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The upcoming iOS 18 update is generating much buzz because of Apple Intelligence. But the update also includes new customization tools, such as the long-awaited ability to change the appearance of icons on the home screen.
Home screen customization isn’t entirely new to the iPhone, though iOS 18 builds upon it in pretty exciting ways — including the ability to change the color of your app icons. It adds a level of personalization not previously available on the iPhone, and it’s a lot of fun to play with. Here’s how it works.
How to change app icon colors in iOS 18
There are two ways you can adjust the appearance of icons in iOS 18. First, you can enable the icons to automatically adjust their appearance based on the time of day. Additionally, you can add colorful tints to the icons to match your style or mood.
Step 1: To enter Edit mode in iOS 18, press and hold on an empty area on your iPhone home screen until the icons begin to jiggle.
Step 2: Next, choose the Edit icon from the top-left corner.
Step 3: Choose Customize from the Edit menu.
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Step 4: To adjust the colors of the icons to match the time of day, tap Automatic.
Step 5: You can also tap Dark so the icons are dark all the time, or Light so they remain lightly colored 24/7.
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Step 6: There’s also a Tinted option located next to Automatic, Dark, and Light. Tap on it to adjust the tint color for your app icons. You can use a slider to select the specific color and another one to adjust the intensity of the tint.
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Step 7: You can also use the eyedropper icon to adjust the colors of your iPhone icons to match a color on the existing background.
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Step 8: One additional way to customize your iPhone home screen in iOS 18 is by making the icons larger. You can do this by once again going into the new edit mode. From here, toggle Large. As you can see, by doing so the icons on the home screen get larger and the words beneath them are removed. Tap Small to return the icons to their regular size.
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And that’s it! iOS 18’s app icon customization tools may not be as exhaustive as what you’ll find on an Android phone, but it does add another fun element to home screen customization. And now, you know how it works.
