Show With iOS 14, one of the most significant changes was the ability to customize Home screen app icons without the need for a jailbreak. However, this is not done natively but through the Shortcuts app. If you weren't aware, the Shortcuts app can be used for many things, such as automations and other valuable tools, to make your life easier. But one of the most popular use cases for it is definitely customizing your favorite iPhone's aesthetic. It may not be on the level of Android, but it's one step closer. If you want to personalize your best iPhone or iPad to suit your tastes, then you'll want to customize those app icons with the Shortcuts app. The process is a little tedious, but the results can be well worth it, depending on how bad you want to customize. Here's how to do it in iOS 15. Don't forget to check out our guide on getting started with Shortcuts for even more possibilities. How to download an icon pack to your iOS deviceThe first step to customizing your iOS 14 app icons for a "pleasing aesthetic" Home screen is, well, downloading an icon pack on to your device. If you want some ideas, I highly recommend the Depths icon pack, which is the one that I'm currently using. You can also find plenty of other themes and icon packs that others use on r/iOSsetups if you want inspiration. However, keep in mind that some icon packs may be available for free, but others need to be purchased first before you get access.
View downloaded icon pack in Files by showing: Launch Files, tap Downloads (Image credit: iMore)
How to customize an app icon in ShortcutsOnce you have your favorite icon pack downloaded, it's time to start customizing your iOS 14 Home screen pages however you'd like. Here is the basic process for changing one icon (repeat these steps for however many app icons you want to customize).
When you have all of your necessary app icons changed, you can now rearrange them as you see fit. For even more personalization, you can check out the best home screen customization apps for widgets and take it a step further. Just be warned, once you open your apps with these custom shortcuts, you will see a banner at the top for a brief moment indicating that you essentially launched a shortcut. This is just how it is right now, unfortunately, but at least it goes away by itself after about three seconds, or you can now swipe it away immediately if you prefer. However, it's still a big step up from the previous version, which launched the Shortcuts app first before taking you to your actual app. However, it seems that this will be changing in iOS 15.4 and beyond, which is currently in beta. With iOS 15.4, there will be an option to turn off banner notifications for Shortcuts automations. Create your own aesthetic Home screenAs you can see, customizing your app icons in iOS 15 is not too hard, but it can be tedious depending on the number of icons you want to change up. Still, it's a relatively straightforward process, and I'm glad that Apple is starting to open up a little about customization. Hopefully, we can get a way to change app icons natively in future versions of iOS. Christine Romero-Chan was formerly a Senior Editor for iMore. She has been writing about technology, specifically Apple, for over a decade at a variety of websites. She is currently part of the Digital Trends team, and has been using Apple’s smartphone since the original iPhone back in 2007. While her main speciality is the iPhone, she also covers Apple Watch, iPad, and Mac when needed. When she isn’t writing about Apple, Christine can often be found at Disneyland in Anaheim, California, as she is a passholder and obsessed with all things Disney, especially Star Wars. Christine also enjoys coffee, food, photography, mechanical keyboards, and spending as much time with her new daughter as possible. How do I change the icon picture on a shortcut?To change the icon picture: Right-click the icon and click Properties. Click the Shortcut tab (if one is available), and then click Change Icon. Click the icon that you want to use from the list, click OK, and then click OK.
How do I customize my iPhone app icons?Tap on the icon under Home Screen Name and Icon. You'll have the choice of either taking a photo, choosing a photo, or choosing a file. Assuming you've already saved an image in Photo, tap on Choose Photo and select the photo you want to use.
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