Thanks to the abundance of customization features it provides, iOS 14 has recently released and created a lot of buzz. To configure their home screen according to their liking, users around the world use features such as widgets and icon arrangements, but what about apps? With iOS 14, can you change app icons? On iOS 14, will you color your apps? Let ‘s explore it!
Table of Contents
Can you create colored/custom icons in iOS 14?
Yes and no, it’s very complicated to reply. If you’re looking for Android, you’ll be disappointed if you’re looking for native support for app icons and icon packs. Some simple workarounds, however, allow you not only to modify your app icons, but also to set custom images as icons for your app.
You can also add to your home screen custom widgets that can then be colored according to your preference. So, while you don’t get native support for changing icons like Android, by following a different process, you can still achieve the same result. Let’s take a look at all the iOS 14 customizations you can make.
Steps to create custom colored icons in iOS 14
On your iOS device, making custom colored icons will help you achieve a uniform look. On one tab, you can either have all the same colored icons or have them color-coordinated according to their row or column. So, in iOS 14, how do you color app icons? Let’s take a look at it quickly.
Things you will need
- An iOS device running iOS 14 or later
- Shortcuts app | Download Link
Procedure
Download and open the Shortcuts app on your iOS 14 device and tap on ‘+’ in the top right corner of your screen.
Tap on ‘Add action’.
Now search for ‘Open App’.
Scroll down and tap on ‘Open App’.
Now tap on ‘Choose’ beside ‘Open’.
Select the app you wish to create a colored app icon for. We will be using the ‘App Store’ for this example.
Now tap on the ‘3-dot’ icon in the top right corner of your screen.
Enter a name for your shortcut at the top. We recommend using the original app name if you are looking for a stock app look.
Tap on the icon beside the text field.
You will now get the option to customize the app icon for your shortcut. Start by choosing your desired color.
Once you have chosen the color, tap on ‘Glyph’.
Now, scroll down to find an app icon that you want to customize. While you can find stock icons for most applications, for third-party apps, you will have to make do with the stock choices. In our case, there is no App Store symbol, so we will use the logo for the applications as seen below. To pick it as your app icon, tap on your choice of Glyph.
Tap on ‘Done’ in the top right corner of your screen.
Now tap on ‘Add to Home Screen’.
Enter a name for your new App icon.
Tap on ‘Add’ when you are finished.
Tap on ‘Done’.
Select ‘Done’ in the top right corner again.
Go back to your home screen and the app should now be available with the desired color logo on your home screen.
Note: The only downside of this workaround is that the Shortcuts app and then the app connected of your custom icon will first be opened using a custom shortcut from your home screen.
How to create custom colored widgets in iOS 14?
You can also add colored widgets of the same color for a more consistent look, in addition to your personalized colored icons on the home screen. Via a third-party app called Color Widgets, this can be done. To customize your home screen, let ‘s look at how you can make the most of Color Widgets.
Things you will need
- An iOS device running iOS 14
- Color Widgets app | Download Link
- Solid color background of the color you wish to use
Common Solid Color backgrounds that you can use
Procedure
Download the Color Widgets software and install it on your iOS device. You will now be brought to the home screen, where all the currently available widgets can be seen. Scroll down to find the one you want to use and pick it by clicking on it.
Tap on ‘Edit Widget’.
You will now be given a sample of all sizes at the top of your widget. Scroll down and pick the color that you wish to use in the widget under the ‘Style’ line. In your widget, the theme color determines the color of the text.
Step down further and you now have the choice to select your font. Tap on the desired font you wish to use for your widget to select it.
Finally, under the ‘Background Photo’ line, tap on’ Add Photo ‘. If you haven’t already obtained a solid colored backdrop according to your setup, it would be a perfect time to do so now.
You can now open the iOS Images app with Color Widgets to select the desired colored background that you want to use. To pick it, tap on it.
Finally, tap on ‘Set Widget’.
Go back to your home screen and enter the editing mode. You can do this by tapping and holding/force touching an empty area of the screen depending on your device. You can also tap and hold/ force touch an icon and select ‘Edit Home Screen’ to enter the editing mode.
Now tap on ‘+’ in the top right corner of your screen. If you are using an iPhone X or later, then you will have the ‘+’ icon in the top left corner of your screen instead.
Scroll down and tap on ‘Color Widgets’.
Now scroll to the right and find the size of the widget that best suits your needs.
Tap on ‘Add Widget’ at the bottom once you have found the desired size.
The custom colored widget will now be automatically added to your home screen which should match the color of your custom app icons.
How to set custom images as icons for apps on iOS 14?
You may use photos instead, to customize your home screen a step further in the above guide, in addition to using a solid colored backdrop. To help them fit your app icons, you can use dominant colored backgrounds while keeping an image in the background instead of a solid color.
Here is a full list of more than 150 iPhone backgrounds that have been categorized based on their color. The color that suits your app icons can be found and you can then download the one that most appeals to you. Instead, setting this picture as the background of your widget would help you fit your app icons without getting a single-colored bland background.
Steps to create a colored home screen on iOS 14?
You can combine the two to create a colored home screen with a uniform look, now that you know how to create colored app icons and widgets on iOS 14. Only change the icons of your favorite app and pass the original icons to your App library. As shown below, you can then have a color-coordinated setup.
By using similarly colored background images for your home screen that will further accentuate the overall look of your setup, you can take this setup a step further. Here is a list of iPhone wallpapers that are color-coordinated that should help you find a backdrop based on the color you are aiming for. Once the appropriate picture and app icons have been added, you can have a standardized color-coded home s
We hope this guide has made it simple for you to color your app icons and widgets on iOS 14. If you have any more questions for us, feel free to use the comments section below to reach out.
