How to set up custom icon packs on iPhone

Did you know you can change the boring, standard icons for apps with your own icon images and even custom name? It’s actually quite easy to do.

iphone app icon feature
With the latest iOS 16 for the best iPhones, you can truly customize the look and feel of your iPhone. This includes setting up custom icon packs so the icons that appear on the home screen of your device are personalized to your own look and feel. You can choose from a selection of app icons of all kinds with your own choice of background color or even use your own photos. The best part is that it doesn’t require any third-party software to do. Supported on any iPhone that is compatible with iOS 16, you can customize the look of virtually any app icon that appears on your phone.

The process is simple. Here’s how to do it.

  1. Go to App Store and search for and download an app called Shortcuts if it isn’t already preloaded onto the phone. (If it is, you’ll see Open versus Get). Open the app.
  2. Tap the “+” icon at the top, right of the screen.
  3. Select Add Action.
  4. Select Scripting.
  5. Select Open App and select the app you want to customize the look of, then select Done.
  6. Under the Shortcuts menu, you’ll see that app listed now under Open App 1. Tap the ellipses (three dots) beside the icon.
  7. Under the name of the app at the top, tap the “v” down button.
  8. Rename the app.
  9. Repeat step 7 and select Choose Icon and from there, select a custom color and icon image for the app.
  10. Tap Done at the top, right of the page.
  11. Tap the “v” down button again and select Add to Home Screen.
  12. You’ll see a Preview of what the new app icon will look like along with the Home screen Name and Icon. Select Add at the top, right.
  13. Return to your Home Screen and you’ll see the new app icon appear wherever there’s an open spot on your Home Screen pages.
  14. If you want to use your own personal photo for the app icon, follow the steps up to step 11. When you see the Preview, tap the icon under Home Screen Name and Icon and select Choose Photo or Take Photo. From there, you can either take a photo to use as the app icon or choose one from your photo library.
  15. Once the desired photo is selected, move it around to capture the exact area you want, then tap Choose.
  16. Back at the Preview screen, select Add. You’ll now see your custom icon and custom name on the Home Screen.

Custom icon packs are a neat way to personalize the look of your favorite apps on an iPhone like the new iPhone 14. Once you set up these shortcuts, you can delete the standard app icons from your phone if you like, or simply group all of your custom-made icons into a folder or page on the Home Screen where you can enjoy the more customized experience. This is a good way to group together your frequently used functions and make accessing them more fun (think “Get Ready to Drive” with a photo of your car, or one you’d love to get, as the new icon for the Waze app, for example).

If you delve deeper into Shortcuts, you can also set secondary actions that occur when you select a certain Shortcut. For example, when you set up a shortcut for Contacts, you might also want to have a Call or FaceTime action prompted. When you set a Shortcut for accessing the current song, you can set up secondary actions to either Add to Playlist or Get Details.

There are lots of fun ways you can use custom icons with iPhone, creating a phone home page that is uniquely you. Once you’re done adjusting app icons, you can read our guide on how to customize your iPhone home screen for more ways to make it look exactly as you want.

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