VIP subscription)
- Tinder – via the settings menu in the application (you must pay for a monthly, six-monthly or annual premium subscription Gold, Platinum or Select)
- Tweetbot for Twitter – Through the in-app settings menu (you need to pay $0.99 per month or $5.99 per year).
Paid Apps
- Calzy – via the “More Options”menu in the app ($4.99)
- Obscura Camera 2 – via in-app settings menu ($4.99)
- Obscura 3 – Pro Camera – Via in-app settings menu ($9.99)
- PCalc – via in-app settings menu ($9.99)
- Pro Camera by Moment – Via in-app settings menu ($6.99)
- SwiftScan Pro Document Scanner – Via in-app settings menu ($99.99)
- Streaks Workout – via in-app settings menu ($3.99)
- Unlox – Via in-app theme menu ($3.99)
All Etsy are free (left); Reddit is free and paid (in the middle); All SwiftScans are paid and vary by theme (right).
combo box
- Anybuffer – via in-app settings menu (must pay $4.99, $6.99, or $9.99 for Pro version)
- Apollo for Reddit – via in-app settings menu (must pay $4.99 for Pro version; $4.99 to unlock community badges; $4.99 to unlock SPCA badge; and/or $0.99 per month, 9, $99 per year or $39.99 one time for Ultra subscription and badges)
- Bandsintown Concerts – via the Settings app
- Bear – Markdown Notes – via the Themes menu in the app (there are 7 free icons; need to pay $19.99/year for a Premium subscription or $39.99/year for an Ultra subscription)
- Buffer: Social Media Manager – via account settings in the app
- BuzzFeed – quizzes, trivia, and news – via the in-app settings menu (there are 3 free icons; to get the rest, you need to pay $2.99 per month for a BuzzFeed+ subscription).
- Cake Web Browser – via the in-app settings menu
- Calzy – via the “More Options”menu in the app ($4.99)
- CARROT Weather: Alerts & Radar – Through the in-app settings menu (there are 3 free icons; to get the rest, you need to pay $1.49 per month or $14.99 per year for a Pro subscription).
- DuckDuckGo Privacy Browser – Through the in-app settings menu.
- Emoji Me Sticker Maker – via the “More”menu in the application
- Etsy: Custom & Creative Goods – via the in-app settings menu
- GameTrack – Through the in-app settings menu (needs to pay $0.99 per month, $7.99 per year, or $40.99 one time for a GameTrack+ subscription)
- Habit Tracker++ – Through the app settings menu in the app.
- Hello Weather – Through the in-app settings menu (must pay $1.99 per month, $12.99 per year, or $44.99 one time for a Pro subscription)
- Hushed – 2nd phone number – via app settings menu in the app
- Microsoft Outlook – via the appearance settings menu in the application
- MiLB First Pitch – via the settings menu in the application
- MLB – through the account settings menu in the application.
- MyLight – flashlight – through the Settings app
- Narwhal for Reddit – through the advanced settings menu in the application.
- NHL – through the settings menu in the application.
- Obscura Camera 2 – via in-app settings menu ($4.99)
- Obscura 3 – Pro Camera – Via in-app settings menu ($9.99)
- Overcast – via Premium menu in the app (need to pay $9.99/year for Premium subscription)
- Pocket Casts – via the Appearance menu in the app (there are 8 free icons; you need to pay $0.99/month or $9.99/year for a Plus subscription to get the rest)
- PCalc – via in-app settings menu ($9.99)
- PCalc Lite – via in-app settings menu (there are 2 free icons; need to pay $0.99, $1.99, $4.99 or $9.99 or switch to the full app for $9.99 to get the rest)
- Pro Camera by Moment – Via in-app settings menu ($6.99)
- Reddit – via the in-app settings menu (some of them are free for a limited time; the rest require you to pay $6.99/month or $59.99/year for a premium subscription).
- SwiftScan – Document Scanner – via in-app settings menu (Needs to pay $7.99 per month, $39.99 per year, or $199.99 one time for VIP subscription)
- SwiftScan Pro Document Scanner – Via in-app settings menu ($99.99)
- Streaks Workout – via in-app settings menu ($3.99)
- Tinder – via the settings menu in the application (you must pay for a monthly, six-monthly or annual premium subscription Gold, Platinum or Select)
- Tweetbot for Twitter – Through the in-app settings menu (you need to pay $0.99 per month or $5.99 per year).
- Twitterrific: Tweet Your Way – Using the Subject Button in the App
- Unlox – Via in-app theme menu ($3.99)
- WordPress – Website Builder – Through the Application Settings Menu in the Application
- Working copy – Git client – via in-app settings menu (there are 2 free icons; need to pay $19.99 for the Pro version to get the rest)
Apps that used to have icons but no longer have them
- Burner: Text + Call + Message (first appeared in version 3.7.5, but was removed over time)
- HQ Trivia (Sometimes there are easter eggs for changing app icons, like long pressing an app icon on the home screen, or flipping the device multiple times)
- Instagram (was available for a short period during his 10th birthday celebration)
When we hear or see a new app offering user-selectable app icons, we’ll be sure to add it to the list above. So be sure to bookmark this page and keep checking back here to see how you can add a little home screen customization to your iPhone or iPad without any jailbreaks or complicated hacks.