Customizing your iPhone’s Home Screen, especially app icons, used to be a hassle, requiring complicated workarounds. However, with iOS 18, you can now easily change app icon colors right from the Home Screen. I’ll show you how below.
How to Change the Color of iPhone App Icons
Before you begin, make sure to update your iPhone to iOS 18. Once that’s done, long-press on a blank area of your Home Screen to enter jiggle mode. Now, tap Edit in the top-left corner and choose Customize.
This will open the menu where you can personalize your app icons. You’ll see four options: Light, Dark, Automatic, and Tint. Here’s what each option does:
- Light: This option keeps your app icons in Light Mode, just like they were before you updated your phone to iOS 18.
- Dark: This new option switches your app icons to Dark Mode, giving most of them a darker background. However, note that it may not apply to some third-party app icons.
- Automatic: This option automatically switches between light or dark icons based on your iPhone’s current theme. When you switch between Dark Mode and Light Mode, your app icons also follow suit.
- Tint: This option allows you to tint your app icons to any color of your choice. Simply select it and drag the two sliders to any color and intensity you like. Your experience might be very hit or miss, though, as it doesn’t look good on some app icons.
This isn’t the only thing you can do to further customize your Home Screen. You can choose larger app icons by selecting the Large option in the Customize menu, which also hides the app labels for a minimal, clean look. Additionally, you can darken your background for better contrast by tapping the sun icon in the top-left corner of the Customize menu.
If you’re not satisfied with the results, you can also try adding custom widgets and app icons using third-party apps for even more flexibility. Plus, now that your iPhone’s software is up-to-date, you can explore some of the best new iOS 18 features as well!
