Some of the biggest changes Apple introduced withiOS 18concern customization. You can tweak the look of yourControl Centerfor the first time, even including buttons and controls for third-party apps. Like the last few years, Apple has also included new ways to tweak how your home screen looks. Not only can you place app icons wherever you want, but you can change the color of those icons too.
The results might not always look the best, especially for apps that haven’t been fully updated to support iOS 18, but that’s because of the surprising amount of control Apple gives you over how your icons look. If you’re planning on taking yourphone customizationto the next level, here’s how to tweak the color of your app icons yourself.
How to use iOS 18’s text effects in Messages
iOS 18 lets you express yourself a little more with bold and stylized text effects.
How to change the color of your app icons
You’re a few taps away from a drastically different home screen
By default, when you change your wallpaper and try andtint the color of your app icons, Apple tries to match the icons to your wallpaper. It also only lets you tint dark mode icons, which means, while the current interfaces of your apps will still change based on your preferred settings (whether it’s defaulting to dark mode or changing based on the time of the day), your home screen will look like it’s in Dark Mode all the time if you want to change the color of your icons.
Unless an app is updated for iOS 18, tinting will only apply a filter and not fully change the color of the icon.
It’s possible Apple will change that in a future software release, but it is something to be aware of if you’re extra particular about how your phone looks. With that in mind, to tint your apps you’ll need to start on your home screen:
Your iPhone is more customizable than ever with iOS 18
Widgets, tinted app icons, and a text-free home screen are at your disposal
Apple isn’t going to ever make the iPhone asfreewheeling and customizable as an Android phone,but it’s come a long way in the last few years. You can make your iPhone look very different with only a few minutes of work, and wildly differentif you’re willing to set up some simple shortcuts.That’s a pretty big change from the one default home screen early iPhones were stuck with.
Apple isn’t going to ever make an iPhone as freewheeling and customizable as an Android phone.
Of course, customization isn’t the only benefit that iOS 18 includes, from long promisedApple Intelligencesupport to improvements toApple Maps, the operating system has received a lot of new features that you shouldn’t miss.
