You can change how app icons look on your home screen using Shortcuts, Focus modes, or third-party launchers

iPhone doesn't let you swap out the actual app icons the way Android does, but you have three real ways to change what appears on your home screen. The simplest is using the Shortcuts app to create custom icons that open your apps — these sit on your home screen and look however you design them. A second option uses Focus modes to hide apps and rearrange what's visible. A third uses third-party launcher apps, though these have limits on what they can do. Which one works best depends on how many apps you want to change and whether you want them to look custom or just be hidden.

Each method has a different workflow and different trade-offs. Shortcuts gives you the most visual control but takes up home screen space. Focus modes reorganize your entire layout without changing icons themselves. Launchers sit on top of iOS and require you to open them as a separate step. Understanding what each does helps you pick the right one for what you actually want to accomplish.

Key Takeaways

  • The Shortcuts app lets you create custom icons that open any app, and these icons appear on your home screen like regular apps.
  • You design the icon image yourself in Shortcuts, so you can use photos, emoji, or downloaded icon packs to make them look however you want.
  • Focus modes let you hide entire pages of apps from view, which is faster than creating custom icons but less flexible.
  • Third-party launcher apps like Launcher or Pastel can change how your home screen looks, but they can't replace the actual iOS home screen.
  • Custom icons created in Shortcuts take up space on your home screen just like regular apps, so you may need to organize your layout first.

Creating custom icons with the Shortcuts app

The Shortcuts app comes built into iOS and is the most direct way to create custom app icons. Open Shortcuts, tap the plus button to create a new shortcut, then tap "Add Action". Search for "Open App" and select it. Choose the app you want the custom icon to open — say, Instagram. Now tap the three dots at the top right, then tap "Add to Home Screen".

A dialog box appears asking for the name and icon. Tap the icon preview (the small circle showing the app's current icon) to change it. You can choose a photo from your library, take a new photo, use an emoji, or pick a color. Once you've set the icon and name, tap "Add" and the custom icon appears on your home screen. When you tap it, it opens the app normally. You can repeat this for as many apps as you want — each one becomes a separate shortcut with its own custom icon.

The advantage here is complete control: you can use icon packs you download from the web, create icons in a photo editor and save them to your library, or just use emoji. The downside is that each custom icon takes up a home screen slot, so if you're changing dozens of apps, you'll need multiple pages or to organize carefully. Most people start with their most-used apps and add more custom icons over time as they find a rhythm that works.

Using Focus modes to hide apps and change what's visible

Focus modes let you create different home screen layouts for different situations. Open Settings, go to Focus, and tap the plus button to create a new Focus. Name it (Work, Gaming, Reading, whatever you want) and choose which apps and contacts can notify you. Then scroll down and tap "Home Screen" to customize which app pages appear when this Focus is active.

You can hide entire pages of apps, so when you activate Work Focus, only work-related apps show. When you switch to Gaming Focus, those pages disappear and your gaming apps appear instead. This is much faster than creating custom icons if you want to reorganize your entire layout — you're not redesigning icons, you're just hiding and showing pages. The catch is that you're still using the original app icons; you're just controlling which ones are visible.

This approach works well if you want to compartmentalize your phone — one layout for work, one for personal use, one for gaming. You can set Focus modes to activate automatically based on time of day, location, or which app you're using. It doesn't change the icons themselves, but it changes what you see and reduces visual clutter by showing only the apps relevant to what you're doing right now.

Third-party launcher apps and their limits

Apps like Launcher, Pastel, and Pricetag let you create custom home screens with different icon designs and layouts. You download the app, design your home screen inside it, and then use that app as your main entry point to other apps. Some let you use custom icon packs, organize apps into folders, or add widgets that show information at a glance.

The limitation is that these launchers don't replace your actual iOS home screen — they sit on top of it. When you swipe to your home screen or use Spotlight search, you still see the standard iOS layout. The launcher app itself becomes the place you go to open other apps, which means you're adding an extra step. Some people like this because it keeps their actual home screen clean; others find it cumbersome because they have to remember to open the launcher app instead of just swiping home.

If you want to try a launcher, use it for a few days to see if the workflow feels natural. Some people use them for specific purposes — like keeping a gaming launcher separate from their main phone — rather than as their primary way to access apps. Most launchers are free or cost a few dollars, so the risk of trying one is low.

Organizing your home screen before making changes

Before you start creating custom icons or hiding pages, spend a few minutes thinking about what you actually want to see. If you're using Shortcuts to create custom icons, you'll need home screen space for each one. If you're using Focus modes, you'll need to decide which apps belong in which layout. If you're using a launcher, you'll need to decide whether you want it to be your main entry point or a secondary one.

A practical approach: start with one or two custom icons to see if you like the workflow. Create a custom icon for an app you open frequently, put it on your home screen, and use it for a day. If it feels natural, expand to more apps. If it feels clunky, try Focus modes instead. There's no penalty for experimenting — you can delete custom icons and shortcuts anytime by long-pressing them and tapping "Remove from Home Screen". You can also rearrange your home screen pages by long-pressing an empty area and tapping "Edit" to move pages around or delete them entirely.

Downloading icon packs and using them with Shortcuts

Icon packs are collections of custom app icons designed to match a visual theme. You can find them on websites like Etsy, Pinterest, or design sites, usually as ZIP files or image collections. Download one to your iPhone, unzip it if needed, and save the images to your Photos library. Some icon packs come as individual PNG files; others are bundled together and need to be extracted first.

Once the icons are in your Photos app, create a Shortcuts shortcut for the app you want to customize. When you add it to your home screen, tap the icon preview and choose "Choose Photo". Navigate to your Photos library, find the custom icon image, and select it. The custom icon now appears on your home screen. This works for any image file — you can use icons you design yourself, download, or create in a photo editor like Canva or Pixlr.

Keep in mind that icon packs are just images; they don't change how the app works or add any functionality. They're purely visual. Some icon packs are free, others cost a few dollars. Make sure you download from a source you trust, since you're adding images to your phone. If you find an icon pack you like, download it once and you can use those images for multiple shortcuts.

What happens when you update iOS or the app

Custom icons created in Shortcuts stay on your home screen even after iOS updates. They're not affected by app updates either — the shortcut still opens the app normally, and the custom icon remains unchanged. If an app is removed from the App Store or you delete it, the shortcut still exists but won't open anything; you can delete the shortcut at that point by long-pressing it and selecting "Remove".

Focus modes also persist through updates. If you've hidden certain app pages in a Focus, those settings stay in place. Third-party launcher apps may need updates to stay compatible with new iOS versions, but most major launchers are updated regularly by their developers. Check the App Store occasionally to see if your launcher has an update available, especially after a major iOS release.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I change the icons of apps without using Shortcuts?

Not directly through iOS settings. Shortcuts is the built-in method. Third-party launchers can change how icons appear in their own interface, but they don't change the actual iOS home screen. Focus modes hide apps rather than change their icons.

Do custom icons created in Shortcuts slow down my phone?

No. Shortcuts are lightweight — they're just links to apps with custom images attached. Creating dozens of them won't affect performance. The only trade-off is home screen space, since each custom icon takes up a slot.

Can I use the same custom icon for multiple apps?

Yes. Create one shortcut, add it to your home screen with a custom icon, then create another shortcut for a different app and use the same icon image. There's no limit to how many shortcuts can use the same icon.

What if I want to change icons but keep my home screen organized?

Use Focus modes to hide entire pages of apps, or create a separate folder and put all your custom icon shortcuts inside it. Both approaches keep your main home screen less cluttered while still giving you custom icons where you want them.

Do icon packs work on iPad too?

Yes. The Shortcuts app works the same way on iPad, so you can create custom icons there as well. Focus modes also work on iPad. The process is identical to iPhone.