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How to Set Custom Icons on Your iPhone or iPad

Creative Process

I believe we can write anywhere. I also know that I’m in my happiest creative place when my environment is aesthetic. For me, that means a tidy, minimal home and a pretty digital space!

If you’ve ever wondered how people get those cute little icons on their iPhone or iPad to make the apps more aesthetically pleasing, It’s easier than you think and you can do it all with the native iOS Shortcuts app.

Before you begin, make sure you have the  images you want to use as your icons either saved to your Photo Library, or to a Files folder (or Dropbox) folder on your phone. 

01—Open Shortcuts

  • On your iPhone or iPad, open the Shortcuts app. Tap the “+” in the top-right corner to create a new shortcut.

02—Name Your Shortcut

  • Name your shortcut after the app you’re customizing (e.g., “Messages”). This will help keep your icons organized.

03—Set Up the Shortcut

  • Tap “Add Action”.
  • Select “Scripting” and then choose “Open App”.
  • Tap “App” (highlighted in blue) and select the app from the list.

04—Customize the Icon

  • Tap the blue circle with three lines in the top-right corner.
  • Choose “Add to Home Screen”.
  • On the next screen, tap the default icon next to your shortcut name and select “Choose Photo”.
  • Pick your custom app icon image from your Photos library or Files.

05—Finalize and Add to Home Screen

  • Rename the shortcut if needed or leave it as is.
  • Tap “Add” in the top-right corner.

06—Arrange Your Icons

  • Go to your Home Screen. The new shortcut will appear there.
  • Long press on the icon to drag it to your desired location.

07—Repeat for Each App

  • Repeat these steps for each custom app icon you want to create. It can take awhile, but the results are worth it!

Pro Tip

I always set my iPhone and iPad icons to the Large setting, which removes the name of the app beneath the icon. 

  1. Press and hold anywhere on the screen until the app icons begin to wiggle.
  2. Tap “Edit” in the top left corner
  3. Tap “Customize”
  4. Tap the “Large” toggle button
  5. Click anywhere else on the screen to exit
  6. Now your icons will display slightly larger, and without the label of what the icons are.

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