How to change the colour of app icons on iPhone in iOS 18

Back at WWDC24, Apple announced that its upcoming iOS 18 update will finally allow iPhone users to customise their app icons on the Home screen, bringing it one step closer to Android-level customisation.

Well, after months of waiting and beta testing, that update is finally here, allowing millions of iOS users around the world to customise their Home screens like never before. You can choose not only from new dark mode icons but also the colour of all your app icons on the Home screen, giving it a unique look and feel that could potentially match your wallpaper or even your phone case.

So if you’ve downloaded the new update and want to make your iPhone look a little more unique, here’s how to change the colour of app icons in iOS 18.

What you’ll need:

The short version:

Tap and hold on an empty area on the Home Screen.
Tap Edit.
Tap Customise.
Choose your new colour theme.

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Step
1

Tap and hold on an empty area on the Home Screen

Tapping and holding on an empty area will allow you to customise your Home screen. This includes rearranging app icons, adding widgets and, new in iOS 18, the ability to change the look of your app icons.
Step
2

Tap Edit

Tap Edit in the top-left of the screen to access the Edit menu.
Step
3

Tap Customise

Tap Customise from the drop-down menu.
Step
4

Choose your new colour theme

A pop-up will appear at the bottom of the screen that will display all the icon customisation options. These customisation options include Automatic, which is based on your iPhone’s Dark Mode settings, Light, Dark or Tinted. The latter allows you to choose both the base colour and its intensity and all options will be applied across every icon.

Troubleshooting

Can all home screen icons be customised?

Yes, although there are some icons that may not be optimised for customisation yet. Even so, the system will still paint the icon in the same colour or tint to ensure it matches as closely as possible.

How do you adjust the Tinted option’s colour and intensity?

When you select the Tinted option you’ll see two sliders. The top slider changes the colour of your icons while the bottom slider adjusts the intensity of the colour.